Basque Cheesecake or burnt Basque cheesecake originated from Spain and it is so creamy, light and delicious with a caramelised top. I am sharing with you La vine style Basque cheesecake recipe that is super easy to bake
What is Basque Cheesecake
This has been quite famous crustless cheesecake with a caramelised (almost burnt) surface has broken edges and looks quite rustic in appearance.
That is why it is named burnt Basque cheesecake. But once you slice through the scorched dark crust there lies a treasure! A gooey and creamy centre of cream cheese eggs and cream that tastes heavenly! One advice though DON’T count calories!
A perfect blend of taste and texture that is super easy to make. It is soo good that I now treat it almost equal to my New York style cheesecake! The good news is Spanish burnt basque cheesecake is incredibly easy to make.
Basque Cheesecake Origin
Though It was not very popular until recently the Basque cheesecake originated in Spain by Chef Santiago Rivera almost 3 decades ago. The original recipe of Basque cheesecake had just 5 ingredients Cream cheese, heavy cream, sugar, eggs, and flour.
Now in most of the recipes, I found on the internet has the vanilla extract added to it. And I tried both but liked the cheesecake with vanilla better.
Basque Cheesecake Texture
It falls exactly in the middle of perfectly set New York-style American cheesecake and Japanese soufflé cheesecake which is wobbly. I love this perfect custardy and creamy centre. It’s a beautiful, unique and delicious mix of textures and taste.
How to Make Basque Cheesecake
Making this burnt cheesecake is easy. All you need to do is mix all the ingredients but once you understand a few basics. Which flour to use, the proportion of the ingredients and most importantly temperature to make Basque cheesecake so that the top is caramelised in the right way and centre is baked perfectly.
We do not want exactly burned cheesecake here. The goal is to caramelise sugar and kick in the Maillard browning which happens between proteins of cream cheese and sugar. That results in Umami-like flavour that tastes THE BEST!
How to Make Burnt Basqecake .
I have not tasted the original Spanish version. I tasted it first in New York and did a side by side comparison of New York cheesecake and Basque cheesecake. Also, I read various recipes on the internet and after 4-5 trials Arush came up with this recipe that we all liked.
Ingredients
Cream cheese, caster sugar/powdered sugar, eggs, heavy cream, Mascarpone cheese, cake flour, vanilla extract, lime juice, salt.
- First, add in cream cheese and mascarpone cheese in a big mixing bowl and whisk it using a hand mixer. Otherwise you can do all of these steps using peddle attachment in a stand mixer.
- Add castor sugar or powdered sugar and again whisk it well.
- Add in two eggs plus one yolk and whisk it well.
Add whisking cream and mix it well. Now add salt and vanilla and lime juice and whisk to combine well.
After this add the cake flour/all purpose flour to the cheesecake batter and whisk to combine.
To bake the cake take a springform pan and apply butter on bottom of the pan.
Now take a big parchment paper and line the cake tin with it. Add cheesecake batter in the pan.
Bake the cheesecake at 220C for 25 minutes -28 minutes. Check it at 25th minute if it is not burnt too much bake it for 3 more minutes.
(for baking time I have taken into consideration different brands of oven heat differently, so work as per your oven)
Recipe Notes and Tips
- We made a large cake so if you want a small cheesecake or individual servings. You can halve the ingredients and use the baking pan as per that size *
- Traditionally mascarpone is not added in Basque cheesecake. We added it because I can’t imagine baked cheesecake without mascarpone.
- Use highest percentage cream that you can find when you make this basque cheesecake that makes it rich and creamy.
- I have used cake flour because it has less gluten as compared to regular AP flour. AP flour because of gluten makes it chewy. If you do not have cake flour use all-purpose flour/maida because the quantity used is very small so I think it hardly makes a difference.
- This is one recipe where I found different mixing techniques for basque cheesecake. You can mix it with a usual wire whisk, use a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, use a hand mixer or even blend everything in a blender.
- Whichever method of mixing you pick I suggest resting the cheesecake batter for 10-15 minutes to settle down the air pockets that are created by whisking. And this yields a good texture to your cheesecake.
Best Cake Pan for Baking Basque Cheesecake?
