Lemon Cottage Cheese Oat Cake, the One I Bake Instead of Cheesecake

When I crave cheesecake but want something lighter and quicker, I bake this lemon cottage cheese oat cake. Ground oats replace the wheat flour, cottage cheese makes it creamy and moist, and a whole lemon gives it that fresh, sunny flavor. It is lightly sweetened with a little honey, much less than a regular cake. The texture is somewhere between a soft sponge and a baked cheesecake, and it is lovely with a cup of tea. Everything goes in the blender, so cleanup is one jug and one pan.

Servings: 8 · Prep: 15 min · Cook: 40 min

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (135 g) rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cups (340 g) full-fat cottage cheese
• 3 large eggs
• 3 tbsp (63 g) honey
• 1 large (about 2 tbsp juice) lemon, zest and juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/2 cup (125 g) plain Greek yogurt, to serve

Method

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line the bottom of an 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pan with parchment paper and grease the sides.
2. Put the oats in a blender and blend for about 1 minute into a fine oat flour. Tip it into a bowl and stir in the baking powder and salt.
3. Without washing the blender, add the cottage cheese and blend for about 1 minute until completely smooth. Add the eggs, honey, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla and blend for 15 seconds more.
4. Add the oat flour mixture to the blender and pulse just until it disappears into the batter. Let it stand for 5 minutes; the oats will thicken it slightly.
5. Pour the batter into the pan and smooth the top. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the cake is golden, puffed and a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
6. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and turn the cake out onto a rack. It sinks a little as it cools, which is normal for a cottage cheese cake.
7. Serve at room temperature or chilled, with a spoon of Greek yogurt and a little extra lemon zest on top.

Tips and variations

• Use a full-fat cottage cheese for the creamiest crumb; low-fat versions make the cake drier.
• Fold 1 cup (150 g) of blueberries into the batter at the end for a lemon blueberry version.
• If you prefer no added sugar, replace the honey with your favorite sweetener or 1 very ripe mashed banana; the cake will be less sweet and slightly denser.
• The cake keeps 4 days covered in the fridge and tastes even better cold.

Bright, soft and simple, this little cake is proof you don't need flour to bake something special. Enjoy every slice!