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Farmers Cheese Chocolate Cake

This Cheese Chocolate Cake has a generous layer of farmers cheese sandwiched between two layers of chocolate crust and covered with a chocolate glaze.

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This Farmers Cheese Chocolate Cake has a generous layer of farmers cheese sandwiched between two layers of chocolate crust and covered with a chocolate glaze.

I love that this cake isn’t overly sweet, making it less guilty. It’s perfect with hot tea in the evening. One of my readers Olya wrote in with this recipe. She called it a “Chocolate and Farmers Cheese Lovers Dream.”

I was sure happy to discover a new recipe for farmers cheese because it’s a wonderful cheese and easy to make at home. I watch for the organic whole milk to go on sale (just before it expires) and I use it to make Farmers cheese!

Ingredients for the Cheese Chocolate Cake Crust:

1 3/4 stick butter (14 Tbsp)
1 egg yolk
2 1/2 Tbsp milk

2 cups all-purpose flour *measured correctly
1 3/4 Tbsp cocoa
3/4 Tbsp Baking Soda

Ingredients for the Tvorog Cheese Filling:

1.5 lb Farmers Cheese (click here for a tutorial on how to make Farmers Cheese)
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 eggs + 1 leftover egg white
1 1/2 Tbsp potato starch or corn starch
Note: several of my readers highly recommend grated zest of 1 lemon (I’ll try that next time!)

Farmers Cheese Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Glaze Ingredients:

3/4 Stick Butter
3/4 Cup sugar
1 Tbsp Cocoa
3 Tbsp water

Farmers Cheese Chocolate Cake-2

How to Make Cheese Chocolate Cake Crust:

1. Butter a 9″ Round Springform mold or a deep pie pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. You’ll preheat the oven to 375˚F, but wait until your dough is frozen to fire up your oven.

Farmer's Cheese Chocolate Cake-10

2. In a large bowl, cream together softened butter, 1 egg yolk and 2 1/2 Tbsp milk.

Farmer's Cheese Chocolate Cake-2

3. Sift in the dry ingredients: 2 cups flour, 1 3/4 Tbsp cocoa and 3/4 Tbsp baking soda. Use your hands to blend the dough together. Divide the dough in half and make two equal balls. Cover with plastic wrap and place dough in the freezer for an hour. Mine froze in 45 minutes on the very top shelf of my freezer.

Farmers Cheese Chocolate Cake-4

How to Make the Cheese Filling:

1. Use a stand  mixer or whisk on low speed to mix together 1 1/2 lbs Farmers cheese, 1 1/4 cup sugar, 3 eggs plus the leftover egg white and 1 1/2 Tbsp starch.

Farmers Cheese Chocolate Cake-5

Assembling your cake:

1. Once the chocolate dough is frozen, take out one at a time (leave the second one in the freezer until you’re ready for it). Grate the first ball into the base of a 9″ springform pan and spread it out evenly over the base of your pan. Make sure to spread to the very border of  your pan so the cheese doesn’t escape through the bottom. Pour your cheese filling over the grated dough.

Farmers Cheese Chocolate Cake-6

2. Pull the next frozen ball out of the freezer and grate it onto a plate, then spread it evenly over your cheese filling. Bake at 375˚F for 30-35 minutes. Place a baking sheet on the very bottom rack or a sheet of foil to catch any stray leaks from the cream cheese. The cake will still be a little jiggly in the center when it comes out of the oven. My oven took 35 minutes to bake. Let the cake cool completely to room temp before adding the chocolate glaze.

Farmers Cheese Chocolate Cake-7

3. To make the glaze, combine  3/4 Stick Butter, 3/4 Cup sugar, 1 Tbsp Cocoa and 3 Tbsp water in a small sauce pan. Melt over medium heat stirring constantly until smooth and sugar is dissolved. Let the glaze cool to room temp.

Farmers Cheese Chocolate Cake-8

4. Once the glaze and the cake are cooled to room temp, pour the glaze over the cake and refrigerate to let the glaze set completely.

Farmers Cheese Chocolate Cake-9

Top with some fresh fruit if desired. These were some of the few raspberries that are still growing in our backyard 🙂

Farmer's Cheese Chocolate Cake-23
This Cheese Chocolate Cake has a generous layer of farmers cheese sandwiched between two layers of chocolate crust and covered with a chocolate glaze.

While scouring the web, I’ve seen a few folks using lemon zest in this cheesecake. Have any of you tried it that way?

