basque cheesecake

This burnt basque cheesecake is enveloped in a caramelized crust with a creamy, rich interior. This cheesecake is from the Basque region of Spain and is quickly become my go-to dessert to make. 

Basque Cheesecake

cream cheese,

sugar

vanilla pod ((or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract))

eggs

salt

heavy cream

all-purpose flour ((40 grams))

Rub an 8-inch cake pan with about 1 teaspoon of softened butter. This will help the parchment stick to it. Then press a sheet of parchment into the cake pan, pressing it up the sides and making sure it’s as close and secure to the pan as possible. Set aside. 

To Prep the Pan:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

You can do this with an electric hand mixer or stand-up mixer. Add the cream cheese to the bowl and beat it until smooth. Pour in the granulated sugar and vanilla beans (or vanilla extract) and beat it until smooth and fluffy, about 1 minute. Next, crack in one egg at a time, mixing it in before adding the following one. Repeat until you’ve worked your way through the eggs. Add the salt and pour in the heavy cream in a slow and steady stream and mix until combined, about 1 minute. Lastly, sift in the flour and mix it in until just incorporated.

Pour the cheesecake mixture into the prepared pan and smooth out the top. Smack it on the counter a few times so make sure it gets in those crevices

Place the baking pan on a baking sheet (I do this in case there&#039;s any spillage--there shouldn&#039;t be) and transfer to the oven to bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the cheesecake is puffed up and jiggly. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for about 1 hour. Remove it from the pan by lifting up the excess parchment. Allow it to cool for another hour.

As it cools, the cheesecake will fall in size and firm up. Peel off the parchment and slice it up. I like to serve this cheesecake by itself at room temperature.

I store the cheesecake in an airtight container at room temperature. You&#039;re welcome to store it in the fridge if you like too.

To Make the Cheesecake:

This &#039;burnt cheesecake&#039; is intentionally cooked at a high temperature to create a burnished, toasty top which complements the creamy interior perfectly. Try it for your next dinner party.

lb cream cheese (full fat, room temperature)

sugar sugar

vanilla bean

all-purpose flour (plain flour)

Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C, combi steam setting. If your oven has variable steam settings, select 30% (if not, don&#39;t worry! Just set to combi steam at the correct temperature and the oven will take care of the humidity for you).

Use two layers of parchment paper (baking paper) to line a 9 inch (23cm) round springform pan, overlapping the two layers and scrunching them into the pan and up the sides. I do this by scrunching the paper into a ball and then flattening it out again so it&#39;s more flexible to push into the pan. You don&#39;t need to get the paper smooth, it should be &#39;intentionally rustic&#39;.

Put the cream cheese and sugar into a stand mixer with the paddle attachment fitted. Mix on medium speed until well combined and smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary.

Add the eggs, one at a time, with the mixer running. Mix each one in completely before adding the next.

Add the remaining ingredients and mix on low speed until completely combined. Don&#39;t mix longer than necessary as you don&#39;t want to aerate the mixture too much.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and place into the preheated oven. Cook until the cheesecake is dark brown on top, puffy and very wobbly, approximately 55 minutes.

Cool the cheesecake to lukewarm on the counter; it will sink significantly in the center as it cools, this is normal.

Refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 8 hours or overnight to set. It needs to be completely cold before serving.

To serve, slice with a hot knife, cleaning the blade between each cut to get nice clean slices.

Rich chocolate cheesecake with a burnt top and semi-set center. This version of the Sans Sebastian burnt basque cheesecake is to die for.

Chocolate Basque Cheesecake

oz (450 g) Cream cheese, room temperature

(7 oz) Dark chocolate, 65-70%

(100 g) White sugar

tbsp (7 g) Cocoa powder

Instant coffee

Large eggs, room temperature

240 milliliters (1 cup) Thickened/Heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 240C/ 465F and line a 6 inch / 15 cm cake tin with baking paper

Melt the chocolate in the microwave or over a hot water bath and set aside to cool slightly

Place the cream cheese in a large bowl and beat until smooth

Add the sugar and mix until well combined

Add the cocoa powder, and instant coffee and beat until smooth and lump-free

Whisk in the eggs and chocolate, then add the cream and whisk until smooth

Pour into the lined cake tin and bake for 25 mins

Open the oven door and wedge in a spoon, let the cake sit for 5 mins

Remove the cake and place it directly in the fridge to cool overnight or a minimum of 4 hours

This is the best dessert I‘ve eaten in a long time! But I‘ve got a question: when I put the cake into the fridge, greasy liquid started to come out of the bottom of the tin. Is that supposed to happen? Or did I do something wrong? If so, any idea what might have been the cause? Thank you so much in advance - for your advice and the amazing recipe!!!

