Burnt Basque Cheesecake makes an amazing dessert with only a few ingredients! And you probably have most of them on hand.
This classic dessert from the Basque region of Spain has stood the test of time and has also taken over many highly regarded North American dessert menus!
It is so simple - no crust! Just beat and pour! Uses parchment paper liner so even cleanup is a cinch! And - it's gluten free!
I tasted a bit of cheesecake that was left on the parchment paper and at first I sort of wondered what all the fuss was about. Well - the little edge I nibbled on was a bit drier since it was the outside edge. I hadn't gotten to the delicious, custard center!
And the burnt top emulates somewhat the crème brulée experience. Everyone I served this too absolutely raved about it. When my husband got wind of my first mixed reaction he begged me to keep this recipe in our rotation.
How To Serve Burnt Basque Cheesecake
There seem to be 2 camps as far as serving - some like it fresh the day it is made, at room temperature so the center is still creamy and actually gooey. Others prefer it after at least 4 hours of fridge time so the cheescake firms up to a more traditional texture.
Well - I am going to give you a piece of advice - a large part of the charm of this simple cheesecake is the soft, room temperature, sort-of-schlumpy-creaminess of the center. You can't get that back once it has been refrigerated. So - treat yourself to it at room temperature the day you bake it and then you can enjoy any leftovers out of the fridge.
Some people suggest adding fresh berries but this seems to elicit tsks from the traditionalists! It honestly doesn't need anything added to be delicious - which keeps it super easy.
It only takes about 5 minutes to mix all the ingredients. They do suggest to use room temperature cream cheese, eggs and cream to make mixing easy and to help prevent your cheesecake from cracking. So- you just have to remember to take your ingredients out of the fridge few hours before you plan to make it.
Wine Pairing for Burnt Basque Cheesecake
I went with the traditional Pedro Ximenez dessert wine. It was a match made in heaven for sure! You could also serve a Tawny Port. Any dessert wine would work but the Sherry and Tawny Port with the nutty, apricot aspectes makes a nice complement to the cheesecake.
Burnt Basque Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 16 oz cream cheese 400 grams
- 10 oz whipping cream 284 mL
- ⅔ cup sugar 130 grams
- 3 eggs
- 3 Tbsps cornstarch
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ tspq vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 420°F (220°C). Line a 6" springform pan with 2 layers of parchment papers. Ensure there is generous paper above the rim.
- Beat cream cheese and sugar until well mixed. Beat in the eggs one at a time until just well mixed. Add the cream and vanilla. Sift in the corn startch and salt. and mix until evenly combined.
- Pour mixture into the prepared cake pan. Bake 30 - 45 minutes. The top should be deep brown/burnt. 30 minutes will yield a creamy, gooey center and 45 minutes will yield a firmer center.
- Allow cake to come to room temperature and serve right away (recommended) or chill for 4 hours (minimum) for a more traditional texture. See Note 1 below.
- Cheesecake will keep well in the fridge up to 3 days. It also freezes and defrosts well but you won't have the traditional slumpy texture.
RALPH HETKE
The best cake ever!