Farmers Cheese Chocolate Cake

4.86 from 28 votes
Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 8 -12

Ingredients for the Crust:

Ingredients for the Cheese Filling:

  • 1.5 lb Farmers Cheese
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 3 eggs + 1 leftover egg white
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp potato starch or corn starch
  • Note: several of my readers highly recommend grated zest of 1 lemon

Chocolate Glaze Ingredients:

  • 3/4 Stick Butter
  • 3/4 Cup sugar
  • 1 Tbsp Cocoa
  • 3 Tbsp water

Instructions

How to Make the Crust:

  • Butter a 9" Round Springform mold or a deep pie pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. You'll preheat the oven to 375, but wait until your dough is frozen to fire up your oven.
  • In a large bowl, cream together softened butter, 1 egg yolk and 2 1/2 Tbsp milk.
  • Sift in the dry ingredients: 2 cups flour, 1 3/4 Tbsp cocoa and 3/4 Tbsp baking soda. Use your hands to blend the dough together. Divide the dough in half and make two equal balls. Cover with plastic wrap and place dough in the freezer for an hour. Mine froze in 45 minutes on the very top shelf of my freezer.

How to Make the Cheese Filling:

  • Use a mixer or whisk on low speed to mix together 1 1/2 lbs Farmers cheese, 1 1/4 cup sugar, 3 eggs plus the leftover egg white and 1 1/2 Tbsp starch.

Assembling your cake:

  • Once the chocolate dough is frozen, take out one at a time (leave the second one in the freezer until you're ready for it). Grate the first ball into the base of a 9" springform pan and spread it out evenly over the base of your pan, going all the way to the edges so your cheese filling doesn't escape through the bottom. Pour your cheese filling over the grated dough.
  • Pull the next frozen ball out of the freezer and grate it onto a plate, then spread it evenly over your cheese filling. Bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes. Place a baking sheet on the very bottom rack or a sheet of foil to catch any stray leaks from the cream cheese.The cake will still be a little jiggly in the center when it comes out of the oven. My oven took 35 minutes to bake. Let the cake cool completely to room temp before adding the chocolate glaze.
  • To make the glaze, combine 3/4 Stick Butter, 3/4 Cup sugar, 1 Tbsp Cocoa and 3 Tbsp water in a small sauce pan. Melt over medium heat stirring constantly until smooth and sugar is dissolved. Let the glaze cool to room temp.
  • Once the glaze and the cake are cooled to room temp, pour the glaze over the cake and refrigerate to let the glaze set completely.
  • Top with some fresh fruit if desired. These were some of the few raspberries that are still growing in our backyard 🙂

Notes

Visit: https://natashaskitchen.com for a tutorial on making Farmers Cheese!
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Farmers Cheese Chocolate Cake
Skill Level: Medium
Cost to Make: $11-$14

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Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.

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Read comments/reviewsAdd comment/review

  • Ella
    January 14, 2023

    Hi Natasha
    I love your website and many if your recipes are a staple in our home thanks to you! I made this recipe and followed instructions carefully but the top chocolate layer turned out so sweet you could taste the sugar even though I made sure it dissolved when cooking. Do you think this recipe would work with chocolate ganache layer instead?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      January 14, 2023

      Hi Ella, I can’t say what went wrong without being there, but I haven’t had that experience. I recommend ensuring there was nothing substituted in your process. I haven’t tested this with a ganache layer but it may be worth a try! If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.

      Reply

  • Tatiana
    August 20, 2021

    Is it suppose to be baking powder instead of baking soda? 3/4 Tbsp of baking soda for 2 cups of flour seems like a lot.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      August 20, 2021

      Hi Tatiana, 3/4 Tbsp Baking Soda is accurate. I hope you love this recipe!

      Reply

  • Karin Wong
    June 18, 2021

    Hi Natasha! I love all your recipes and this one looks great. Can I use paneer, ricotta or cottage cheese as a substitute for farmers cheese? Which would you suggest?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      June 18, 2021

      Hi Karin, I haven’t tried it with ricotta or the above mentioned so I can’t really give you the green light without testing it. Sorry that’s not super helpful. Ricotta cheese is more moist than farmers cheese so I imagine some of the ingredient proportions would be different if it did work. It’s a good thought, I just can’t say for sure without testing it.

      Reply

  • Ri
    July 27, 2020

    Could you do recipes for Farmers cheese and sour cream?

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      July 27, 2020

      Thanks for your suggestion!

