Basque Cheesecake, also known as Burnt Cheesecake or La Viña Cheesecake, is a rich, creamy, underbaked cheesecake with no crust and an incredibly light and airy texture. this unique cheesecake is characterized by its caramelized, burnt exterior and velvety, custard-like interior.
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Basque Cheesecake has become a popular dessert for amateur and professional bakers with its simple ingredients and super-easy preparation method. It's a hassle-free cheesecake, even for beginners, and an absolute crowd-pleaser!
What's best is that you only need 5 ingredients to make this delicious burnt cheesecake at home. This cheesecake has a creamy custard-like texture in the middle and gets a little firm after chilling overnight.
❤️ WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- You need five main simple and affordable ingredients.
- Super easy to make. All the ingredients come together in minutes.
- There is no crust, so no extra work.
- It tastes out of this world, a mixture of creme brulee and cheesecake.
📝 INGREDIENTS
As mentioned above, the original burnt cheesecake recipe only calls for five ingredients. However, many, including myself, add vanilla to cut the eggy taste, but you can leave it out if you wish.
You can scroll down to the recipe card for further details and instructions.
Eggs: We need room-temperature eggs to help give this cheesecake its rich taste and texture.
Cream Cheese: I always use Philadelphia cream cheese, but you can use another brand like Kiri. Avoid low-fat cream cheese, or the Basque cheesecake will come out pasty, and do not use whipped cream cheese, or it will not hold well, and the texture will be grainy.
Flour: Most basque cheesecake recipes call for cake flour, but I always use all-purpose flour and haven't noticed any difference in taste or texture.
Sugar: I prefer to use fine caster sugar. If you have granulated sugar, add it to a grinder and pulse a few times for a finer texture. Fine sugar dissolves quickly and helps not over-mix the batter.
Whipping cream: Use real whipping cream, not half-and-half or low-fat cream. The extra fat content in whipping cream adds to the taste and texture.
🔪 HOW TO MAKE BASQUE CHEESECAKE
Step 1:
Beat the cream cheese until there are no lumps, then add sugar and mix until it dissolves.
Step 2:
Add the flour to the cream cheese, then mix for a few seconds.
Step 3:
In a different bowl, beat the eggs with vanilla. Add them to the batter and whisk everything until well combined. Add the whipping cream and mix for a few more seconds.
Step 4:
Pour the batter into a 6-inch baking pan lined with parchment paper and bake for 30 to 40 minutes.
Step 5:
Remove from the oven, let it cool, then chill it in the fridge for a few hours.
👩🏽🍳 PRO TIPS
- Because the batter is liquid, I used two layers of parchment paper.
- You can serve the cheesecake after it cools completely and before chilling, it will taste more like cream caramel and custard.
- Don't substitute the whipping cream: Do not use whipped cream cheese or cream cheese instead of whipping cream. It will ruin the texture of the cheesecake.
- Use room temperature ingredients: Ensure your ingredients are at room temperature before mixing them. This helps them come together easier for a smoother texture and finished product.
- Reduce the egg taste: You can reduce the taste of the eggs by removing the chalaza. Chalaza is the white part that is attached to the egg yolk.
- Creamier texture: For a creamier custard texture in the middle of the cheesecake, bake the batter for 25 minutes.
- Firm texture: If you like a creamy yet slightly firm texture, bake the cheesecake for 30 to 40 minutes.
- Remember that the cheesecake will keep cooking even after you take it out of the oven. Because of the high temperature, it was exposed to, the baking pan will stay hot for over an hour.
📋 VARIATIONS
You can make this Basque cheesecake even more delicious with a few tweaks and additions! Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Extracts: The easiest way to change up the flavor of this classic cheesecake is to use different extracts and essences. I've used vanilla essence in my recipe, but feel free to use lemon extract or almond extract in yours.
- Zest: To make a zesty burnt cheesecake, add the zest of half a lemon or orange before baking it.
👪 SERVING SIZE
This cheesecake serves 6 to 8 people.
💬 FAQ
This sweet treat was first served in La Via, a cafe in the Spanish tourist town of San Sebastian, in the Basque region of Spain.
There are three main differences, and it all comes down to the crust, appearance, and texture.
Basque cake doesn't have a crust, has a burnt top, is slightly underbaked, and has a creamy texture like custard.
Yes! But from my experience, there are a few things that you must keep in mind. First, if you are baking in a gas oven without a fan, the top of the cheesecake will not burn. The basque cake will rise and bake fine, and you will get the right texture, but it will come out with a firm pale top!
To get the burnt effect in a gas oven, after baking the cheesecake for 25 minutes, turn on the burner on top, and keep an eye on the cheesecake. It will get dark brown quickly.
It is a good sign! If the middle came out firm or sunk while baking, you have overbaked it. The temperature in the oven is very high, and despite taking the cheesecake out of the oven, it will continue to cook from the heat captured inside the batter.
🍽️ HOW TO SERVE IT
After it is chilled, you can serve it with caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, or fruit.
🌡️ STORING
When the burnt cheesecake reaches room temperature, place it in a Ziplock bag and refrigerate it for up to 5 days.
Although I do not recommend freezing this dessert because dairy products do not maintain the same texture after thawing, you can cut the basque cake into slices, wrap each individually with plastic wrap, and then place it in an airtight container. Freeze it for up to 3 months.
📣 MORE DESSERT RECIPES YOU'LL LOVE
🎥 VIDEO
📖 Recipe
Basque Burnt Cheesecake Recipe
Ingredients
- 280 gram cream cheese around 1 ¼ cup
- 90 gram fine sugar ½ cup
- 7 gram all-purpose flour a little less than 2 teaspoons
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 whole large egg
- 170 gram whipping cream ¾ cup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220C/428F. Line a 6-inch-deep pan with parchment paper and keep aside.
- In a bowl, add the cream cheese and mix with a spatula to avoid any lumps.
- Add the sugar to the cream cheese and mix until well combined.
- Sift the flour on the previous mixture and mix for a few seconds.
- In a different bowl, beat the whole egg and the egg yolks with vanilla, then add them to the cream cheese mixture and whisk until combined.
- Add in the whipping cream and mix for a few seconds.
- Pour the mixture into the previously prepared baking pan. Tap the pan twice on the kitchen table to remove the bubbles.
- Bake the cheesecake for 30 minutes until the top looks burnt. Then, remove the cheesecake from the oven and allow it to cool while on a cooling rack.
- When the cheesecake is at room temperature, place it in a Ziploc bag and refrigerate.
- You can serve this dessert after it cools and before refrigerating.
Notes
- If you use a gas oven without a fan, bake the cheesecake for 25 minutes, then turn on the broiler until the top of the cheesecake looks burnt.
- Do not use whipped cream cheese.
- Always preheat the oven or the cheesecake will take a longer time and will not rise.
- To bring the cream cheese to room temperature, you can microwave it for a few seconds.
- Always use two layers of parchment paper.
- Place a baking sheet under the cheesecake pan in case the batter leaked out.
- The cake will sink while cooling, and that is perfectly fine.
- The cheesecake should come out wobbly in the middle when just taken out of the oven. It will continue cooking while it is cooling.
angiesrecipes
It's one of my favourites. Yours came out just right and perfect.
munatycooking
Thank you Angie, it's the best I ever had!