Creamy, jiggly on the inside and caramelized on top, this Basque Burnt Cheesecake is easy to make with a handful of ingredients. This is my go-to recipe for a simple cheesecake that doesn’t even need a water bath!
If you’ve already read my blog, you probably know that I love making desserts that are quite easy, even a beginner can make them. This makes sense when your intense craving for cookies, brownies or any sweets comes up suddenly at any time of a day, so I’ll just go with the flow. This basque burnt cheesecake is one of the easy recipes I’ve talked about.
I guess the title of this cake is kind of interesting or fancy or weird, huh? That was my first impression, too. I was like ‘Huh? How can a BURNT cheesecake be good to eat?’. But after trying a few times I started to fall in love with it. Seriously. The cheesecake originated from Basque region in Spain by a chef named Santiago Rivera of a restaurant called La Viña. Basically, it’s a crustless cheesecake that is baked at a very high temperature until caramelized on top and jiggly, creamy texture in the center. With that being said, it is one of the easy recipes when you’re craving a cheesecake.
A HANDFUL OF INGREDIENTS
Like I said, this basque burnt cheesecake requires a minimum of ingredients with a little effort to whip up. You will need cream cheese, heavy cream, sugar, eggs, all purpose flour and vanilla extract, mix together and bake. No water bath needed. No cracks on top checked. Imperfection is appreciated. Last but not least: It’s so delicious.
CAKE PAN SIZE
I recommend using a springform pan with tall sides since the cheesecake batter will poof up and rise so high during baking. As such, it is essential to use a cake pan at least 3-inches deep. This recipe is good for an 8-inch springform pan so if you want to make it in a large pan or smaller pan, the baking time should be adjusted. Then line the bottom and side of the baking pan with a parchment paper so it will be easy to remove the cheesecake from the tin once baked. No need to smooth the paper out. Like I said, imperfection is highly appreciated for this type of cheesecake.
BAKING TIPS
Use room temperature ingredients. It really does help to give a smooth, creamy and evenly-baked cheesecake.
Right ratio. This cheesecake yields a rich and creamy texture, therefore ratio does matter! Avoid using substitutes such as reducing sugar, adding more or replacing egg, or using milk instead of heavy cream.
Preheat the oven before bringing the cheesecake to bake. The oven should be hot so that the batter’s edges can caramelize into a natural crust.
High temperature required. In a convection oven, if you bake at 450F, it will take 30-35 minutes for the cheesecake to set in the inside and caramelize on top. if the temperature is at 400F, it will take longer, about 60 minutes. I chose the latter since I found it a sweet spot; however not all ovens are the same and you should check your cheesecake halfway through and adjust the temp if needed.
Sift the flour. Sifting will help remove lumps in the batter, giving the cheesecake a smooth texture. I use all-purpose flour but you can use cake flour too.
Basque Burnt Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds (3 8oz blocks/672g) full-fat cream cheese room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups (250g) white granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream room temperature
- 2 teaspoons (10ml) vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons (36g) all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F/205°C. Butter the inside of a 8-inch springform pan, then line with 2 layers of parchment paper, leave parchment paper at least 2" of overhang around all edges. Make sure to cover the entire cake pan; otherwise the batter will leak through the bottom of the springform pan.
- In a large bowl, using a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until smooth and no lumps remain. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce mixer speed to medium-low, add cream, salt, and vanilla and beat until combined. Do not over mix.
- Sift flour evenly over cream cheese mixture using a fine-mesh sieve and mix on low speed until evenly combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. (You can use a rubber spatula to fold the sifted flour into the batter, too).
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake cheesecake until the top turns golden brown and the center is still slightly jiggly, about 55–60 minutes.
- Remove from the oven. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Carefully remove the parchment paper from all sides then cut into wedges using a long sharp knife along heated with a glass of boiling water. Serve at room temperature.
- Store the cheesecake in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
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