Basque Cheesecake

5 from 14 votes

This 'burnt cheesecake' 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.

Prep Time15

Cook Time55

Chilling Time8

Total Time9 10

Course: Afternoon Tea, Dessert

Cuisine: Spanish

Keyword: basque burnt cheesecake, basque cheesecake, burnt cheesecake

Servings:

Calories: 518kcal

Ingredients

2 lb cream cheese full fat, room temperature
1 1/4 cups superfine sugar caster sugar (granulated will work in a pinch)
6 eggs
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 tsp fine salt or 1 tsp Kosher salt
1 vanilla bean split and seeds scraped (replace with 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract if you don't have a bean)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour plain flour

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C, combi steam setting. If your oven has variable steam settings, select 30% (if not, don'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's more flexible to push into the pan. You don't need to get the paper smooth, it should be 'intentionally rustic'.
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.
2 lb cream cheese, 1 1/4 cups superfine sugar
Add the eggs, one at a time, with the mixer running. Mix each one in completely before adding the next.
6 eggs
Add the remaining ingredients and mix on low speed until completely combined. Don't mix longer than necessary as you don't want to aerate the mixture too much.
2 cups heavy cream, 1/2 tsp fine salt, 1 vanilla bean, 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
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.

Notes

The cheesecake needs no adornment but if you really wanted to up the ante you could add a scoop of double or clotted cream on the side.
This cheesecake will keep, chilled and covered, for up to 5 days. It can be frozen, well wrapped, for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
The original version of this cake, as best I can tell, contained no vanilla, but I love the fragrance it adds. You could omit it if you prefer, or use the finely grated zest of a lemon instead.

Nutrition