Basque burnt cheesecake

Five ingredients, caramelized on top and wobbly inside. The one that works every time.

6 h
Total time: 1 h
Hands-on: 10 slices
Servings: 345 cal
Per serving: Easy
Difficulty: Oven
Method

Photo: Ocdp · CC0

Ingredients

10 slices

Nutrition facts

per slice

345cal

Protein: 8 g9 %
Carbs: 20 g23 %
Fat: 26 g68 %
Fiber: 0 g
Sugarstotal, including the natural sugars in fruit and dairy: 18 g

Approximate values, calculated from food composition tables. They vary with the brands and cuts you use.

Step by step

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Basque burnt cheesecake

Five ingredients, caramelized on top and wobbly inside. The one that works every time.

1Step 1 of 8

Take the ingredients out early

The cheese and eggs need to be at room temperature, an hour out of the fridge. Cold cheese makes lumps that won't go away however much you whisk.

Tip: Forgot? Microwave the cheese for 20 seconds on low power and stir.

2Step 2 of 8

Preheat to 400 °F (200 °C)

Heat the oven to 400 °F (200 °C), conventional setting, no fan. Line an 8-inch (20 cm) springform pan with two sheets of wet, wrung-out parchment paper, letting them stick out over the edges.

Tip: Wetting and crumpling the paper makes it pliable so it fits the pan without tearing.

3Step 3 of 8

Cheese and sugar

Beat the cheese with the sugar using a whisk (by hand is fine) until you have a smooth, lump-free cream. No need to whip anything: just combine.

4Step 4 of 8

Eggs one at a time

Add the eggs one by one, mixing each in well before adding the next. Mix just enough: beating in lots of air makes the cake rise and then sink with cracks.

5Step 5 of 8

Cream and cornstarch

Add the cream and the sifted cornstarch and fold gently until smooth. Pour into the pan.

6Step 6 of 8

45 minutes at 400 °F

Bake for 45 minutes on the middle rack. It will be very dark on top, almost burnt: that's exactly what we want, and that contrast is the whole point of this cake.

Tip: If it's very dark at 35 minutes, tent it with foil and finish baking.

45:0045 min · 45 minutes at 400 °F

7Step 7 of 8

The test: it should wobble

Gently shake the pan: the edges should be set and the center, about the size of your palm, should jiggle like custard. If it's firm all over, it's overbaked and will be dry.

8Step 8 of 8

Cool, then chill

Let it cool completely in the pan (about 2 hours) and then refrigerate for at least 4 hours. That's where it finishes setting and turns creamy.

About this recipe

It's the most requested cake in Spain and the one most people get wrong for the same reason: they take it out of the oven once it's set. A creamy cheesecake has to leave the oven wobbling in the middle, like an underset custard. It finishes setting in the fridge.

Five ingredients and nothing fussy. No crust, no water bath and no flour: the creaminess comes from the cheese and eggs, not from thickeners.

Below you'll also find the no-added-sugar version, which works surprisingly well because in this cake sugar is flavor, not structure.

Tips for getting it right

Use an 8-inch pan so it's tall. In a 9½-inch pan it's shallow and sets too much.
It sinks a little and cracks as it cools. That's normal and part of its charm: it's not a mistake.
It's even better the next day. If you can, make it the day before.

Variations

No added sugar

Replace the 150 g of sugar with 120 g of erythritol. It browns a little less on top (erythritol doesn't caramelize the same way), so give it 5 more minutes. It drops to 21 g of sugar per slice, all naturally from the dairy.

With blue cheese

Swap 3½ oz (100 g) of the cream cheese for blue cheese. It sounds odd and it's one of the best versions there is.

Storage

4 days in the fridge, covered. It doesn't freeze well: it loses its creaminess when thawed.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

How do I know when to take the cheesecake out of the oven?

When the edges are set and the center clearly wobbles when you move the pan, like a half-set custard. That wobble is what turns into creaminess in the fridge. If you take it out fully set, it will be dry.

Why does my cheesecake crack?

Because too much air got in while mixing or because it was in the oven too long. That said, cracks are part of this cheesecake's classic look: don't worry about them.

Can I make it without heavy cream?

You can use evaporated milk, but it's noticeably less rich. The fat in the cream is what gives it that signature silky texture.

How long does it need in the fridge?

At least 4 hours, ideally overnight. Cutting it before it's properly cold is the fastest way to ruin a perfect cheesecake.

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