Burn Baby Burn, Basque Burnt Cheesecake

Basque burnt cheesecake recipe, this Spanish cheesecake has taken the internet by storm. It is gloriously caramelised with a smooth jiggly velvet centre. A complete taste sensation with only four ingredients. A simple crustless cheesecake you need to bake and try.

What makes this cheesecake so amazing? It’s quite simple, it’s all about the burn. The joy and uniqueness are all about burning, or technically caramelising, the sides, bottom, and top of this Spanish cheesecake.

Was the combination of smooth just set middle and dark caramelised extremities of this cheesecake initially a baking accident by La Viña?

This recipe is for those that aren’t able to travel to San Sebastian in Spain to try the original at La Viña.

The cheesecake is best eaten on the day of baking, but it also stores very well in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days.  It will be denser, but just as delicious.

You will be surprised by the taste, I was. It may look like an ugly duckling of a cheesecake but really is worth baking. Plus is an easy one to bake too.

Sara xxx

Ingredients

Only four ingredients are used in this recipe, cream cheese, eggs, sugar, and cream.

There are numerous recipes around the internet for Basque burnt cheesecake. I researched and played. I read that Chef Dave Beran of Dialogue in Santa Monica didn't include flour in his version.

Chef Berab feels the quick cooking time for his recipe doesn’t allow for the starch in the flour to cook through. Resulting in a grainy cheesecake. This made complete sense to me.

On further investigation I discovered recipes that used various quantities of flour, from one cup through to one tablespoon. These recipes had longer cooking times.

As you can see from my ingredient list, I decided to take Chef Beran’s advice and ditch the flour.

The Art of Caramelisation

Browning (caramelising) meat is the first step in making a flavourful casserole. We deglaze and scrape up all the brown fond on the bottom of our pans when making gravy and sauces.

When baking cookies, we generally want them to brown and caramelise. The point where butter and sugar react, giving cookies crunch and a toasty flavour. This cheesecake no different, but it takes the caramelisation a little step further.

If you have ever made toffee you will understand. There is golden brown toffee, which is sweet, the sugar has reacted to take on those toffee notes.

Then you have toffee taken to the next stage, it errs on the side of burnt, but not quite. It’s darker, still sweet, but this is played off bitterness and is simply delightful.

Recipe Instructions

Preheat oven to 200°C (395°F). Grease and line the bottom and sides of a 21cm springform cake tin with butter and baking paper.

Make sure to extend the baking paper 2cm (¾ inch) above the rim of the tin.

Using a stand mixer or electric beaters, beat cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, making sure to beat well between adding eggs.

Beat in sugar, a bit at a time. Then beat in thickened cream until the mixture is smooth.

Pour cheesecake batter into the lined springform tin. Tap the tin lightly to remove any air bubbles trapped in the batter.

Place in the oven and bake for 50 minutes.

Check on your cheesecake at the 40 minute mark. If the top isn’t starting to deeply brown turn up the heat in your oven slightly.

The result you are after is a cheesecake that has a deep dark top but is still slightly jiggly in the centre.

Once cooked remove from the oven and leave to cool completely before removing the cheesecake from the tin.

The Basque burnt cheesecake is best eaten on the day of baking, but leftovers store very well in an airtight container for a few days in the fridge.

Be Careful of Cooking Time

Over cooking can be an issue.  If you find that you are getting close to the end of the baking time and the cheesecake isn't developing a dark caramelised top, turn up the oven temperature. Make sure to keep a constant eye on how it is baking.

More Delicious Cheesecake Recipes

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Cheeselova - the love child of cheesecake and pavlova
Baked White Chocolate and Mango Cheesecake - creamy cheesecake topped with summery mangoes
Chocolate Cheesecake Crackle Pie - chocolate crackle shell with chocolate cheesecake filling
Strawberry Cheesecake Sponge Cake - when light and airy sponge and strawberry cheesecake collide
Lemon Myrtle Cheesecake - A creamy taste of Australia with a macadamia base
Baked Anzac Cheesecake - All the flavours of an Aussie ANZAC biscuit in cheesecake form

Printable Recipe

Basque Burnt Cheesecake

Recipe Author: Sara McCleary

Basque burnt cheesecake is gloriously caramelised with a smooth jiggly velvet centre. A complete taste sensation with only four ingredients. A simple crustless cheesecake you need to bake and try.

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 50 mins

Total Time 1 hr 5 mins

Course Cake

Cuisine Spanish

Servings 8 people

Calories 592 kcal

Special Equipment

• springform cake tin
• stand mixer or electric beaters
• large bowl

Ingredients

• ▢ 625 grams cream cheese
• ▢ 4 eggs
• ▢ 275 grams (1 ¼ cups) caster sugar
• ▢ 300 ml thick cream

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 200°C (395°F). Grease and line the bottom and sides of a 21cm springform cake tin with butter and baking paper. Make sure to extend the baking paper 2cm (¾ inch) above the rim of the tin.
• Using a stand mixer or electric beaters, beat cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, making sure to beat well between adding eggs.
• Beat in sugar, a bit at a time. Then beat in thickened cream until the mixture is smooth.
• Pour cheesecake batter into the lined springform tin. Tap the tin lightly to remove any air bubbles trapped in the batter.
• Place in the oven and bake for 50 minutes.
• Check on your cheesecake at the 40 minute mark. If the top isn’t starting to deeply brown turn up the heat in your oven slightly.
• The result you are after is a cheesecake that has a deep dark top but is still slightly jiggly in the centre.
• Once cooked remove from the oven and leave to cool completely before removing the cheesecake from the tin.
• The Basque burnt cheesecake is best eaten on the day of baking, but leftovers store very well in an airtight container for a few days in the fridge.

Notes

Recipe Hazard

Overcooking can be an issue.  If you find that you are getting close to the end of the cooking time, say the final 10 minutes, and the cheesecake isn't developing a dark caramelised top, turn your oven temperature up and keep  a constant eye on how it is baking.

Gluten Free

Not all cream cheese is gluten free.  If you need this recipe to be truly gluten free make sure you puchase cream cheese that does not contain gluten.

Serving Suggestions

Best eaten on the day of baking.  Serve simply with some fresh berries and whipped cream.

Leftovers

Even though the Basque burnt cheesecake is best eaten on the day of cooking it also stores very well in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days.  The cheesecake will be denser than the day of baking, but just as delcious.

Nutrition

Calories: 592kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 9gFat: 47gSaturated Fat: 27gCholesterol: 233mgSodium: 337mgPotassium: 184mgSugar: 34gVitamin A: 1885IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 126mgIron: 0.7mg

Keyword cheesecake without pastry, easy cheesecake recipe, La Viña cheesecake, Spanish cheesecake

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