Sweet Rice Bake with Curd Cheese and Raspberries Recipe
This sweet rice bake with curd cheese and raspberries is inspired by homemade Polish sweet rice casseroles served as a second course. It combines creamy rice cooked in milk with a light, cheesecake-like layer and tangy pockets of raspberries. In this version you can use leftover rice from the previous day, so the dessert is both homely and low-waste.
Rice bakes were a popular, budget-friendly second course in Polish homes and canteens, often with apples or curd cheese. The raspberry version is lighter and more dessert-like, but still as filling as classic rice cooked in milk.
This bake combines the taste of childhood (rice in milk) with cheesecake-like creaminess and the freshness of raspberries. It’s filling enough for a light second course, yet looks elegant enough to serve to guests with coffee.
Why this version works
- Pre-cooked rice gives a stable yet still moist and creamy texture.
- Beaten egg whites aerate the mixture, making the dessert lighter than a classic rice cheesecake.
- Raspberries arranged in layers create tangy flavor “pockets” instead of a watery, pink mass.
Chef's tips
The easiest way to “mess up” this recipe is at the rice-cooking stage – cook it only until tender, but so the grains still hold their shape. Beat the egg whites in a perfectly clean bowl with no trace of fat, otherwise the foam won’t rise and the bake will be heavy. After baking, give it a moment to rest, because if it’s too hot the mixture will fall apart when sliced.
How to serve
Serve with thick plain yogurt or sour cream and fresh raspberries or other seasonal fruit. It works perfectly as a sweet second course at the weekend or a dessert-breakfast with coffee on a Monday morning. For children you can drizzle it with a little vanilla sauce.
Watch out for
- Don’t add hot rice to the cheese-and-egg mixture, or it may curdle and form lumps.
- Don’t stir the raspberries vigorously into the mixture – they will release juice and the bake will turn watery.
- Don’t overcook the rice; if it’s too soft, the dessert will be dense and pasty.
Ingredients
- rice - 200 g
- milk - 500 ml
- curd cheese (twaróg) - 250 g
- raspberries - 200 g
- egg - 2 piece
- sugar - 70 g
- vanillin sugar - 1 teaspoon
- butter - 20 g
- lemon zest - 1 teaspoon
- breadcrumbs - 2 tablespoons
- salt - 1 pinch
Preparation
- Rinse the rice in a sieve, transfer to a pot, pour in the milk, add the salt and half of the sugar. Cook over low heat for 15–18 minutes, stirring often, until the grains are soft and the milk is almost absorbed and the mixture is thick but still slightly creamy.
- Remove the pot from the heat and set the rice aside for 10 minutes to cool – after this time it should be warm but not hot, so that when combined with the eggs the mixture doesn’t curdle and form lumps.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (top and bottom heat). Grease a baking dish with butter, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and shake so the crumbs evenly coat the bottom and sides in a thin, continuous layer.
- Mash or grind the curd cheese until smooth and free of noticeable lumps. Add the remaining sugar, vanillin sugar and grated lemon zest and mix into a uniform, creamy mass.
- Separate the eggs: put the whites into a perfectly clean, dry bowl and add the yolks to the cheese mixture, mixing thoroughly. The finished mixture should be smooth, with no streaks of yolk.
- Add the cheese mixture to the slightly cooled rice and gently mix with a spoon until combined. If the rice clumps, break up the lumps with the spoon so the mixture has an even consistency.
- Beat the egg whites with a mixer to a stiff, glossy foam – when you invert the bowl, the foam should not move, and distinct peaks should remain on the beaters. In three additions, gently fold the foam into the rice-and-cheese mixture, lifting it from the bottom with a spatula.
- Transfer half of the mixture to the prepared dish and smooth the surface. Scatter half of the raspberries evenly on top, pressing them in lightly – the fruit should be submerged about halfway into the mixture but not crushed.
- Spread the remaining mixture on top, smooth the surface with a damp spoon and scatter the remaining raspberries, again gently pressing them into the top. Place the dish in the oven and bake for 30–35 minutes, until the top is lightly golden and the center is springy when gently pressed with a finger.
- After removing from the oven, let the bake rest for at least 10–15 minutes so the mixture sets and the edges pull slightly away from the dish. Serve warm or fully cooled, cutting into squares.
Storage
Once cooled, the bake sets slightly and becomes firmer, resembling a rice cheesecake. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days; reheat briefly so the top doesn’t dry out, or eat cold once the raspberries have released their juices.
I like it best the day after baking, straight from the fridge, when the mixture is perfectly set and the raspberries have released a bit of juice into the center.
