Turkish Savory Cheesecake (Peynirli Kek)
This Turkish savory cheesecake (Peynirli Kek) made with dill and parsley may sound a little strange, but it is addictive! Try it and see for yourself!
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Quick! When I say “Cheesecake,” what is the first thing that comes to mind?
Dill and parsley, right?
No??
Huh. I guess you’re not a Turk.
For America, cheesecake is a decadent dessert – a disk of compressed cheese and sugar so dense that it can bend light and warp time. But in Turkey, it is a savory cake flavored with white cheese (beyaz peynir), dill and parsley. The closest we can get to Turkish white cheese here in the States (unless you live near a Turkish specialty shop) is Greek Feta. It makes a fine substitute.
I urge you to try this cake, even if it sounds gross to you. Before I met this cake, I was an avowed dill-hater. Couldn’t stand the stuff. Didn’t like to be in the same room with it. Now I love it! This has to be one of the best cakes when enjoyed warm, straight from the oven, when the crust is still crispy. Make it tonight. You won’t regret it. Printer-friendly recipe at the end of the post.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 pound feta, crumbled
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1 bunch dill, chopped
- 1 bunch parsley, chopped
Method
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a bundt pan with butter.
In a large bowl, combine flour and baking soda. Add rest of ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Do not over-stir. Batter will be very thick. Spoon batter into bundt pan and bake for about 70 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean, and the top is golden brown. Let cool for five minutes, then turn out onto wire cooling rack.
Afiyet olsun!
Turkish Savory Cheesecake (Peynirli Kek)
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 pound feta - - crumbled
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1 bunch dill - - chopped
- 1 bunch parsley - - chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a bundt pan with butter.
- In a large bowl, combine flour and baking soda. Add rest of ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Do not over-stir. Batter will be very thick. Spoon batter into bundt pan and bake for about 70 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean, and the top is golden brown. Let cool for five minutes, then turn out onto wire cooling rack.
- Afiyet olsun!
I just love the Dill in this recipe and can’t wait to try it! Thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and have a great day!
Miz Helen
Thank you, Helen!
This looks so good! We have been buying a ton of Turkish Laban here in Saudi. The kids love it on everything! It’s like a creamier version of cream cheese. I wonder if you can find it in The US. I bet it would work great in this recipe.
Hi Tammy, oh yeah, labneh is awesome! We ate a lot of it while we were in Doha, and I make it here a lot too (it’s just strained yogurt and salt). Try it yourself with store-bought or homemade yogurt. Dump some into a cheesecloth and hang it over the sink overnight. Yum!
Tammy, what would you suggest serving with this savory cheese cake?
It sound wonderful can’t wait to make it.
Sharon, traditionally this cake is served with sweet Turkish tea, and it is amazing! đŸ™‚