Basque Burnt Cheesecake
A crustless cheesecake baked hot until the top scorches dark — the San Sebastian original. Caramelized and almost burnt outside, molten-creamy within, it's the easiest cheesecake there is: blend it in one bowl, pour, and bake.
Ingredients
- Cream cheese · room temperature500 g
- Sugar · about 200g1 cup
- Eggs · room temperature4
- Heavy cream · about 250ml1 cup
- Flour2 tbsp
- Vanilla extract1 tsp
- Salt1 pinch
Steps
- ⏲ 10 min
Heat the oven to 220C. Crumple and dampen parchment, then line a 18-20cm round pan so it rises well above the rim.
- ⏲ 3 min
Beat the room-temperature cream cheese with the sugar until completely smooth.
- ⏲ 3 min
Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the cream, vanilla, and salt.
- ⏲ 1 min
Sift in the flour and mix until lump-free. The batter should be smooth and pourable.
- ⏲ 45 min
Pour into the pan and bake at 220C for 40-45 minutes, until the top is deep burnished brown and the center still wobbles.
- ⏲ 60 min
Cool completely in the pan; chill it if you like. A creamy, soft center is exactly right.
Lift out by the parchment and slice — softer at room temperature, firmer chilled.
Tips & Variations
Variations
- Chocolate basque: Melt in dark chocolate.
- Matcha or hojicha: Add the powder for color and flavor.
- Mini basque: Bake in a muffin tin for 20-25 minutes.
- Extra creamy: Shorten the bake for a runnier center.
Tips
- Use room-temperature cream cheese and eggs so it blends smooth, not lumpy.
- Crumpled parchment gives the signature rustic folds and high walls.
- Bake hot (220C) so the top scorches dark while the inside stays creamy.
- Pull it while the center still wobbles — it sets to a perfect custard as it cools.
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