A Dresdner Eierschecke is a traditional Saxon dessert featuring 3 distinct layers. It’s a fun (and unique) sweet treat!
There are some really ugly pieces of porcelain and pottery at thrift stores. Like really ugly. To be fair, I’m not a porcelain collector, and I admit that my eye isn’t trained for quality. I don’t shop at thrift stores all that often, but I do stop by every so often to look for new plates or serveware.
As a food blogger, I’ve got several racks packed full of plates, bowls and other assorted serveware in my basement. I’ve only got 2-3 of each item, so it’s entirely useless for actual entertaining here at home. But if you need a random assortment of plates, then I’ve got you covered!
Thrift stores are a great place to find unique plates and bowls for photography. And it’s cheap! Whenever I stop in a thrift store to browse, I can’t help but notice the huge amount of porcelain…most of which is rather “unique” in my opinion. But I’ll tell you what – I’m going to be turning that porcelain over from now on to look at the manufacturer’s name!
Two summers ago, Laura and I had the chance to visit the Meissen porcelain factory in Dresden, Germany. As I mentioned above, I’m not a porcelain guy. However, I absolutely stood there stunned at the quality of their plates and bowls. I also stood there stunned when I turned them over to see the price tags. Meissen is expensive. It’s also some of the highest quality porcelain available in the world, so I get it. I was sorely tempted to pick up a few plates (they had some really cool white plates with a subtle design in them) but I couldn’t justify the cost.
However, our tour guide noted that folks have occasionally found priceless Meissen pieces in thrift stores. I can see how that might happen, too. Let’s say you inherit a whole bunch of dishes and whatnot from a family member. If you’re not into porcelain (*ahem* like me *ahem*), then you might consider donating those dishes to goodwill. A couple of weeks later, a porcelain collector wandering through the thriftstore stumbles across those pieces and picks ’em up for super cheap. The internet is full of stories of people finding Meissen porcelain for $1-2 only to discover the collectors’ value is more like $600-700 (or more).
So yeah, I’ll be turning over those odd looking pieces of porcelain from now on looking for the Meissen logo. Wish me luck!
Dresdner Eierschecke
While we didn’t purchase any porcelain in the Meissen factory, I did step into the cafe for a cappuccino and a slice of Dresdner Eierschecke. To be fair, I didn’t know what Dresdner Eierschecke was, but it was some sort of cake-like treat in the bakery case. I like cake. I especially like cake with cappuccino. So I decided to order one. Tasty!
I enjoy American-style desserts. Heck, this blog is full of really yummy desserts. However, I will admit that many American-style desserts are very sweet. Don’t get me wrong. I’ll eat them, and I’ll enjoy them. But American desserts are much sweeter than, say, European-style desserts.
This Dresdner Eierschecke is a German ricotta “cheesecake,” and it’s definitely a European dessert. I was a little surprised after my first bite of that Eierschecke in the cafe. I was expecting something a bit sweeter, so this cake registered as bland on my tastebuds. However, I went for another bite…and then another. Pretty soon I noticed the entire slice was gone. While it wasn’t quite what I was expecting, that Eierschecke was indeed tasty…especially when paired with a good cappuccino or cup of coffee.
So what is a Dresdner Eierschecke? This unique dessert is a specialty in the Saxony region of Germany. It consists of 3 distinct layers: a yeasted (yes, yeasted) base, a custard-like center and then an egg white layer on top. Once back in the States, I set about trying to figure out how to make a Dresdner Eierschecke. After all, one of the best parts about vacation is discovering new and unusual foods!
It turns out that making a Dresdner Eierschecke here in the US is a bit difficult due to the lack of various European ingredients. However, I ran down the rabbit hole that is the internet and found several baking forums talking about how to replicate this unique dessert. The key was vanilla pudding.
The center custard layer relies on quark, and quark just isn’t a common ingredient in the States. Vanilla pudding did the trick. It wasn’t the exact same as the slice I ate back in Dresden, but it was certainly close enough. If you’re looking for a fun, unique dessert, give this Dresdner Eierschecke a try. And if you find yourself in a thrift store, make sure to look for that Meissen logo!
Did you bake this Dresdner Eierschecke at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog). I’d love to see your version!