      Reply

  • Zhenya
    June 3, 2020

    Very delicious!!!! and I added milk instead of water making glaze.
    thank you Natasha for sharing this with us!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      June 3, 2020

      You’re welcome! Thank you too for sharing that with us and for giving this recipe great feedback.

      Reply

  • Julia
    December 18, 2018

    Great recipe! Made this before. :)) Have a quick question though, I want to make this for our christmas party, how far in advance can you prepare it for it to be still in good condition?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      December 18, 2018

      I haven’t had it stored for more than a day but it was still just as good coming out of the fridge. If you try it for longer, I would love to know how you like that!

      Reply

  • Martha
    February 21, 2018

    Hello Natasha, I had a quick question. I baked the cake (which was amazing) but i had a hard time taking it off from the bottom of the cake pan without the cake starting to break. So i ended up leaving the cake with the parchment paper and the bottom of the cake pan. Do you know what i can do to solve this? Thanks for the recipe:)

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      February 21, 2018

      Hi Martha, I’m so glad you enjoyed the cake! 🙂 The parchment paper should slide off fairly easily – make sure to use parchment paper and not wax paper. Also, adding a little butter to the bottom of the pan before the ring of parchment helps. I use a thin spatula to get under the crust and lift the cake with parchment paper from the cake pan. I hope that helps!

      Reply

  • rachel
    May 1, 2017

    hi this cake looked yum so i just made it ..first of all how important is it to freeze the dough for an hour ..?couldnt i have just placed the dough on bottom and top of pan and baked right away with the filling..?also i baked for 35 min let it cool and cut a slice to try and the filling was all runny and not done ..i checked online for other farmer cheese recipes and they say closer to an hour baking time so i put back in oven for 15 min ..i hope its good.. my oven temperature is good so wondering if theres a mistake in the baking time or if anyone else had a problem like that .. thanks

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      May 1, 2017

      Hi Rachel, I am always happy to help troubleshot. It is important to freeze the dough first. I wonder if maybe you baked in a smaller pan which would result in a taller cake and requiring a longer bake time? Also, you baked at 375˚F?

      Reply

  • Jen D
    December 24, 2016

    This is my one of my favorite cakes to make and to eat. I made it about 5-6 times now, its super easy and everyone loves it. I read the recommendation about lemon zest and I tried it once, but I think I put too much, and the zest taste was a bit too much for me, so I just follow the recipe as is now.

    Thanks for a great recipe!!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      December 25, 2016

      Jen, thank you for such a nice review and you are very welcome 😬.

      Reply

  • Jana McGinnis
    November 1, 2016

    I canNOT wait to make this for Thanksgiving. It’s so unique and is beautiful, too. Looks scrumptious!!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      November 1, 2016

      Thank you! I hope you love it! 🙂

      Reply

  • Inna
    September 21, 2016

    Hello, if I bake this cake and split it into cupcake size so that everyone can have their own individual.. would the baking time stil be the same?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 22, 2016

      Hi Inna, it would bake faster but without testing it that way, it’s difficult to say exactly how long to bake cupcake sizes. I imagine it would be closer to 25 to 30 minutes.

      Reply

  • Maja Barnes
    January 29, 2016

    oh my !!!! In Poland in 80s it was the most popular cake ever !, it was called “sernik z kruszonka” which means cheesecake with crumbles. I remember having it in the childhood in Poland. Now I got a recipe with perfect reviews so I can make it at home. <3

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      January 29, 2016

      Maja, don’t you just love it when a recipe brings back sweet memories from the earlier days? 😁 I would love to hear how it turns out once you make it.

      Reply

      • Maja Barnes
        February 1, 2016

        Ill def let u know when I make it 🙂 I need to make farmers cheese first , It’s rare for me to bake any sweets at the house but once a while I do and that’s on my to do list. I do not cook a lot of Eastern European recipes since my husband is an American; and he just does not get our flavors, and does not understand my love to potatoes and pickled things lol 🙂 Thanks for posting recipes from our region of the world.

        Reply

        • Natasha
          natashaskitchen
          February 2, 2016

          Ha ha yes I can definitely relate to the love of pickled things. lol.

          Reply

  • Olya
    January 12, 2016

    This recipe is seriously so good!!!!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      January 12, 2016

      I’m so happy you loved it. Thanks Olya! 🙂

      Reply

  • Vika
    April 16, 2015

    Hi Natasha,
    What kind of cocoa do you use for baking do you by any chance have a picture? Is it Hershey’s baking cocoa?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      April 16, 2015

      I’ve used Hersheys with great results but I also like one that I am currently out of and I can’t think of the name at the moment(!!!) It’s partly dutch processed cocoa (which is a deeper colored cocoa) and it’s sold right next to the Hershey’s container, but either of them work well in most recipes.

