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Basque Burnt Cheesecake

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This Basque Burnt Cheesecake has a mousse-like creamy vanilla texture and a golden caramelized surface on the outside. It is so easy to make with just 7 ingredients!

basque burnt cheesecake with gooey creamy interior

Basque Burnt Cheesecake is like the opposite of the American-style New York cheesecake. New York style is known for its graham cracker crust and dense middle. On the other hand, Basque Burnt Cheesecake goes against all the baking rules.

basque burnt cheesecake

It appears burnt on the outside and does not have a crust at all. It has a rustic look due to being baked in parchment paper, it has wrinkled sides and rough edges. It is not dense, but rather light, and airy with a souffle-like mouthfeel.

The intentional “burning” of the cheesecake adds a distinct caramel flavor to the exterior of the cheesecake. Combined with the creamy, custardy cheesecake underneath, it tastes like a rich creme brulee. If you love cheesecake, you must try this recipe!

basque burnt cheesecake with gooey creamy interior

Basque Cheesecake Origin

Basque cheesecake is an iconic baked cheesecake that came from San Sebastian in the Basque region of Spain. In 1990, Chef Santiago Rivera embarked on an experiment to make a new type of cake every day. Eventually, he developed the Basque cheesecake recipe. It’s become increasingly popular over the past few years, thanks to food media and celebrity chefs singing its praises.

Ingredients You Need

  • Cream cheese. It is the key to the rich cheesecake batter. Don’t try swapping it with the low-fat version.
  • Castor sugar. Caster or superfine sugar is best here as the grains are finer so it dissolves more easily. However, regular sugar can be used too.
  • Vanilla. Use vanilla extract or bean paste.
  • Salt. To taste.
  • Eggs. They add a luscious, creamy texture to the cheesecake.
  • Cornstarch. It gives the cheesecake some structure. You can also substitute cornstarch with cake flour.
  • Heavy whipping cream. It softens and adds some moisture to the cheesecake.

Pan Size You Need

For this recipe, you will need a 6×3-inch/15×7.5 cm round cake pan. The baked cheesecake will rise above the cake pan rim. Therefore, it is important to use a cake pan with at least a tall rim.

6-inch basque burnt cheesecake

You can multiply the recipe by 2 to accommodate an 8×3-inch/20×7.5 cm round cake pan. You may need to adjust the baking time if using larger pan sizes. Since I have never tried it, I am not sure how long you will need to bake.

Pro Tips For Making Basque Burnt Cheesecake

  • Use room temperature ingredients. So that the ingredients blend easily.
  • Sift the cornstarch. If you want the cheesecake to be nice and smooth, it helps to sift the cornstarch into the batter instead of just dumping it in.
  • Don’t overmix the batter. If the ingredients are mixed too long or at too high a speed, the cheesecake batter will rise higher, sometimes unevenly, and then collapse, which creates some cracks. In general, you want to mix in each ingredient until just incorporated.
  • Strain the batter. If your batter is lumpy, you can strain it to make it smooth.
  • Keep an eye on when baking the cheesecake. Keep a close eye on the cheesecake during the last 5 minutes of baking to be sure that the top reaches your desired level of golden color. If it starts to get too dark, just gently lay a piece of aluminum foil over the cheesecake. Or if it’s not dark enough, switch the oven to broil the cheesecake ever-so-briefly once the center is cooked to your liking.

How to Serve

The cheesecake will look jiggly when you remove it from the oven. Let it cool completely at room temperature. It will continue to slowly cook and solidify with the residual heat. Refrigerate the cheesecake to let it set further.

Take out the cheesecake from the fridge for 30 minutes before serving if you want a soft, gooey filling. Or you can serve it cold for a firm filling.

