Looking for an eye-catching dessert? This layered Fruitcake Cheesecake has a delicious poppy seed layer followed by a thick layer of cheesecake with candied fruit and it’s topped with shredded coconut! It comes together in just a few steps and it melts in your mouth!
Russian Fruitcake Cheesecake
Today I’m sharing with you this delicious & colorful Fruitcake Cheesecake!
This dessert is perfect for the Holiday season or any special occasion where you might want to serve something fancy and unique but easy to make!
What is Fruitcake Cheesecake?
It’s a layered baked cheesecake made with tvorog (the Russian version of farmer’s cheese so you can use farmer’s cheese if you can’t get your hands on some tvorog) sour cream, eggs, and sugar.
The base features a poppy seed cheesecake layer, while the rest of the cheesecake has tiny colorful cubes of candied fruit. It’s topped with shredded coconut and served cold.
It has a very delicate vanilla flavor with a subtle nuttiness from the poppy seeds and a fruity hint from the candied fruit. It melts in your mouth and it’s sure to be an eye catcher on your table… who has ever seen one of these, right?!
Ingredients
- Tvorog aka Russian farmer’s cheese or regular cream cheese. Tvorog is a tangy cheese with a texture similar to that of ricotta and cottage cheese but way drier. You can use cream cheese instead (I already tested it and it worked wonderfully) but, of course, if you can get your hands on some real tvorog at a Russian or Eastern European specialty store, I highly recommend getting some!
- Butter. Stick to unsalted butter for this recipe.
- Smetana aka sour cream. The Russian version is slightly different from our sour cream but you can use regular sour cream with success, as usual, I already tested it! 🙂
- Eggs.
- Sugar. Use white granulated sugar.
- Vanilla extract.
- Poppy seeds. You’ll need these for the base layer.
- Candied fruit. I recommend getting a package of mixed candied fruit for more visual interest as the cubes are all different but you can get just one type (say orange or cherry) if desired.
- Coconut. Use shredded coconut to top off the cheesecake right before serving!
How to make Fruitcake Cheesecake
- Make the batter. Beat together the tvorog or cream cheese, butter, smetana, eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract. You can do this using a hand-held or stand mixer.
- Add the add-ins. Transfer some of the batter to a small bowl and add the poppy seeds to it and mix: this is your poppy seed layer. Add the candied fruit to the remaining batter and mix.
- Bake. Pour the poppy seed batter into a baking dish lined with parchment paper followed by the candied fruit batter. You can use an 8 x 4 inches loaf pan for a very thick cheesecake or a 7 or 8 inch round pan. Bake until the top has set but the cheesecake is still slighty jiggly. You can do a toothpick test without worrying about poking the cheesecake as you’ll cover it later on: the toothpick should come out clean.
- Chill. Allow to cool down to room temperature and chill for 3-4 hours or overnight before slicing and serving.
- Decorate with shredded coconut. You can also toast the coconut if desired, I didn’t toast it because I wanted it to be nice and white for some extra contrast. Add the coconut right before serving so it won’t turn soft. Slice and serve!
Can you make it ahead of time?
Yes, I actually recommend making it 1 day ahead of time and letting it chill in the refrigerator overnight!
Just make sure to top it with coconut right before serving or the coconut will turn soft.
How do you store it?
You can store this dessert in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, pretty much like any other cheesecake.
Keep in mind that the coconut will soften over time and the poppy seeds may lightly stain the base layer.
HAPPY BAKING!! I hope you’ll love this delicious Fruit Cake Cheesecake as much as I do!
PS: Please leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating ⭐️ if you make it! Your comments make my day!! 🌈 You can also tag me on Instagram @itsdamnspicy 💕
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Fruitcake Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 1.10 lb (500 g) tvorog or cream cheese room temperature
- 1/3 cup (80 g) unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp (130 g) sour cream room temperature
- 4 eggs room temperature
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp (85 g) white granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon and 1/2 (25 g) poppy seeds
- 1 cup (225 g) mixed candied fruit pre-diced or diced
- 1/2 cup (47 g) shredded coconut for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C). Line an 8 x 4 loaf pan with parchment paper. You can also use an 8" or 9" round pie dish greased with butter.
- Make the batter. In a large bowl, beat together the tvorog or cream cheese, melted butter, sour cream, eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract until combined.
- Create the layers. Transfer 4 heaping tablespoon of batter to a medium bowl and add in the poppy seeds. Mix until combined and set aside. Add the candied fruit into the remaining batter and mix until combined. Pour the poppy seed batter into your prepared baking dish followed by the candied fruit batter. Be very gentle when adding the second batter as you don't want it to mix into the poppy seed layer.
- Bake at 350 F (180 C) for 10 minutes then reduce the temperature to 320 F (160 C) and bake until the top of the cheesecake has set but the center is still slightly jiggly when tapped. You can do the toothpick test without worrying about poking the cheesecake as you'll be covering the top with coconut: the toothpick should come out clean.
- Chill for at least 3-4 hours or overnight (recommended).
- Decorate and serve. Top the cheesecake with shredded coconut right before serving to keep it from turning soft. Slice cleaning the knife between each slice for clean slices and serve.
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