      Reply

  • yuliya
    December 22, 2014

    How do u remove parchmen paper? Is it difficult?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      December 22, 2014

      It comes off pretty easily. It helps to lift the cake with a large spatula as you peel it off. You can also serve it on the parchment paper right over the bottom of the springform mold. I took it off so it would photograph nicer but it isn’t necessary to take it off.

      Reply

  • Olga
    December 18, 2014

    This cake is amazing! And all of your recipes are easy to follow just wanted to let you know that – good job on details and being so thorough all 🙂

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      December 18, 2014

      Thank you Olga, this means a lot to me :). Merry Christmas to you and your family!

      Reply

  • Anna
    September 28, 2014

    This looks soo good! and I love Farmers Cheese! I wont be making my own farmers cheese, ill just buy the lifeway brand at the store.
    Do you think its okay to make this cake a night before and serve it the next day in the evening? And how would i go about storing it?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 28, 2014

      You can store it in the refrigerator and yes it will be fine overnight in the fridge 🙂

      Reply

  • Sophie
    September 24, 2014

    Natasha, great recipe and easy to follow. This is a fantastic blog. I made the kotleti with zucchini, mushrooms and kasha, and my husband and 16month old son both went nuts. I’ve been making your borscht for a while now. My mom cooks by feel and can never give me recipes, so thankfully, I have you to teach me how to cook great Russian dishes.
    I made this cheesecake – chickened out on the tvorog and bought farmer’s cheese at the store… they tried to sell me cheddar as farmer’s cheese at first :). I can’t wait to taste it when it’s served tomorrow. I would like to decorate it however. Would you go with a fresh fruit topping? Some people do fresh fruit with a jam glaze, but I’m not sure it would taste good here….cake’s pretty decadent already. Help!
    Oh, and, pleats post a recipe for zharkoye if you haven’t yet.
    Thanks!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 24, 2014

      I hope you absolutely love it! 🙂 Is zharkoye like a Russian beef stew?

      Reply

      • sophie
        September 25, 2014

        It can be beef or chicken. But it’s not quite stew…there’s very little liquid usually, I believe.
        The cheesecake was phenomenal! I brought it to a friend’s for a Rosh Hashana (Jewish New Year) celebration and people went absolutely crazy for it. Thanks again.

        Reply

        • Natasha
          natashaskitchen
          September 25, 2014

          I’m so glad the cheesecake was a success! Did you add the lemon to it?

          Reply

          • Sophie
            October 12, 2014

            Yes, added the lemon and it was spectacular. I made it twice more since and am clearly addicted. I love the fact that it’s got some quality, healthy, protein rich ingredients and not just fatty cream cheese. Your recipes are wonderful. Thank you.

          • Natasha
            natashaskitchen
            October 12, 2014

            Thanks so much Sophie! 🙂

  • diana yorga
    July 1, 2014

    the farmers cheese choclate cake looks very good and it is very good i love it thank you very much for the recipe

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      July 1, 2014

      Hi Diana! You’re so welcome 🙂

      Reply

  • Anna
    March 27, 2014

    nice! have a lot of farmers cheese and already have made everything, syrniki, nalisniki, perogi, etc. was looking for something different to make with it so thanks!! 🙂 and God bless you for doing this, have made a lot of your recipes, and oh yes, my husband LOVES the tefteli sauce, almost was tempted to take the credit 😉 almost

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      March 27, 2014

      Lol. I love that last sentence. I’m so happy you are enjoying the recipes!! 🙂

      Reply

  • Ira
    February 15, 2014

    I just took this cake out of the oven and absolutely cannot wait to try it!im bringing it for youth fellowship tonight though I am wondering how to take the cake out of the pie pan and place on a cake plate.hmmm….

