Tarte Tropézienne: Saint-Tropez Cream-Filled Brioche vs German Cheesecake (Käsekuchen)

Both desserts lean on butter, milk, eggs and cornstarch, but put them to very different uses. In the Tarte Tropézienne, butter is kneaded into a soft yeasted brioche topped with crunchy pearl sugar, while cornstarch and egg yolks set a vanilla-bean pastry cream on the stove that is then lightened with whipped cream into an airy filling. The Käsekuchen instead uses cornstarch and milk to bind a quark filling brightened with lemon zest and vanilla, baked in a buttery short dough until just set, then chilled for a dense, creamy slice.