I’ve perfected a foolproof Basque burnt cheesecake with a super creamy center, an intensely caramelized top and beautiful crackled sides that I call my Spanish Cheesecake, and I’m sharing easy tips to guarantee 100% success.
I confess I get obsessive over this Basque burnt cheesecake, because the top goes so dark and caramelized it fools everyone into thinking it’s complicated. I use full fat cream cheese and eggs and the result is a creamy, almost custardy center with intense brown crust and those beautiful cracklings at the side.
It’s equal parts drama and comfort but not the saccharine type, more like a bold Blackened Cheesecake that still eats like a Thick Cheesecake. I promise the method is way less fussy than it looks, and once you taste it you’ll want to make it again tomorrow.
Ingredients
- Cream cheese gives it’s rich, tangy body, high in fat and protein, low carbs.
- Sugar sweetens and browns the top, it’s mostly carbs, adds no protein or fiber.
- Eggs bind the batter they supply protein and fat, help texture and rise.
- Heavy cream makes it’s silky and creamy, lots of fat, few carbs.
- A little flour stabilizes adds a tiny bit of carbs and structure.
- Salt boosts flavor balances sweetness, negligible nutrients but essential.
- Vanilla rounds flavor no nutrition worth noting, makes it taste homey.
Ingredient Quantities
- 900 g full fat cream cheese, room temp (about 2 lb)
- 300 g granulated sugar (1 1/2 cups)
- 6 large eggs, room temp
- 480 ml heavy cream (2 cups)
- 15 g all purpose flour (about 2 tbsp)
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter for greasing the pan
How to Make this
1. Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F). Butter a 9 inch / 23 cm springform or round cake pan, then line it with a tall piece of parchment paper letting it come well above the rim so the cheesecake can climb the sides and crack prettily. Don’t trim the paper yet.
2. Make sure everything is room temperature: cream cheese, eggs and cream. If your cream cheese is still cold, cut into cubes and let sit 30-60 minutes. Cold blocks = lumpy batter, and nobody wants that.
3. In a large bowl, beat 900 g full fat cream cheese with 300 g granulated sugar until perfectly smooth and no lumps remain. Use a stand mixer or hand mixer on medium-low, scraping the sides. Go slow, you dont want a super aerated mixture.
4. Add the 6 large eggs one at a time, beating briefly after each addition so they just disappear into the batter. Mix in 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1 tsp fine sea salt.
5. Sprinkle 15 g all purpose flour over the batter and fold or mix at low speed until incorporated. The flour helps stabilize the custard so it wont totally collapse.
6. Slowly pour in 480 ml heavy cream while mixing on low, scrape the bowl and mix once more until silky and smooth. Tap the bowl a few times on the counter to release big air bubbles.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top if you want but dont overwork it. Set the pan on a baking sheet (to catch any drips) and place in the center of the preheated oven.
8. Bake 50 to 60 minutes, until the top is deeply caramelized and dark brown and the center still jiggles a little when you gently shake the pan. The edges will be puffed and cracked and maybe a little burnt looking, that’s exactly right.
9. Cool the cheesecake in the pan on a wire rack to room temperature (about 2 hours), then refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight for cleaner slices. If you want the creamiest texture, serve slightly chilled or at room temp after taking it out 20-30 minutes before serving. Remove parchment and slice with a hot knife for neater pieces.
Equipment Needed
1. 9-inch (23 cm) springform or round cake pan, plus a tall strip of parchment paper to line it so it comes above the rim
2. Stand mixer or hand mixer with beaters (you can do it by hand but its harder)
3. Large mixing bowl
4. Rubber spatula for scraping and a whisk for quick mixing
5. Digital kitchen scale (best) or measuring cups and spoons
6. Liquid measuring jug or measuring cup for the cream
7. Baking sheet to catch any drips in the oven
8. Wire cooling rack and a sharp knife (warm the knife in hot water for neater slices)
FAQ
The BEST Basque Burnt Cheesecake Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Cream cheese 900 g: mascarpone, use equal weight for a richer creamier, softer set; Neufchatel, equal weight for lower fat but expect a slightly looser set; or mix half cream cheese and half well drained ricotta, blend until totally smooth to lighten the texture.
- Heavy cream 480 ml: double cream or whipping cream, use equal volume and you are fine; full fat canned coconut milk, equal volume for dairy free but it will taste coconutty; or thick Greek yogurt plus a bit of milk to thin, about 400 g yogurt plus 80 ml milk, whisk smooth then use.
- Granulated sugar 300 g: caster or superfine sugar, equal weight and it dissolves faster; light brown sugar, equal weight for more caramel note and darker crust but a tad more moisture; coconut sugar, equal weight for a nuttier flavor and darker color.