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      February 15, 2014

      Did you use a springform mold? Take a knife or thin edge spatula and run it along the sides and then carefully under the cake to separate it from the pan. Hope that helps 🙂

      Reply

  • Irene
    January 12, 2014

    I made this delicousness yesterday. It was soo good! I cut them into square pieces and ate 5 of them myself throughout the day (my 5th one was at 11 pm) How bad is that?? Shhh that was my guilty confession only to you!! haha
    Since I’m on college break right I have a lot of time on my hands so I’ve been digging up some of your older recipes and made 5 this past week. 🙂 I feel so accomplished, really. It feels great. Thanks Natasha and keep them recipes coming!! I’m looking forward to more salad recipes to make for college to keep me from getting pizza and them fries… you know how it goes… 😉

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      January 12, 2014

      I know all about ‘da pizza and ‘dem fries. lol. I’m so glad you love the recipes and I’m working on some salad-type recipes. Lots of good things coming this year 🙂

      Reply

  • Natalie
    January 11, 2014

    Hey Natasha, is starch very important for this recipe? I have everything but starch and really want to make it right now! It looks delicious, my mom makes something similar

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      January 11, 2014

      I haven’t tried it without the starch so I can’t really say… Sorry I don’t have a better answer for you.

      Reply

  • Yelena
    December 11, 2013

    This was one yummy cake. Love all your recipes darling! Thank you!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      December 11, 2013

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Did you use the lemon zest?

      Reply

  • lily
    December 4, 2013

    Hi Natasha,
    The recipe calls for 1.5lb of farmers cheese, how many cups would that be?
    Thanks

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      December 4, 2013

      I believe it was 3 cups of cheese 🙂

      Reply

  • Olga101
    November 20, 2013

    I made this cake last Sunday. It is sooooooooo good!!! It came out great. My family loved it! I also added zest of lemon. It came out really good. Thank You!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      November 20, 2013

      I’m so glad your family loved it 🙂 Thanks for the great review!

      Reply

  • Tatyana
    November 19, 2013

    Natasha this cake looks delicious!!! Im about to make it but i only have 1lb of farmers cheese. can i use another 1/2 lb of cottage cheese instead?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      November 19, 2013

      I haven’t tried subbing with cottage cheese so I don’t know how different it would be? If you give it a whirl, please let me know how it worked out.

      Reply

    • jenny
      February 28, 2016

      How did your substitute go? I also only have 1lb of farmers cheese and 1 container of ricotta cheese thinking of using, wonder if it will work.

      Reply

  • Lyuda
    November 15, 2013

    Hi Natasha! What is farmer’s cheese?? Can i get it at any store? Its called farmers cheese?? Thanks!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      November 15, 2013

      Yes it is called farmers cheese and it is sold in stores. It’s like a drier version of cottage cheese. I have a link in this recipe of how to make your own farmers cheese also.

      Reply

  • ILona
    November 14, 2013

    Another amazing recipe! I love chocolate and farmer’s cheese! I noticed at the end that you removed the cake from the springform bottom. Was it easy to remove the cake and transfer it to a cake stand?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      November 15, 2013

      Yes, it came off easily because I lined the bottom with parchment paper and than discarded the paper :).

      Reply

  • Katia
    November 9, 2013

    I made the cake, but something is wrong. Is the crust supposed to be crusty? I grated it and it baked for 35 minutes at 375. But it just looks uncooked, super soft, and runny. So after, I baked for some more but it didn’t help. Any ideas why? The only thing I can think of is I used gluten free flour.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      November 9, 2013

      It could be the gluten free flour. I haven’t tested this cake with GF flour so I can’t say for sure, but it definitely should not be runny.

      Reply

  • anna
    November 9, 2013

    this is so delicious thankyou for the recipe love anything with tvorog:)

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      November 9, 2013

      You are so welcome!!

      Reply

  • Cherish
    November 5, 2013

    Hello Chef! Do you think it’s okay to make the crust a day ahead and just leave it in the freezer until I’m ready to grate it the following day? I’m excited to try this one and though I could make the chocolate dough balls tonight and just bake it tomorrow but not sure if they will overly frozen. Thoughts? Thank you ma’am!!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      November 5, 2013

      Its totally find to make them a day before and grade them on the following day :).

      Reply

      • Cherish
        November 7, 2013

        Thank you so much!! That’s exactly what I did. Reading all the comments about using lemon zest (and being a big fan of anything with lemon) I put lemon zest in the cheese mixture. The zesty aroma was so pleasant with each bite and I believe it really does enhance the incredible flavor and brings this scrumptious creation to whole new level. Definitely worth freezing your hands over while grating the crust. 🙂

        Reply

        • Natasha
          natashaskitchen
          November 7, 2013

          How much lemon zest did you add? I want to try it next time!!

          Reply

          • Cherish
            November 9, 2013

            I’m a big lemon fan so I used zest of 2 large lemons but for some it may be too much. 🙂 Thanks again for sharing this wonderful recipe.

