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The Batter Thickens

A food blog balancing sweet treats & healthy eats.

Basque Cheesecake

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I don’t remember when I first started hearing about Basque cheesecake, but it was sometime in the past year. I believe a Basque cheesecake went viral at a bakery in New York City, and then everyone started making it. Including Bon Appetit, which in my mind confirmed it as a trend. And then, a few weeks ago my parents went to a fancy dinner and got Basque cheesecake for dessert, and they both came home raving about it. They said it was one of the best desserts they’d had in a while. So, when my Mom’s birthday rolled around and I suggested Basque cheesecake, it was the obvious choice!

I’ve been wanting to bake one and try it for a while, and it definitely did not disappoint. It’s creamier and more flavorful than normal cheesecake, and somehow doesn’t feel lacking despite not having a crust or any additions. Just the magic of… two pounds of cream cheese and a lot of heavy cream. Who would have thought it would be so good?

Basque cheesecake is in the style of the Basque region, and this recipe describes it as “a cross between an a New York cheesecake and a flan.” A lot of the recipes online specify the Basque Cheesecake as a “Burnt Basque Cheesecake,” which doesn’t sound hugely appealing. But I believe it refers to the fact that the sort of “skin” around the cake gets browned and makes a sort of crust for it, despite the middle remaining very smooth and soft.

 

I ended up using the Bon Appetit recipe, since they seem the place to go for a solid basic recipe. It has a pretty elaborate ingredients list, with a lot of dairy. It’s all simple ingredients, but you probably don’t have two pounds of cream cheese in your fridge. (Or you do.. I won’t judge!) This also bakes for a while, but the actual active time is short, and it all comes together very quickly. I also think this would be best using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, but I was able to do it by hand with just a whisk!

Considering how quick and easy this was to make, and then how delicious it is… this will definitely be getting added to my repertoire for the future!

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Basque Cheesecake

  • Author: Audrey
  • Array: Array
  • Total Time: 0 hours
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Ingredients

Unsalted butter (for pan)
2 lb. cream cheese, room temperature
1½ cups sugar
6 large eggs
2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract or vanilla bean powder
⅓ cup all-purpose flour

Instructions

  1. Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 400°. Line a 10” springform pan with parchment paper, making sure the parchment comes at least 2″ above top of pan on all sides. You may need to use two sheets. Place pan on a rimmed baking sheet.
  2. Beat 2 lb. cream cheese, room temperature, and 1½ cups sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-low speed, scraping down sides of the bowl, until very smooth, no lumps remain, and sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes. (You can also use a large bowl with a hand mixer on medium low-speed, but you may need to continue beating for a few extra minutes to dissolve sugar.)
  3. Increase speed to medium and add 6 large eggs, one egg at a time, beating until each egg is incorporated, about 15 seconds, before adding the next. Scrape down sides of bowl, then reduce mixer speed to medium-low. Add 2 cups heavy cream, 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and 1 tsp. vanilla extract and beat until combined, about 30 seconds.
  4. Turn off mixer and add ⅓ cup all-purpose flour evenly over cream cheese mixture, sifting using a fine-mesh sieve. Beat on low speed until incorporated, about 15 seconds. Scrape down sides of the bowl and continue to beat until batter is very smooth, homogenous, and silky, about 10 seconds.
  5. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake cheesecake until deeply golden brown on top and still very jiggly in the center, 60–65 minutes.
  6. Let cool slightly (the cake will collapse drastically as it cools), then unmold. Let cool completely. Carefully peel away parchment from sides of cheesecake. Slice into wedges and serve at room temperature, preferably with a glass of sherry alongside.
  7. You can also make this cheesecake 1 day ahead. Just cover and chill it, and then let cheesecake sit at room temperature for several hours to remove chill before serving.

Notes

From Bon Appetit

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