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Rákóczi cake slice with meringue lattice and apricot jam
Classic Hungarian dessert with cottage cheese and meringue

Rákóczi Cottage Cheese Cake with Meringue

Author: Flavelo
Recipes Cakes and Desserts
Created by master chef János Rákóczi for the 1958 Brussels World Fair, this dessert became an instant classic. It's all about textures: crumbly shortcrust pastry, tart and creamy lemon cheese filling, and a crisp-chewy sweet meringue lattice. The apricot jam dots aren't just for show; their acidity cuts through the sweetness of the meringue.
🕒 Prep Time 30 mins
🍳 Cook Time 35 mins
⌛ Total Time 1 hr 35 mins
🍽️ Servings 8 servings
🔥 Calories 420 kcal
🌍 Cuisine Hungarian

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • Medium baking sheet or pan
  • Piping bag with star tip
  • Electric mixer

Allergen Information

⚠️ Wheat
⚠️ Milk
⚠️ Egg

Instructions

1 ✓

Rub cold butter into flour, powdered sugar, and salt until it resembles damp sand. Add 2 egg yolks and knead briefly. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

Tip: Cold butter creates steam pockets during baking, making the pastry flaky. If it melts from hand warmth, the dough becomes tough.
2 ✓

Roll dough to fit the pan, dock with a fork, and blind bake at 350°F (180°C) for 10-12 minutes.

Tip: Blind baking prevents the soggy bottom. It's ready when it just starts to color.
3 ✓

Press cheese through a sieve. Mix with sour cream, lemon zest, half the sugar, and 2 yolks.

Tip: Sieving is crucial for a creamy texture. Yolks emulsify and bind the filling.
4 ✓

Spread cheese mixture over the crust and bake for another 15 minutes.

Tip: Proteins in the cheese (casein) coagulate with heat, setting the filling.
5 ✓

Whip 4 egg whites with remaining sugar to stiff, glossy peaks. Pipe a lattice pattern over the cake.

Tip: Add sugar gradually to stabilize air bubbles. Peaks should stand straight up.
6 ✓

Fill the lattice gaps with jam dots. Reduce oven to 300°F (150°C) and dry the cake for 10-15 minutes until meringue is pale golden.

Tip: We are just evaporating water from the meringue to create a crisp crust, not baking it.

Recipe FAQ

Why does the meringue 'weep' the next day?
This is syneresis. If sugar isn't fully dissolved in the whites or it cooled too fast, the protein structure becomes unstable and leaks water. Dry it at low heat!
The cheese filling is runny?
The filling should rise slightly then stabilize. If too liquid, add a spoonful of farina/semolina to absorb whey.

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 10 tbsp Cold Butter
  • 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar (for dough)
  • 2 large Egg Yolks (for dough)
  • 1 pinch Salt
  • 2 cups Farmer's Cheese or Dry Curd Cottage Cheese
  • 3 tbsp Sour Cream
  • 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar (divided for filling and meringue)
  • 1 whole Lemon (zested)
  • 2 large Egg Yolks (for filling)
  • 4 large Egg Whites
  • 1/2 cup Apricot Jam