          • Natasha
            natashaskitchen
            November 9, 2013

            I’m a fan as well. Thanks so much for sharing!!

  • Tatyana
    November 4, 2013

    Could you freeze it and defrost later??

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      November 4, 2013

      I’ve never tried freezing it, but it refrigerates pretty well!

      Reply

  • Tina
    November 1, 2013

    Made this yesterday. I didn’t have cornstarch so i just added regular flour instead. Worked very well and the cake turned out delicious…gone in one evening!! =D And, I also love that this cake is not overly too sweet, its perfect!
    THank you THank you Thank you once again. You always impress us with your new recipes Natasha:)

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      November 1, 2013

      That’s great to know that it works without the starch. Thank you so much!!

      Reply

  • Olga
    October 31, 2013

    Can i leave out the starch?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 31, 2013

      I have not tried making it without starch, so I don’t know exactly how different it will be. If you test it without starch, please let me know how it turns out.

      Reply

  • Olga
    October 31, 2013

    Hi natasha,
    Do u think i can make glaze from chocolate chips? and which way would work best?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 31, 2013

      My favorite melted chocolate glaze is with those chocolate truffles from Costco. Any chance you have those on hand? All you do is melt them and pour it over the top when it’s the right consistency (not too runny and not too thick).

      Reply

      • Olga
        November 1, 2013

        yes, i actually do have some truffles. i will try that. thanks

        Reply

        • Natasha
          natashaskitchen
          November 1, 2013

          Awesome!! I hope you love it! They are great for that and rolling cake pops too!

          Reply

  • Lily
    October 30, 2013

    Hi Natasha,
    This loooks really good. Do ou think I can substitute regular flour with almond flour? And what can I use instead corn starch?
    Thank you

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 30, 2013

      I used potato starch but I don’t know if there is really a substitute for starch since I haven’t experimented with anything else.

      Reply

      • Lana
        February 17, 2014

        I use arrowroot powder, it works well!! It’s a great thickening substitute for starches. I buy mine at Sprouts and online at www.bulkherbstore.com

        Reply

        • Natasha
          natashaskitchen
          February 18, 2014

          I’ve heard good things about it. Is it healthier than corn starch? It must be!

          Reply

  • Tanya
    October 29, 2013

    Baked it today. Turned out Amazing! Soo good! Smoked up my kitchen though.Some of the liquid leaked from my springform:(Thanks for another great recipe;)

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 29, 2013

      I’ll add to the recipe to make sure the edges are covered with dough before pouring over your cream cheese and maybe bake with a baking sheet on the very bottom rack. Thanks Tanya! I’m so glad you liked the cake 🙂

      Reply

      • Lana
        February 17, 2014

        talking about drops from spring forms…..I’ve made another cake in it and know that it drips & didn’t want to chance it :)…..So this time, I’ve cut my parchment/wax paper 1 inch extra added to the sides… This “drop proof” technique:) worked perfectly!! (so my diameter was about 2 inches longer overall). When I poured the cheese filling, I made sure I pour in the center, and it nicely filled my pan without leaking. Thanks Natasha for this wonderful recipe!!!

        Reply

        • Natasha
          natashaskitchen
          February 18, 2014

          Thanks so much for sharing your method! You’re welcome and really glad you liked the cake 🙂

          Reply

  • Elza
    October 29, 2013

    Lemon zest is crucial in a farmer’s cheese cake in our family! I think I emailed you a recipe of our version before… when you had just posted your cheese recipe.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 29, 2013

      I had to go back through my emails to find it. I’m definitely planning to try your version next time I make more farmers cheese. Thank you so much!!

      Reply

  • violet
    October 29, 2013

    I showed this recipe to my mom, she got really excited because she remembers making it in Ukraine 🙂 Trying it out this weekend!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 29, 2013

      I hope you both love it! 🙂

      Reply

  • Tanya
    October 29, 2013

    Wow looks amazing, can I use store bought farmers cheese?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 29, 2013

      Yes. 🙂

      Reply

  • inna
    October 29, 2013

    can you use regular cream cheese

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 29, 2013

      I haven’t tried cream cheese in this recipe, so I’d have to experiment first before I said yes 🙂

      Reply

    • marina
      October 31, 2013

      I do the same version of zapikanka but without the bottom and top crust, instead of starch I add 1 package of cream cheese and add 1 teaspoon of vanilla, sometimes I add 1 large peeled apple, shredded on big hole grater, gives it extra flavor and you won’t even know it’s apple in there..