Dresdner Eierschecke
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2¼ tsp active dry yeast
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 oz. unsalted butter softened
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup milk
For the Middle Layer
- 1 3.4-oz package vanilla instant pudding mix
- 2 cups cold milk
- 1⅓ cups whole mik ricotta drained
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
For the Top Layer
- 4 large eggs separated
- 2 additional large egg whites
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
Instructions
For the Crust
- Using a large bowl, add the flour, sugar, yeast and salt; stir until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, add the softened butter, egg and milk; using an electric mixer, mix on low speed until well combined. Pour the liquid mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients; mix on low speed until well combined and dough separates from sides of the bowl.
- Cover and let dough rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.
- Spray a 9” springform pan generously with nonstick baking spray.
- Once dough has risen, press evenly into bottom of prepared pan.
For the Middle Layer
- Using a medium mixing bowl, add instant pudding and milk; stir until well combined. Let sit for 5 minutes to thicken.
- Using a large bowl, add the ricotta, sour cream, sugar, lemon juice and ⅓ of the prepared pudding; stir until well combined. (Note: The remaining ⅔ of the pudding will be used for the top layer.)
- Spread this mixture evenly on top of the crust layer.
For the Top Layer
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites (6 in total) until stiff peaks form; set egg whites aside.
- In a separate bowl, add egg yolks (4 in total) and sugar; whisk until light yellow in color.
- Add remaining ⅔ of the pudding to the egg yolk mixture; stir until well combined.
- Gently fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture.
- Spread egg mixture evenly on top of the middle layer.
- Bake for 40 minutes and then tent top with foil. Continue baking for 65-70 more minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out mostly clean. (Note: The custard layer may make the toothpick look wet. Use your judgment to determine if any moisture on the toothpick is from the custard layer versus an underbaked filling.)
- Let cake cool for 20 minutes at room temperature. Transfer cake to refrigerator and let cool completely before removing from pan and serving.
- {Optional} Dust top of cake lightly with powdered sugar before serving.
Looking for other European-style dessert recipes? Check out these other favorites, too:
will be making this soon with few subs i never had dresdner eierschecke before will dm you if i make this and let you know how it goes Thanks Ramya
This is a fun recipe, Ramya! You might need to make some adjustments based on ingredients available in your area, though. Happy baking!
I love this, David! I’m interested in what you said about American desserts being sweeter. No question about it. I was raised in a family of European immigrants, so as a kid, I was exposed to that kind of thing all the time. And, as an American kid who also ate a lot of American food, I always found it bland, too. At the time, I thought of it more as adult stuff, and not kid stuff. It wasn’t until I got older, that I started to appreciate sugar less and less, and and flavor and texture more and more. Then, I found myself returning to all those old-world pastries and really loving them. (So maybe it is adult stuff after all.)
Haha – I think it is both, Jeff. As adults, we certainly appreciate more nuanced recipes. And as adults (at least speaking for myself), we appreciate less sweet desserts. (As noted in the post, I’ll still eat all of the classic American desserts, but I have gotten to where I can appreciate the European style desserts, too.) Either way, this is a fun dessert. We don’t really have anything like it here in the States.
the trouble with op shops (thrift stores) here is that everyone is very aware of the value of such items! so it’s very hard to find anything valuable. this cake looks wonderful and i have to say i enjoy cakes that are not so sweet so this would suit me i think. they make such wonderful cakes and pastries in europe. i have fond memories of austrian ones… hope your easter is great.
This is true, Sherry! Although I have to wonder about some of the thrift shops around here. There are piles and piles of old dishes and whatnot – it makes me wonder whether there are any treasures hiding in there.
And, yes, European desserts are quite tasty. At some point, we’ll get to travel again! 🙂 Hope you had a great Easter, too, my friend!
We had a similar experience with Herend china in Budapest–so beautiful but so pricey! My friend was using a very fancy bowl for her cat’s water dish, and I thought it looked familiar…sure enough, the mark on the bottom was Herend! Still no luck finding it in thrift stores, but I’ll now also keep my eyes peeled for Meissen. This cake looks like a delicious project!
No way! A cat’s water dish? What a fun story! To be honest, I could’ve seen myself making a similar mistake, though, as I wasn’t familiar with Meissen until that trip to Germany. And I wasn’t familiar with Herend until you mentioned it here. This just goes to show you that there are real treasures out there if you know what you are looking for! 🙂 Thanks, Jen!