Because we saw you on Netflix here in Germany, I knew when I saw your recipe that it would be a really good one, and boy was it good!!!!! Not to mention how easy it is to make it. I baked it for my son's 27th birthday and they all loved it. Some of us chocolate lovers were actually ecstatic :D
Keep it up and hope to see more and more interesting things from you!!

This was delicious! I will make this again.

Hi Catherine, how long would I have to bake this recipe if I use the 2X button? Thanks in advance!!

Looking forward to making this! I noticed that in the detailed description above, the cheesecake rests in the oven for 10 min while the directions state 5 min. Which do you recommend?

I baked this for my son's birthday. It came out great. I like that I can just chill it straightaway after resting in the oven for 5 minutes.

This classic burnt cheesecake - invented in the Basque region - is perfectly creamy on the inside and delightfully browned to perfection on the outside!

cream cheese

all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 395 degrees Fahrenheit.

Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl and add the sugar. Using an electric mixer or a whisk, mix until well combined.

Add the cream cheese, flour and heavy cream and whisk again until smooth.

Line an 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper, making sure that the paper extends above the rim of the pan.  This will prevent the cheesecake from overflowing over while baking.

Pour the cake batter into the springform pan.

Bake the cheesecake in the oven at 395 degrees Fahrenheit with top and bottom heat. The baking time will depend on your preferred texture: about 35 minutes for runny, 40 minutes for creamy, and 45 minutes for fully cooked. Every oven cooks slightly differently, so your exact baking time may vary.

Once cooked and the top is golden brown, turn off the oven and let the cheesecake cool inside with the door slightly open.

When the cake has cooled noticeably, remove it from the oven and let it cool on the counter until it reaches room temperature. Transfer it to the refrigerator and chill for at least 3 hours, or ideally overnight.

Made with five ingredients my Burnt Basque Cheesecake has a perfectly caramelized crust with a rich, creamy interior that makes every bite a culinary event.

lbs cream cheese (four 8 ounce blocks (not whipped)- room temperature)

eggs (room temperature)

tbsp all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 410°F

Place all the ingredients to the bowl of your stand mixer (or a large bowl with an electric mixer).

Using the paddle attachment, mix the ingredients on medium speed until smooth and creamy, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.

Line a 10-inch springform pan with sheets of parchment paper so that the paper extends past the edges of the pan, overlaping the sheets for full coverage.

Pour the cheesecake batter into the prepared pan.

Place the springform pan (on a baking sheet) into the preheated oven on the center rack.

Bake the basque cheesecake for 40-50 minutes (baking time may vary) *Water bath is not necessary for this cheesecake.

When the top of the cheesecake turns dark brown and almost looks burnt, turn the oven off.Remove the pan from the oven and let the cheesecake cool on a wire rack. *The center of the baked cheesecake won’t be completely set and will have a fair amount of jiggle to it (think of jello).*You’re going to get an impressive rise, but the cheesecake will settle and fall after its been taken out of the oven.

Let the cheesecake completely cool before removing from the springform pan. Allow it to finish cooling for about an hour. Then place the cheesecake into the refrigerator for at least 4 hours (overnight is best) to completely chill and set up.Do not remove the Basque Cheesecake from the parchment paper until it’s been fully cooled and you are ready to cut and serve the cheesecake.