Basque Burnt Cheesecake is best enjoyed plain, but you can serve it however you like it.

basque burnt cheesecake with gooey creamy interior
basque burnt cheesecake with gooey creamy interior

More Cheesecake Recipes

Do you love cheesecake? Check out also these recipes!

basque burnt cheesecake with gooey creamy interior
4.8 from 5 votes

Basque Burnt Cheesecake

This Basque Burnt Cheesecake has a mousse-like creamy vanilla texture and a golden caramelized surface on the outside. It is so easy to make with just 7 ingredients!
Author: Jaja Bakes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Spanish
Servings: 1 6-inch/15 cm cake
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 13.5 oz (380 gr) cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup (100 gr) castor sugar
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla paste/extract
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tbsp (15 gr) cornstarch
  • 5/6 cup (200 ml) heavy whipping cream

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 445F/230°C. Line a 6-inch/15 cm round pan with a layer of parchment papers, making sure the parchment comes at least 2-inch/5cm above the top of the pan.
  • In a large bowl, add cream cheese. Use a spatula to mix the cream cheese until it becomes spreadable with no lump.
  • Add castor sugar, salt, and vanilla paste. Whisk until combined and smooth.
  • Add eggs one at a time. Whisk until well incorporated and smooth with each addition of egg.
  • Sift in the cornstarch. Whisk just until well combined.
  • Add heavy whipping cream and whisk until well incorporated.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan. If your batter is lumpy, you can strain the batter. Tap the pan a few times on the countertops to remove the air bubbles.
  • Place the cheesecake in the preheated oven and lower the heat to 430F/220℃. Bake cheesecake until golden brown on top but still very jiggly in the center for about 25 minutes.
  • Let the cheesecake cool in the pan on a wire rack until it reaches room temperature. Refrigerate uncovered for at least 4 hours to let it set further.
  • Remove the cheesecake from the cake pan and carefully peel back the parchment paper. For the gooey interior, let the cheesecake stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve chilled if you prefer firmer cheesecake.

Notes

You can also use a mixer to mix the ingredients. Just make sure not to overmix it. Overmixing will incorporate too much air into the batter or cause the cream cheese to split.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1whole cake | Calories: 2665kcal | Carbohydrates: 144g | Protein: 46g | Fat: 217g | Saturated Fat: 128g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 57g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 1105mg | Sodium: 2036mg | Potassium: 881mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 122g | Vitamin A: 8810IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 580mg | Iron: 3mg
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8 Comments

  1. Hi Kak salam kenal ya
    Aku udah buat pake resep kamu ini berkali2 dan selalu berhasil. Yang aku penasaran, ukuran telur yang kamu gunakan kira2 berapa gram/ butir nya kak?

  2. Halo Jacinta
    Salam kenal
    Kaget aku ketika tau yg nulis blog ini tinggal di Jakarta. Aku pikir dirimu di luar negeri. Bhs inggrismu bagus banget. Penjelasannya cakep. Gilak deh. Aku yg masih basic² mulu pingin deh nulis kek gini. Judulnya sirik hahahahahaaa.
    Resepmu juga oke semua. Ngilerin, hahahahaaa.
    Aku mau lanjutin blogging di sini. Asyik baca blogmu tau….

    1. Halo Rina,

      Salam kenal juga! Iya awalnya emang iseng aja buat dokumentasi hasil bikin kue dan keterusan jadi serius. Sengaja bikin pake bahasa Inggris biar lebih menjangkau orang banyak. Awalnya juga bahasanya kacau tapi skrg makin lama makin terstruktur setelah dijalanin.

      Thank you for saying hi. Senang ada yg menyapa di sini. Bole dicoba2 resepnya dan semoga suka.

    1. Hi Valerie,

      This is the only burnt cheesecake recipe I have ever tested so far. If you want to make less rich burnt cheesecake without altering the recipe, I think you can try (1) adding lemon zest and juice or (2) choose less rich cream cheese brand with less fat content.

      If you feel like adding lemon is not enough, my best bet is to (3) substitute a little bit of cream cheese with sour cream (referring to the New York Cheesecake).

      Once again, I have never tried these before, so I can’t tell you the exact measurement for the recipe adjustment.