I didn’t realise that quark isn’t available in the U.S. I use it quite a lot in my recipes. So I would be able to make this dresdner eierschecke using it. Awesome! But yeah, American desserts are a lot sweeter. Lynne and I have found that on several of our trips there. Not that we’re complaining we loved them!
I’ve noticed you use quark quite a bit, Neil. I think I’ve seen it once or twice here in the States, but you have to go to a specialty store – it’s not a common ingredient. (On a side note, I find that somewhat surprising given the global economy we live in…)
And I hear ya about American vs. European desserts. Both are delicious, but the styles are very different!
Thrift stores are a great place to get some awesome props. Literally, you can buy LOTS of good stuff for 20$. Sadly, you won’t be able to buy a separate garage/house to store all these props! As for porcelain, most pieces, especially relatively modern, tend to look too tacky to my taste. I must admit you can see some really beautiful stuff. Most often, in a museum – not in a thrift store, though. And this dessert? Never tried, but I’m a huge fan of a custard-kind-of fillings. And with ricotta? Oh yes!
That is totally true, Ben! I have racks of plates, bowls and other assorted dishes lined up in our basement. It takes up a lot of room!
I also agree with you about porcelain. I’m not a fan of the more ornate, frilly stuff. Meissen did have some gorgeous all white pieces with just an intricate design in there – unique for sure. But the price? Woah!
I hope you get a chance to try this one. It’s definitely more on the European side in terms of sweetness, but I enjoy it!
This dessert sounds delicious, and those layers looks lovely! I usually make instant pudding and flan for kids, so I have it stocked up all the time, would love to give this a try. I’m also eager to see how it tastes, since you mentioned it tastes less sweeter.
This dessert is definitely less sweet than most American-style desserts. It was a bit surprising when I took that first bite, but I have to say that I do appreciate this style of dessert, too. Thanks, Aarthi!
Lol, I do love pottery, but know what you mean! My dish collection is getting up there, but I do love them! I haven’t had a dessert quite like this, but already know that I’d love it. If it’s kinda like a cheesecake, I’m in. Love cheesecake with a big cuppa coffee and now I’m totally craving some. Hope you have an awesome week, my friend.
I hear ya on the dessert + cup of coffee, Dawn! I don’t do it often, but there’s something fun about having a cup of coffee in the evening with dessert – it feels fancy! 🙂
There’s a lot of Op Shops here in NZ definitely there will be some hidden Meissen porcelain out there, I will be in the hunt for it. BTW you made a good work on that Dresdner Eierschecke without the right ingredients, I bet they would taste similar if not better
I would love to hear if you find any Meissen pottery! I’m sure there is some hidden out there – the question is where. 🙂 And thanks so much for the note about the cake here. It was a fun experiment to try to replicate the classic version we had in Europe!
Wow, this cake looks amazing! I love each and every layer and would devour it. The porcelain in the shop in Germany looks so pretty! I’d be tempted to start a collection if I was there. 🙂 ~Valentina
Oh I was tempted to grab some porcelain from that factory in Germany…until I saw the prices! Even the “sale” section of the store was quite pricey. Either way, we had a fun time…and we discovered a new dessert while we were there, too!
So intriguing using yeast as part of the cake! Looks so delicious — love the layers too! This cake sorta reminds me of that Magic Custard cake where it separates into 3 layers!
I hear ya, Michelle! I thought a yeasted dessert cake was a bit different, too. And you’re totally right about the similarities with the Magic Custard cake. I’ve never made one of those, so I can’t speak to the taste. However, this one was quite delicious – not as sweet as most American desserts, but still rather tasty with a cup of coffee!
This cake is new to me, but it looks divine! It looks like it would be difficult to make, but reading over the recipe it looks approachable. This treat is going on our spring menu!
I’m with you, Marissa…this cake looks difficult, but it’s really not too bad at all. It’s definitely different that most American style desserts, but I find that it pairs quite well with a cup of coffee! Plus, it’s fun to learn about desserts from different parts of the world. 🙂
I totally have a lot of random dishware for food photography too haha comes with the territory I suppose! I’ve never had this cake – sounds interesting for sure!
Hah – things they don’t tell you when you decide to write a recipe blog, right? 🙂 Either way, this cake is a unique one – different than most American desserts, but still quite tasty in its own right. Thanks, Nicole!