The Basque Burnt Cheesecake is less than 30 years old. Spanish restaurant La Viña in San Sebastian is the creator of the world-known cheesecake that requires no crust or water bath and boasts a burnt, instagrammable top.
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The first Basque Cheesecake was made with only 5 ingredients: cream cheese, cream, eggs, flour and sugar. The cream and eggs are responsible for its excellent creaminess, and the cream cheese adds the acid touch so as not to be too sweet.
Most agree that it results in a one-of-a-kind dessert where a New York style cheesecake meets a flan.
Why we 💕love the Basque Burnt Cheesecake
- For its creamy and semi-gelatinous texture
- For its mild sweetness and lighter flavor
- For its unique, wabi-sabi looks with the rustic top and the crustless base
🍭Special ingredients
This recipe uses clotted cream which can give another layer of tartness. Clotted cream is not largely available in major grocery stores. You can find it online from specialty stores or in specialty and gourmet stores in your area.
🕐How to make this recipe
- Mix the dry ingredients first – sugar, brown sugar, flour and vanilla
- Mix the half & half, clotted cream and cream cheese, then add the dry mix
- Once the mixture gets an homogenous texture, add the eggs to the mix, one egg at the time
- Bake for 35 minutes in a grease 9-inch round baking pan lined with a large parchment paper
- Get all the details and instructions in the recipe card below
💡Don’t miss this tip!
Make sure that the cream cheese, clotted cream and half & half are all at room temperature!
Here is the recipe. Send us your comments if you make it. Do you like it? What would you do differently?
Do you want to try the Japanese Jiggly Cheesecake recipe? It’s here
The Basque Burnt Cheesecake recipe
Ingredients
- 700 g cream cheese
- 180 g clotted cream
- 200 g half & half
- 200 g sugar
- 50 g brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 5 eggs
- 1 pack vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F
- Mix and sugar and brown sugar in a bowl. Add the sifted flour and the vanilla. Mix them all together.
- Combine cream cheese, clotted cream and half & half. Once well blended, add the sugar and flour mix.
- Mix well together and stir with a spatula until they form a smooth and homogenous texture.
- Add the eggs, one egg at a time, whisking until is completely blended with the batter before adding the next egg.
- Grease the 9-inch round baking pan including the sides and line it with a large parchment paper so that covers the interior of the pan and extends the edges of the pan.
- Pour the batter into the pan and bake on the center rack for 35 minutes at 425°F
- If the cheesecake isn't quite burnt on top, bake for 5-7 more minutes while being careful it doesn't burn too much.
- When the cake is brown and looks burnt enough turn the oven off. The center shouldn’t be “set” when you move the pan.
- Let it cool for at least an hour and then refrigerate for 3-5 hours.
- Do not remove the cake from the parchment paper until it is ready to be cut, plated, and … eaten!
Notes
- Your oven rack should be positioned around the middle of your oven. This should give your cake pan enough room without the parchment paper touching the top and the top of the cake gets enough color
- Make sure that the cream cheese, clotted cream and half & half are at room temperature
- You should refrigerate the cake, which lets the cheese flavor develop more fully
- Time of baking depends on the oven used. You can leave the cheesecake from 30 to 45 minutes to get burnt. It also depends on the type of pan that you are using.
Nutrition
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