BASQUE CHEESECAKE

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MY TAKE

Of all the cheesecakes I have made I would certainly recommend this recipe. It is a creamy and crustless variation of the traditional cheesecake. Its simplicity both in looks and preparation are hard to beat! The cheesecake is intentionally baked at a high temperature to achieve a caramelized outer shell. The finished product is a show stopper at the table, looking very professional and yet natural and rustic. The velvety texture and taste, even when using a very basic cream cheese (cheapest at Costco!), are excellent. It does not really need any accompaniments but works well with a serving of berries and, as it is not dry to taste, the addition of poured cream or a fruit coulis are totally optional. It of course can be made completely gluten free.

HISTORY

Basque cheesecake originates from Spain’s Basque Country. Its history is relatively recent, dating back to the early 1990s when it was reportedly invented by Santiago Rivera, the owner of La Viña bar in San Sebastian, Spain. In the last couple of years it has been trending worldwide both at bakery shops and on dessert menus at many high end establishments, as well as on social media!

NOTES

This recipe is very straightforward. I found that I needed to actually be brave in order to allow for the surface of the cheesecake to "burn" and if my cooking time was almost up I turned up the oven for the last few minutes in order to encourage the browning. Like most recipes once the browning begins it does not take too long for it to complete. I have tasted this cheesecake in Barcelona, Spain and that particular one was not very brown on the top. The amount of colour is really a matter of personal taste. I do do however find the darker I allow it to go the subtle flavour of the caramelized surface increases and guests find the appearance of the "burnt" cake in contrast to the creamy interior remarkable!

LET'S TALK

Please let me know how you fare with this recipe and if you have any suggestions to improve it? Send me your photos and your comments. I would love to hear about your favourite cheesecake recipes too!

THE RECIPE

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Servings: 8-10 Prep time: 15 min Cook time: 45 min

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INGREDIENTS

1 kg cream cheese

400 g sugar

7 eggs

200 ml heavy cream

1 tbs plain flour

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 460 degrees F. Line a 9 or 10 inch round baking pan with enough parchment paper that it extends past the edges of the pan. This will help you remove cheese cake from the pan and at the same time create the signature rustic edges.
   

2. Using an electric mixer, whisk or metal spoon, combine all the ingredients except the eggs in a large bowl until smooth and creamy. Add one egg at a time and whisk until combined and smooth with no lumps. Pour into the baking tin and tap the the tin on the counter several times to release any air bubbles.
   

3. Bake on the center rack for 35-50 minutes. The cake will rise but expect it to settle once out of the oven. If you want the cake to darken more you can turn the temperature up for last few minutes.

4. Once the cake is browned and still a little jiggly in the center, remove it from the oven. Allow it too cool gradually on the counter and after an hour transfer to the fridge. Keep parchment on the cake until ready to serve. NOTES: Philadelphia Cheese works well or this can be substituted with Mascarpone or similar. If you need a gluten free version substitute plain flour for potato flour. A spring form pan works well but once lined with parchment any round oven proof pan or dish with sides would work