- All purpose flour 15 g: cornstarch about 10 g for a silkier set and less flour taste; or a 1 to 1 gluten free all purpose flour blend, same weight if you need gluten free baking.
Pro Tips
1. Use an instant read thermometer to check doneness — aim for the center to hit about 72°C, then stop baking. It will still jiggle when you take it out but that temp means it will set nicely as it cools, so dont overbake trying to eliminate every wobble.
2. If you want extra dark, blistered top, move the rack up one slot near the end or pop it under the broiler for a very short burst, watching like a hawk. A few seconds too long and you burn it, so stay by the oven.
3. For the silkiest batter press your softened cream cheese through a fine mesh sieve or mash it really well with a spatula after the mixer, that gets rid of tiny lumps. If you are in a rush you can soften blocks in very short microwave bursts, like 5 to 10 seconds at a time, dont melt them.
4. Make it a day ahead when you can, flavors improve overnight and slicing is way cleaner. Keep it airtight in the fridge, and if you want the creamiest mouthfeel, let slices sit out for about 20 to 30 minutes before serving.
The BEST Basque Burnt Cheesecake Recipe
I’ve perfected a foolproof Basque burnt cheesecake with a super creamy center, an intensely caramelized top and beautiful crackled sides that I call my Spanish Cheesecake, and I’m sharing easy tips to guarantee 100% success.
12
servings
542
kcal
Equipment: 1. 9-inch (23 cm) springform or round cake pan, plus a tall strip of parchment paper to line it so it comes above the rim
2. Stand mixer or hand mixer with beaters (you can do it by hand but its harder)
3. Large mixing bowl
4. Rubber spatula for scraping and a whisk for quick mixing
5. Digital kitchen scale (best) or measuring cups and spoons
6. Liquid measuring jug or measuring cup for the cream
7. Baking sheet to catch any drips in the oven
8. Wire cooling rack and a sharp knife (warm the knife in hot water for neater slices)
Ingredients
900 g full fat cream cheese, room temp (about 2 lb)
300 g granulated sugar (1 1/2 cups)
6 large eggs, room temp
480 ml heavy cream (2 cups)
15 g all purpose flour (about 2 tbsp)
1 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp unsalted butter for greasing the pan
Directions
- Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F). Butter a 9 inch / 23 cm springform or round cake pan, then line it with a tall piece of parchment paper letting it come well above the rim so the cheesecake can climb the sides and crack prettily. Don’t trim the paper yet.
- Make sure everything is room temperature: cream cheese, eggs and cream. If your cream cheese is still cold, cut into cubes and let sit 30-60 minutes. Cold blocks = lumpy batter, and nobody wants that.
- In a large bowl, beat 900 g full fat cream cheese with 300 g granulated sugar until perfectly smooth and no lumps remain. Use a stand mixer or hand mixer on medium-low, scraping the sides. Go slow, you dont want a super aerated mixture.
- Add the 6 large eggs one at a time, beating briefly after each addition so they just disappear into the batter. Mix in 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1 tsp fine sea salt.
- Sprinkle 15 g all purpose flour over the batter and fold or mix at low speed until incorporated. The flour helps stabilize the custard so it wont totally collapse.
- Slowly pour in 480 ml heavy cream while mixing on low, scrape the bowl and mix once more until silky and smooth. Tap the bowl a few times on the counter to release big air bubbles.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top if you want but dont overwork it. Set the pan on a baking sheet (to catch any drips) and place in the center of the preheated oven.
- Bake 50 to 60 minutes, until the top is deeply caramelized and dark brown and the center still jiggles a little when you gently shake the pan. The edges will be puffed and cracked and maybe a little burnt looking, that’s exactly right.
- Cool the cheesecake in the pan on a wire rack to room temperature (about 2 hours), then refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight for cleaner slices. If you want the creamiest texture, serve slightly chilled or at room temp after taking it out 20-30 minutes before serving. Remove parchment and slice with a hot knife for neater pieces.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 167.9g
- Total number of serves: 12
- Calories: 542kcal
- Fat: 43.36g
- Saturated Fat: 25.96g
- Trans Fat: 0.63g
- Polyunsaturated: 0.83g
- Monounsaturated: 7.25g
- Cholesterol: 214.6mg
- Sodium: 486mg
- Potassium: 145.7mg
- Carbohydrates: 30.38g
- Fiber: 0.04g
- Sugar: 28.98g
- Protein: 8.78g
- Vitamin A: 991.7IU
- Vitamin C: 0mg
- Calcium: 113.6mg
- Iron: 0.67mg
