Cottage Cheese Cake with Sponge Roll

Name: Cottage Cheese Cake with Sponge Roll
Ingredients: 3 eggs; 80 g sugar; 100 g flour; zest of half a lemon; 2 tbsp water + 2 tbsp lemon juice + 1 tbsp sugar; 5–6 tbsp tart-sweet jam or preserves (black currant, cranberry); 400 g sour cream; 200 g cottage cheese; 100 g white chocolate; 70 g sugar; 1 packet gelatin (10 g)

A delicious, beautiful, and unique little cake made with a sponge roll. It features a wonderfully light and creamy sour cream and cottage cheese filling with a delicate hint of white chocolate, perfectly complemented by a sponge roll with a tangy berry jam layer.
I used 20% fat sour cream and smooth, soft 9% cottage cheese. If your cottage cheese is grainy, be sure to press it through a fine-mesh sieve or colander. For the roll filling, I used black currants mashed with sugar — any thick, tart-sweet jam or preserves will work just as well.

Ingredients:

Sponge:
3 eggs
80 g sugar
100 g flour
zest of half a lemon
Soaking Syrup:
2 tbsp water + 2 tbsp lemon juice + 1 tbsp sugar
Berry Layer:
5–6 tbsp tart-sweet jam or preserves (black currant, cranberry)
Filling:
400 g sour cream
200 g cottage cheese
100 g white chocolate
70 g sugar
1 packet gelatin (10 g)

How to cook cottage cheese cake with sponge roll

Make the sponge roll. Grate the zest from half a lemon, being careful not to include the white pith.

Beat the eggs and sugar together thoroughly until the mixture is light, airy, and pale.

Add the lemon zest, then gradually fold in the sifted flour in portions, gently incorporating it with a spoon or spatula using a bottom-to-top motion each time.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the batter evenly across the entire surface of the pan in a thin, uniform layer.

Bake in an oven preheated to 200°C (390°F) for 10–15 minutes, or until just barely golden. Be careful not to overbake the sponge — it should stay soft and flexible so it doesn't crack when rolled.

Turn the finished sponge out onto a second sheet of parchment paper and let it cool completely.

Prepare the soaking syrup. Dissolve the sugar in hot water, let it cool, then stir in the lemon juice.

Peel the parchment paper off the sponge and trim off any dried-out edges.

Thoroughly soak both sides of the sponge with the syrup.

Spread the jam (or preserves) over the sponge.

Starting from the narrow edge and using the bottom sheet of parchment to help guide it, roll the sponge into a log. Press a cutting board on top to help it hold its shape, then set aside while you prepare the sour cream and cottage cheese filling.

Make the filling. Break the white chocolate into pieces and place in a heatproof bowl. Melt over a double boiler, then remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Pour 100 ml of water over the gelatin and let it bloom for 10 minutes (or as directed on the package). Place the gelatin over low heat and warm gently, stirring until completely dissolved. Let it cool.

Combine the sour cream, cottage cheese, and sugar in a bowl and beat until smooth. The mixture should be completely uniform, with no lumps of cottage cheese or undissolved sugar.

Add the melted white chocolate and beat briefly to combine.

Pour in the dissolved gelatin in a steady stream while beating continuously with a hand mixer.

Assemble the cake. Slice the roll into rounds approximately 1 cm thick.

Choose a suitable mold — for example, a smooth, round salad bowl — in which the cake will set. Arrange the majority of the roll slices along the bottom and sides of the mold.