Burnt Basque Cheesecake
A rich, creamy and ultra-smooth cheesecake with a beautifully caramelized top and soft custard-like center. This classic Basque-style cheesecake is crustless, easy to prepare, and perfect for cheesecake lovers.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 50 minutes
Cooling Time: 5–8 hours
Total Time: About 6 hours
Pan Size: 20 cm (8-inch) round pan
Servings: 10–12 slices
Ingredients
• Cream cheese (room temperature) – 700 g
• Caster sugar – 280 g (1¼ cups)
• Eggs (room temperature) – 5
• All-purpose flour – 18 g (2 tbsp)
• Whipping cream or heavy cream (35% fat, room temperature) – 350 ml (1½ cups)
Step by Step Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Use a top and bottom heat oven (no fan).
- In a large bowl, add cream cheese and caster sugar. Whisk by hand until smooth and creamy. No electric mixer needed.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition until fully combined. Do not overmix.
- Sift in the flour and mix until smooth.
- Add whipping cream and mix just until combined and lump-free.
- Wet two sheets of parchment paper, squeeze out excess water, and line a 20 cm (8-inch) springform pan. The paper can be wrinkled and uneven.
- Pour the cheesecake batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake at 200°C for about 50 minutes. The top should become deeply golden to dark brown. If it browns too fast, loosely cover with aluminium foil.
- Remove from oven and allow the cheesecake to cool completely at room temperature (minimum 5 hours, ideally 8–10 hours).
- Once cooled, remove from pan and serve at room temperature.
Tips
The cheesecake tastes even better the next day after resting overnight.
Do not refrigerate immediately after baking. Allow to cool fully first.
Center will be soft and creamy, this is normal for Basque cheesecake.
Storage
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 5–6 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