      Reply

      • Natasha
        natashaskitchen
        October 31, 2013

        Oh yum those variations sound wonderful! Thank you for sharing! I can just imagine apple in there 🙂 Yum! I just purchased another gallon of discounted organic whole milk just for making cheese 🙂

        Reply

  • yana
    October 29, 2013

    hi natasha!!! love your blog!!! quick question…do you think this will work with riccotta cheese??? im just too lazy to make my own…and have some riccotta cheese… what do you think?? thanks!!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 29, 2013

      I haven’t tried it with ricotta so I can’t really give you the green light without testing it. Sorry that’s not super helpful. Ricotta cheese is more moist than farmers cheese so I imagine some of the ingredient proportions would be different if it did work. It’s a good thought, I just can’t say for sure without testing it.

      Reply

  • Nora
    October 29, 2013

    Oh my, this looks fantastic!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 29, 2013

      Thank you Nora :).

      Reply

  • minnie@thelady8home
    October 29, 2013

    Came here through foodgawker…..just amazing!!!!! Bookmarked.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 29, 2013

      Awesome!! Thanks 🙂

      Reply

  • Olga
    October 29, 2013

    I just made some tvorog yesterday. Perfect timing. What stunning photos! They just make you want to take a bite. I absolutely LOVE the combination of chocolate and farmer’s cheese.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 29, 2013

      Yes, they work really well together!! 🙂

      Reply

  • Dina
    October 29, 2013

    I’ve never used farmers cheese. It looks like a yummy cake!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 29, 2013

      You should try making it; it’s a wonderful cheese! 🙂

      Reply

  • Csilla
    October 29, 2013

    Oooh, looks delicious! I love farmers cheese and homemade is definitely worth the work and wait 😉 I am so gonna make this cake this weekend! By the way, I have a pretty similar recipe, only I used a brownie bottom instead of the crust!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 29, 2013

      Oh my dear goodness. A brownie? Yum!!

      Reply

  • sowmya
    October 29, 2013

    Looks delicious.. gorgeous clicks.. I love cheesecakes

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 29, 2013

      Thanks so much 🙂

      Reply

  • katie
    October 28, 2013

    what happened to your creamy chicken chilli recipe post.?. ive been eyeing it and finally decided to make it:), but now cant find it !!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 28, 2013

      I have it under appetizers and Videos tabs on top :). Just click here to get there.

      Reply

  • Julia | JuliasAlbum.com
    October 28, 2013

    It’s been a while since I ate a dessert made with tvorog! I miss Farmer’s cheese from back home – it was so good, store-bought is not the same. So, maybe I’ll try to make my own Farmer’s cheese – How time consuming is it to make it on your own?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 28, 2013

      It takes 3 days to make it but it was worth it :).

      Reply

  • lana
    October 28, 2013

    Oh my, I’m totally making it tomorrow. ….that looks soooo yummy…and yes, I do add lemon zest to my cheesecake. I will add some to your recipe too…will let yo u know how it turns out. Thanks again for another yummy recipe! You’re a super star;)

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 28, 2013

      Thank you so much and do let me know how lemon zest works out, I’m very curious.

      Reply

      • Lana
        November 18, 2013

        Did make it…it’s already GONE:) I did add the lemon zest and everyone really liked it. The only thing I was thinking next time is adding some more sweetness to the dough since I like my desserts SWEET:) Thanks, Natasha!

        Reply

        • Natasha
          natashaskitchen
          November 18, 2013

          You are welcome Lana, I love to hear a good report :).

          Reply

  • Irene
    October 28, 2013

    Wow , excellent I have left over some of farmers cheese that’s what we gonna have for desert
    Thank you so much for posting it natashaskitchen.com

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 28, 2013

      You are welcome Irene, I hope you like it :).

      Reply

  • anna
    October 28, 2013

    speaking of cake, can you post a recipe for layered liver cake? I just discovered this exists and I would like to make it.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 28, 2013

      oh, that’s a brave one, I’m not a liver fan, maybe? 😉

      Reply

      • Tina
        October 29, 2013

        Love love liver!! I know it’s a little weird (especially knowing its function:)) but you should defiantly try it!!! Like at least give it a try Natash;) I sauté the liver, layer into a baking dish and between layers put sour cream and some seasonings. Put it the oven for about 10-15 min just to warm up and serve with mashed potatoes….muahhhh just love this stuff;)

        Reply

        • Natasha
          natashaskitchen
          October 29, 2013

          It still sounds very brave 🙂 I’ve tried liver before, maybe the one I ate wasn’t that great 😉

          Reply

          • Polina
            October 30, 2013

            Oh my gosh, I had liver cake for the first time only when I went to Ukraine (we are Russian) and I loved it so much! It tastes nothing like you’d expect, because the liver is ground into a paste and mixed with mayonnaise and garlic (at least in the ones I’ve had). I have been looking for a good recipe of it for years, so Natasha, if anyone ever passes one on to you, please try it out and post it!

