Topfen substitutes

The same cheese under the German name, so nothing whatsoever changes in the recipe.

Best for

Topfenstrudel, Topfenknodel, Topfentorte, Topfenpalatschinken, Topfengolatschen

Not a substitute so much as the same product with a different label, and it is what you should buy if you see it. Use it straight from the tub, and if it looks wet, drain it in a sieve for 30 minutes first. The one thing to match is fat level: Austrian recipes usually mean Magertopfen at around 0.2 to 1 percent fat, so pick lean or Magerquark rather than a 20 or 40 percent tub unless the recipe says otherwise. Our quark page covers the general swaps in more detail.

The same fresh curd cheese under its Central and Eastern European names, and usually far easier to find than an Austrian tub.

Best for

Topfenstrudel, Topfenknodel, Topfentorte, cheesecake

Polish, Czech and Russian groceries almost always carry this even where no German deli exists, which makes it the most practical exact match for most people. Twarog is graded chudy for lean, poltlusty for half fat and tlusty for full fat, so buy chudy for a classic Austrian recipe. It is often sold pressed into a firm block rather than as a soft tub cheese, in which case grate or sieve it and loosen it with a spoonful of milk, since block twarog can be drier than Topfen and will make a stiff filling.

Pressed fresh curd with the whey already removed, which makes it the closest match on the one measure that matters most in Austrian fillings.

Best for

Topfenknodel, Topfenstrudel, Topfentaschen, savoury fillings

The best choice for anything boiled or wrapped in pastry, because it is dry enough that the dumplings hold together in the water and the strudel pastry stays crisp underneath. Blend it or press it through a fine sieve until completely smooth first. It tastes blander than Topfen and is usually saltier, so add a teaspoon of lemon juice per cup to bring back the lactic tang and check the recipe's salt before adding any. Buy the brick rather than the tub, which is drier and better here.

A whey cheese rather than a curd cheese, which is exactly why it is sweeter, milder and wetter than Topfen.

Best for

Topfenstrudel, Topfentorte, Topfenpalatschinken, baked cheesecake

Good in anything baked, provided you deal with the water. Drain it in a sieve for an hour, then blend it for thirty seconds until completely smooth, because unblended ricotta leaves a grainy filling where Topfen would be silky. Stir in a teaspoon of lemon juice per cup to replace the tang it lacks. Expect a distinctly sweeter, milder filling, which is pleasant in a Topfentorte and least convincing in a savoury dish. Avoid part-skim ricotta, which is watery and bland.

Yogurt hung until it sheds its whey, which brings it very close to Topfen's thickness.

Best for

Topfentorte, Topfenpalatschinken, cold and no-bake desserts, Topfenstrudel

The easiest option in most countries and it bakes reliably. Line a sieve with muslin or a clean tea towel, tip the yogurt in and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours until it has lost about a third of its weight; weigh it before and after, because unstrained yogurt will make the filling run straight out of the pastry. It is sharper and more acidic than Topfen, which shows as a slightly sour edge in a sweet Topfentorte, so a teaspoon of sugar per cup rounds it off.

The real thing from milk and a spoonful of culture, and the answer if nothing above is available where you live.

Best for

any Topfen recipe, Topfenknodel, Topfenstrudel

This gives you genuine Topfen rather than an approximation, and it lets you set the dryness exactly, which is the single most useful thing for strudel and dumpling fillings. Heat 2 litres of whole milk to 185F/85C, cool to 100F/40C, stir in 2 tablespoons of cultured buttermilk or a spoonful of live yogurt, hold warm for 12 to 24 hours until set, then drain in muslin for 4 to 6 hours: four hours for a soft spoonable Topfen, six or more for a firm filling. Do not use ultra-pasteurised milk, which sets poorly. Keep the whey for bread dough or soup.

The swap most English-language recipes suggest, and the one that departs furthest from an Austrian dessert.

Best for

no-bake cheesecake, when the shop has nothing else

It will not fail, and it will not be light. Cream cheese carries several times the fat of lean Magertopfen along with stabiliser gums, so a Topfenknodel made with it comes out dense and pasty instead of fluffy, and a Topfentorte sets firm and heavy rather than airy. Beat the cream cheese smooth first, then beat in the yogurt, and stop as soon as it is combined. Reduce any butter elsewhere in the filling to compensate for the extra fat.