So you may have already heard about Basque burnt cheesecake. It's been trending on all the foodie websites and many local cafes and home-bakers have started selling them. But did you know that it's also one of the easiest cheesecakes to whip up at home? Not only does it not require a crust (unlike conventional cheesecakes that have a biscuit crust), but it doesn't have to be baked in a water bath AND we are intentionally supposed to burn the outer layer. Many people say it's a cheesecake that's impossible to mess up! So if you're thinking of whipping up this delicious beauty of a cake at home, we have a halal Basque burnt cheesecake recipe for you to try.
A bit of background: this cheesecake actually originates from a restaurant called La Viña in the city of San Sebastián, located in Basque region of Spain. Made with a combination of cream cheese (lots of it!), eggs and heavy cream, it's an indulgent treat known for its dark outer layer and soft creamy centre. Our recipe below caters to a 9-inch springform pan, but we are aware that this calls for almost a kilo of cream cheese and almost 2 cups of heavy cream ? You can also halve the recipe and bake it in a smaller 6-inch pan if need be!
Ingredients (one 9-inch springform pan)
- 900g cream cheese, room temperature
- 300g sugar
- 6 eggs
- 470g heavy cream
- 2 tsp vanilla essence (or 1 tsp alcohol-free pure vanilla)
- ½ tsp salt
- 50g flour
- Butter for greasing the pan
Equipment
- 9-inch springform pan
- Baking parchment
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
- Grease the springform pan with butter and line with 2 overlapping sheets of baking paper, pressing to mold the paper to the shape of the pan, and making sure there's paper hanging over the edge of the pan (about 2-inches length).
- In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of your stand-mixer), add the softened cream cheese and sugar. Beat together until smooth and you can no longer feel sugar granules in the mixture (remember to scrape down the sides).
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating to combine in between each addition. One all eggs have been added in, scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the cream, salt and vanilla then mix to combine.
- Sift in the flour into the mixture. Mix on low speed just until combined. Scrape t
- Pour the batter into the lined springform pan. Bake for about 60 minutes. The top will be deep golden brown, while the centre of the cake will still be jiggly if you shake it.
- The the cheesecake cool in its tin on a baking rack until cooled completely. Remove from the tin and peel the baking paper from the cake. Serve at room temperature.
Notes:
- If you're not looking for a full-sized cake, you can halve the recipe and bake it in a 6-inch cake pan (P.S. you can find pans of this size at a baking shop or also on Shopee!).
It's no wonder why Basque burnt cheesecake has become a hot item among those who love desserts and cakes. With its simple yet indulgent ingredients list and rustically beautiful appearance, it's easy to see the appeal! And best of all, it's totally doable at home and is in fact one of the easiest cheesecakes to do. So it's time to bake up this decadent dessert for your next treat!