          • Natasha
            natashaskitchen
            October 30, 2013

            I haven’t had one passed on to me, but if I do, and it passes the taste test, I sure will 🙂

          • anna
            October 30, 2013

            I honestly found it by accident and it said it is a Ukrainian so i though Natasha would know! I am going to try it. I love liver.

          • anna
            October 30, 2013

            eto po russki budet Pechenoi tort? or is tort for sweet stuff? What is proper terminology in this case?

          • Natasha
            natashaskitchen
            October 30, 2013

            I’m not sure what the classic name for it is. Anyone else know?

          • Tina
            October 31, 2013

            haha lol probably thats the case 🙂 pretty soon you will be a fan of liver and thank us for getting you hooked up on it!! Hope the next dish you try with liver, you fall in love with:) 😉 😀

  • Olena@iFOODreal
    October 27, 2013

    Where is the video tutorial? I love those.;) The cake looks so scrumptious! Love those drips of chocolate and the texture of farmer’s cheese filling.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 27, 2013

      Videos take way longer to make than a photo tutorial. It’s hard to decide which will be photo and which will be video tutorials…

      Reply

  • Nastya
    October 27, 2013

    Natasha,

    where can i buy the cake stand you have on the picture?
    thank you,
    Nastya

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 27, 2013

      Cost Plus World Market 🙂

      Reply

      • Nastya
        October 27, 2013

        thank you, Natasha!

        Reply

  • Nastya
    October 27, 2013

    Наташа, спасибо за рецепт творожного тортика!
    Хотела также спросить а где можно купить такую высокую подставку для тортиков как у тебя на картинке?

    и еще советую вот такой рецепт львовского сырника http://nineladi.livejournal.com/32204.html

    Я ее готовила на днях очень советую. Легкий и очень вкусный!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 27, 2013

      Thank you for sharing! The cake stand is from Cost Plus World Market.

      Reply

  • Oksana
    October 27, 2013

    Wow. This looks fabulous! Yum yum yum!!! Thank you for this awesome recipe.

    Reply

  • Lena
    October 27, 2013

    Wow! yummy! I cant wait for that organic milk to go on sale, so I can make this lovely cake!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 27, 2013

      I’m always taking a peek at Fred Meyer to see if the organic milk is on clearance!

      Reply

  • Kristina
    October 27, 2013

    Wow you did it again Natasha! This looks so so wonderful and I can’t wait to make this! Thank you:)

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 27, 2013

      You’re welcome! Enjoy 🙂

      Reply

  • Julia @Vikalinka
    October 27, 2013

    Is this a version of a ‘tertiy pirog’? It looks pretty tempting ;-), I love anything with farmer’s cheese!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 27, 2013

      I’m not sure; maybe? 🙂 this cake was new to me too!

      Reply

      • Julia@Vikalinka
        October 27, 2013

        I have made a similar one but vanilla flavoured and fresh apricots on top of cheese. It used to be my mom’s “go to recipe” in case of unexpected guests. 🙂

        Reply

        • Natasha
          natashaskitchen
          October 27, 2013

          I bet a little vanilla would be awesome in this! And apricots sound wonderful!

          Reply

  • Natalie
    October 27, 2013

    Looks delicious,will definitely try it out.Thank you for posting.;)

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 27, 2013

      I hope you love it! 🙂

      Reply

  • Galina
    October 26, 2013

    Your timing can not be any better! My mom just made some fresh cheese for me to take home and I was thinking if i should try making some kind of a sirnik, I was remembering my aunt and her delicious chocolate one! the exact one, except she lives in Ukraine and its not that easy to just call and get the recipe especially with all na glaz measurements! So thank you so much for sharing! Love your blog! God bless!:)

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 27, 2013

      I hope it’s the same way you remember it! That would be pretty awesome! 🙂 Let me know what you think of it.

      Reply

  • Natalya
    October 26, 2013

    Vkysnyadina. Bydem delat loved cheese chocolate….sooooo gooood

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 26, 2013

      I hope you enjoy it! 🙂

      Reply

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