Recipe video above. This is the iconic Burnt Basque Cheesecake, in all its rustic perfection with the signature golden &quot;burnt&quot; surface that tastes like caramel, and light-as-air creamy vanilla cheesecake inside. Stunningly luscious yet light, and not that sweet at all!The surface becomes golden by baking at a higher temp than classic baked cheesecakes - 160C/320F vs 220°C/425°F for Basque. This recipe is not a basic &quot;dump and beat&quot; recipe, but the result is better. Texture is fluffier, as it should be, with no thick band of dry overcooked cheesecake (notorious problem!). Use a handheld electric beater or stand mixer with the paddle attachment. See Note 5 about speeds.

cheese

whipping cream

flour (, plain/all-purpose)

vanilla bean extract (or paste)

See below for full length written recipe. Shorthand recipe is for experienced bakers.

Prep - Preheat oven to 220°C / 425°F (200°C fan) with the shelf in the middle. Press scrunched paper into 20cm/8&quot; springform pan.

Batter - Beat cream cheese 2 minutes on medium. Beat in sugar on low speed for 10 seconds. In separate bowl, hand whisk 1/4 cup cream with the flour (becomes like paste). Whisk in remaining cream and vanilla. While beating on low, slowly pour cream into cream cheese, then eggs (don&#39;t overbeat).

Bake - Pour into pan, bang pan on counter, pop bubbles with knife. Bake 45 min (up to 65 min possible, Note 8) until top deep golden. Cool 2 hrs on counter then 8 hrs+ in fridge uncovered. Ready for serving!

Shorthand recipe

Preheat oven to 220°C / 425°F (200°C fan) with the shelf in the middle of the oven.

Pan prep (Note 4) - Press 2 x 40cm/16&quot; sheets of scrunched up baking/parchment paper arranged in an &quot;X&quot; into a 20cm/8&quot; springform pan (6cm / 2.5&quot; tall), and fold down over the rim to hold in place. You&#39;ll need to scrunch/pleat to fit which creates the signature rustic sides! The batter will weigh it down so don&#39;t worry if it doesn&#39;t stay in.

Beat the cream cheese in a large bowl on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed, until smooth and lump-free. Add sugar and beat on low speed for 10 seconds.

Flour &amp; cream (Note 6) - Put about 1/4 of the cream and all the flour in a medium bowl. Hand whisk until lump free (it will be paste-like), then slowly pour in the remaining cream while whisking. Once flour is incorporated, whisk in vanilla. (PS not making whipped cream here! Should be pourable)

Slowly pour the cream into the cream cheese bowl with the beater going on low. Beat just until combined. Then slowly pour the eggs in while the beater is still on low speed. As soon as the eggs are incorporated, stop beating to minimise getting bubbles in the batter (Note 7).

Remove air bubbles - Pour into the prepared pan. Bang the pan on the counter then pop bubbles that rise to the surface with a small sharp knife. I do repeat 3 to 5 times. (Note 7)

Bake 45 minutes or until the surface is a deep golden brown. It can take up to 65 minutes and that&#39;s fine! (Seriously, read Note 8) Keep a close eye on it for the last 15 minutes, you want it deeply golden but not burnt. The centre will still be wobbly and the cake will rise like a soufflé.

Chill overnight - Cool in the cake pan for at least 2 hours on the counter (it will sink, that&#39;s normal). Then refrigerate for a minimum of 8 hours, uncovered.

Serving - Release the sides of the springform pan. Hold excess paper overhang to lift off base onto a cutting board or plate. Fold down sides - I love serving it on the paper, it&#39;s part of the visuals! Bring to room temp for 30 minutes if time permits, though also great served chilled. Cut like cake! Eat as is - doesn&#39;t need cream, berries etc.

Full instructions recipe

Chocolate Basque Cheesecake 

(8 oz) packages cream cheese, room temp

cocoa powder

espresso powder

(7 oz) bar dark chocolate, melted and slightly cooled

eggs, room temp

heavy cream, room temp

flour

Remove all chilled ingredients from fridge to bring them to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, beat together cream cheese and sugar until smooth, then mix in the cocoa powder and espresso powder.

Whisk in the melted chocolate and eggs, one at a time, until fully combined.

Mix in heavy cream and salt just until smooth.

Sift in flour and mix until just combined (over mixing will add too much air to the batter).

Transfer batter to the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until center has only a slight jiggle.

Optional: broil for 1-2 minutes for a more “burnt” appearance.

Allow cake to cool completely, then refrigerate until ready to serve.

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