Just the thought of a cheesecake makes me week at the knees! Whether it’s baked or not, or laced with a medley of other flavors like chocolate, salted caramel or some sort of fruit coulis… I’m game. Period.
So a Basque Cheesecake is a deliciously baked version that’s crust-less and ultra creamy. It’s perfect as is but if you’re in the mood to take up a notch or two then drench it in some, chocolate, nuts, fresh fruit and and and. It’s a dessert that’s easy to make, tasty and quite simple to throw together.
You want the signature browned surface with the creamy interior BUT I have to admit… I’ve mistakenly over baked this bad boy in pursuit of the burnt top before and even then, it still smacks. It won’t be as creamy but my gosh, the flavor and texture is till something to write home about.
The original Basque cheesecake recipe comes from La Viña, a café in San Sebastian located in Spain’s Basque region. What I’ve read says that in 1990, the chef, Santiago Rivera, began baking a new type of cake each day. Eventually, he developed the Basque cheesecake recipe.
If you’d like to make a tasty but smaller version then check out this Mini Basque Cheesecake recipe. It’s equally as delicious and dangerous. You also make a chocolate version (yes, you read that right!) and here it is, Chocolate Basque Cheesecake.
You’ll find the recipe video below the recipe so have a look, and get an idea of what deliciousness you’ll be making.
EASY & deliciously CREAMY Basque Cheesecake
Equipment
- 1 20cm springform pan
Ingredients
Basque Cheesecake
- 500 grams full fat cream cheese
- ⅔ cup caster sugar
- 1 ½ tbsp all-purpose flour or cornstarch
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- ¼ tsp salt
- 350 ml cream
Toppings
- milk chocolate melted
- hazelnuts roasted and chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 230℃ / 450℉. Coat a 20cm springform pan with 2 large square layers of baking paper, rotated slightly so that it forms a star. Ensure the baking papers is about 5cm higher than the rim of the baking pan. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the room temperature cream cheese until smooth. Once smooth, add the sugar and flour and continue whisking until the sugar has mostly dissolved.
- Add in the eggs, one at a time, and whisk thoroughly in between each addition of egg.
- Add lemon juice, vanilla essence, salt and cream, and whisk for a minute, scraping down the sides. Some like pouring the mixture into the prepared springform pan through a strainer to remove any lumps but I don't mind and just skip this step.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes or until the top has nicely browned and the cheesecake is till very jiggly. Some oven act a little differently, so if the cheesecake isn't browned by the 20 minute mark then I like to switch the oven to it's grill function at 250℃ / 480℉ and brown the top for the remaining 2-5 minutes - just don't forget about it.
- Remove from the oven and allow the cheesecake to reach room temperature whilst remaining in the baking pan. Transfer to the fridge and allow to set for a minimum of 4 hours or preferably overnight.
- Allow the cheesecake to reach room temperature before serving with your favourite toppings. I just melted some milk chocolate in a bowl, in the microwave and topped each slice with roasted chopped hazelnuts.
Video
Notes
- Cream Cheese: it's crucial to use room temperature cream cheese because it needs to be VERY smooth before adding in the sugar and flour. Otherwise the cream cheese won't fully breakdown and your cheesecake's end result will resemble that of scrambled eggs. If your cream cheese is till quite hard, then feel free to pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, until soft.
- Storing: store the cheesecake in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to 5-7 days. It also freezes very well for months due to its high fat content, and you can freeze it either whole or in slices depending on your needs.