Polish Sernik

Take the butter, eggs and curd cheese out in advance so they can come to room temperature. Rinse the raisins, cover with 100 ml of hot water for 15 minutes, then drain well and pat dry.

Press the curd cheese through a sieve twice, or pass it through a meat grinder, until the mixture is smooth. Preheat the oven to 170 °C using top-bottom heat, and line a 24–26 cm baking pan with parchment paper.

Beat the softened butter with the sugar until light and creamy. Add the egg yolks one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

On low speed, gradually add in the sieved cheese, 2 tbsp of cornstarch and the vanilla. Mix just until combined, without overbeating the batter.

Toss the dried raisins in 1 tsp of cornstarch and fold them into the cheese mixture. Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks and gently fold them in three additions with a spatula to keep the batter light and airy.

Transfer the batter to the pan, smooth the top and bake for 55–65 minutes. The cheesecake is done when the center still slightly wobbles and the edges are set; do not open the oven door while baking.

Turn off the oven, crack the door open and leave the cheesecake inside for 60 minutes. Then let it cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.

Refrigerate the cooled cheesecake for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Before serving, carefully remove it from the pan and slice the chilled cake with a sharp knife.