Some methods suggest springform pan and some say regular cake pan. I say use whichever you want. Because any which way you need to use parchment paper, otherwise this being a crustless cake, while baking batter will leak out from the bottom.
So when I am baking this I use a big sheet of parchment paper which also provides a rustic touch (uneven surface and edges) that is typical of Basque cheesecake.
Another purpose of using a large sheet of parchment paper is it controls the heat distribution. It does not allow the cake surface to burn completely and gives it a perfect caramelised taste and not burnt.
Why Burnt Cheesecake Fall in the Centre?
I baked cheesecake and it fell in the middle just after it cooled down. Well, that’s how it is. It happened with me every single time! And from what I have read everywhere there is a scientific explanation to that.
Basque cheesecake falls in the centre because when you make this cake most ingredients have proteins. During baking, proteins solidify due to steam which forms a sponge-like structure so it remains fluffy as long as steam is there.
When it cools down steam is gone and so are air pockets in the cheesecake so cheesecake sinks in the centre.
How to Serve Basque Cake?
This is the most difficult time 🙂 I mean the wait. First, you need to allow it to cool on a wire rack.
The second thing is I suggest to keep it in the refrigerator for some time to set perfectly and then slice it. Once it sets, take it out, keep it on the counter for 10 min and then serve it!
Is Basque Cheesecake Really Burnt?
Basque Cheesecake surface looks burnt, but important point is it is not baked that long that it turns to carbon. Browning on top occurs because of two processes.
First, caramelization of sugar creates Diacetyl and Maltol which lends flavour to caramel. The second reaction that happens is Maillard browning, in which proteins in the cream cheese and sugars react to form characteristic Umami flavour.
This is main reason that basque cheesecake or burnt cheesecake does not taste burnt.
More Such Recipes
- Chocolate Swiss Roll
- Crinkle top Fudgy Brownie
- Eggless Tea cake
- Eggless Banana Bread
- Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies
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📖 Recipe
Basque Cheesecake
Equipment
- Springform pan
- Hand mixer
- Mixing bowl
- oven
Ingredients
- 335 g cream cheese
- 110 g mascarpone
- 165 g sugar powdered
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 205 ml heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon teaspoons vanilla extract
- 25 g Cake flour/ all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon lime juice
Instructions
- First, add in cream cheese in a big mixing bowl and whisk it using a hand mixer. Otherwise you can do all of these steps using peddle attachment in a stand mixer.
- Add castor sugar or powdered sugar and again whisk it well.
- In the mixing bowl add two eggs plus one yolk and whisk it well.
- Add whisking cream/35% fat cream and mix it well. Now add salt and vanilla and lime juice and whisk to combine well.
- Tip in cake flour and gently mix to combine well.
- Now to bake the cake, take a springform pan and apply butter on the bottom of the pan.
- Take a big parchment paper and line the cake tin with it. Add cheesecake batter in the pan.
- Now bake the cheesecake at 220C for 22 minutes -28minutes. Check it at 25th minute if it is not burnt too much and bake it for 3 more minutes.
Notes
- I have used cake flour because it has less gluten as compared to regular AP flour. AP flour because of gluten makes it chewy.
- If you do not have cake flour use all-purpose flour/maida because the quantity used is very small so I think it hardly makes a difference.
- This is one of those recipes where I found different mixing techniques for basque cheesecake. You can mix it with a usual wire whisk, use a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, use a hand mixer or even blend everything in a blender.
- Whichever method of mixing you pick I suggest resting the cheesecake batter for 10-15 minutes to settle down the air pockets that are created by whisking. And this yields a good texture to your cheesecake.
Nutrition
Before You Go
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Rakhi says
Hi please can u suggest egg replacer in this.
Rani says
In the recipe, you have not mentioned at which stage we have to add the cake flour.
Farhat says
It's really a new and something different, looking gorgeous. Avid bakers must try this Cheesecake.
Farhat
Val says
Hi.if using airfryer,what temperature and the bake time will you advice me?
Monica says
I made this a few weeks ago and it was excellent. I've tasted the original version in San Sebastian and the simpler recipe they supposedly use by following other online bloggers.
I found this recipe a bit richer with more depth of flavor than the original version.
Annie says
How about the mascarpone??? When to put in?