Basque Cheesecake Recipe on Food52 (2024)

5 Ingredients or Fewer

by: Cristina Sciarra

March16,2015

4.5

2 Ratings

  • Prep time 20 minutes
  • Cook time 1 hour 20 minutes
  • Serves 10-12

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Author Notes

I came across this cheesecake in San Sebastián, the most glorious food destination in all the land. I was offered the recipe, but when I returned home and tried to make it, it was clear that something had been lost in translation. I tested and tested until I landed on this version.

The ingredients are dead simple, but the cake turns out quite dramatically. I think it’s sort of a show stopper to serve to guests, especially because the cake needs a few hours out of the oven to cool down. It’s wonderful on it’s own, but I’m sure a drizzle of chocolate, coulis, or citrus slices would make a nice accompaniment. Make sure to grease the parchment paper before pouring in the batter. —Cristina Sciarra

What You'll Need

Ingredients
  • 5 large eggs
  • 3 packages (24-ounces or 678 grams) cream cheese
  • 1 cup + 5 tablespoons (300 grams) sugar
  • 1.5 heaping cups (375 grams) cream
  • 1 tablespoon flour
Directions
  1. Heat the oven to 425F (220C). Meanwhile, break the eggs into a bowl and beat until frothy. (I used an electric mixer for 2 minutes.) Pour the eggs into a large mixing bowl along with the cream cheese. Mix on low speed until the eggs and cream cheese blend together. Now add the sugar, cream, and flour, one at a time, blending each individually before adding the next. Blend the batter with an emersion blender, to ensure a super smooth consistency.
  2. Lower 2 sheets of parchment paper into a 9-inch springform pan; make sure the paper rises about 3-inches above the rim of the pan in all directions since the cake will rise while cooking. Grease the parchment paper well. Pour the batter into the pan, place the pan on a baking sheet, and move it into the oven. Leave the heat at 425F (220C) for 20 minutes, and then lower the oven temperature to 375F (190C). Cook the cake another 60 minutes, or until the top is dark brown. The cake is done when the center is mostly set to the touch. (Keep in mind that the cake will sink out of the oven. Wait 3-4 minutes, and then touch the center with a finger.) Allow the cake to cool for at least one hour before turning it out onto a plate.

Tags:

  • Cheesecake
  • Cake
  • Spanish
  • Cream Cheese
  • Cheese
  • 5 Ingredients or Fewer
  • Make Ahead
  • Serves a Crowd
  • Fourth of July
  • Memorial Day
  • Father's Day
  • Easter
Contest Entries
  • Your Best Recipes with 5 Ingredients or Fewer

Recipe by: Cristina Sciarra

Cristina is a writer, cook, and day job real estate developer. She studied literature, holds an MFA in Fiction Writing, and completed the Basic Cuisine course at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. She lives in Jersey City with her husband--a Frenchman she met in Spain--and their sweet black cat, Minou. Follow her writings, recipes, publications and photography at theroamingkitchen.com.

Popular on Food52

15 Reviews

mamaHA November 7, 2022

i have used this recipe so many times and my kids loves it so much.

Elizabeth W. March 30, 2019

I am confused re ....the author does not seem to answer anyones questions ...???

Striga April 29, 2018

Hello Cristina, what is the recommended size of the pan?

Elizabeth W. March 28, 2019

Yes....I like the sound of the ingredients...but would like to know what size pan Cristina uses...as this is a very important part of Any recipe !!

Cristina S. March 30, 2019

I use a 9-inch springform pan.

lara C. December 24, 2017

can i make this a day ahead and store in fride overnight?

Cristina S. March 30, 2019

Sure!

nextdoor February 13, 2017

How do I make a "heaping cup" of cream?

Cristina S. February 13, 2017

I'd pour the cream into the cups over the bowl; fill the cups so high that a little spills over into the bowl.

Mithu L. January 27, 2020

If you have a food scale, just weigh 375ml of cream; I think the author meant ml instead of grams...?

Cathi November 28, 2016

Any chance you had this cheesecake at La Viña in San Sebastián???

Cristina S. November 30, 2016

Yes! My version is slightly denser though.

Sorrel March 17, 2015

What kind of cream do you use?

Mithu L. January 27, 2020

Yes, this is my question too. Also, 375g or 375ml...? I think ml...

Cristina S. January 29, 2020

Grams. Maybe it's not orthodox, but I used grams as my measurement barometer for everything in this recipe. I used heavy cream.

Basque Cheesecake Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between basque cheesecake and regular cheesecake? ›

Whats the difference between Basque cheesecake and regular cheesecake. Firstly, there is zero crust, zero water bath. And it has its notably burnt exterior that is 100% planned and intentional. I like to think that its interior is more custard-like versus a fluffy cream cream cheese-type texture.

Where is the best cheesecake in the Basque country? ›

Where is the best cheesecake prepared? One of the most known gastronomy streets in the Old Town of San Sebastian "31 de Agosto" hosts a family bar&restaurant La Viña with the traditional Basque cuisine. It was opened in 1959, and in 1960 the current owner and chef of the restaurant Santiago Ribera was born.

Is basque cheesecake same as Japanese cheesecake? ›

Basque cheesecake: This is a crustless cheesecake, just like a Japanese one, but it has a burnt top layer that adds a distinctive caramel note. The cheesecake, which has the usual suspects like eggs, cream cheese, sugar, vanilla essence, is intentionally left in the oven for the top layer to scorch.

Why is my basque cheesecake not smooth? ›

One of the key factors is the perfect baking temperature and time, or rather, insufficient baking. The Basque Cheesecake should be taken out of the oven when it is not yet it is not completely set inside to ensure a smooth texture that can even be almost liquid.

What is special about basque cheesecake? ›

It's main difference from a New York Style Cheesecake is that it is crustless, and has a golden, beautiful caramelized exterior. It also has a much lighter texture and flavor. The cheesecake is baked at a high temperature in order to get that burnt exterior and super creamy interior.

Which baking method is best for cheesecake? ›

Classic Cheesecake Recipe. Look no further for a creamy and ultra smooth classic cheesecake recipe! Paired with a buttery graham cracker crust, no one can deny its simple decadence. For the best results, bake in a water bath.

Why does my basque cheesecake taste eggy? ›

Classic New York cheesecake is smooth and dense, whereas Burnt Basque Cheesecake is baked at a very high temperature resulting in a caramelized top with a rich and custardy interior. Why does my Basque Cheesecake taste eggy? The cheesecake will become eggy and dense if baked too long or too many eggs are used.

Why did my Basque cheesecake crack? ›

If your batter has too many air bubbles this will cause your cake to crack. You can eliminate the number of air bubbles in your batter by: Using room temperature ingredients: The colder your ingredients are the more lumps will form in your batter as you will need to mix more to get that smooth consistency.

Why does my Japanese cheesecake taste like egg? ›

Why does my Japanese cheesecake taste eggy? Because Japanese cheesecakes are made with so many eggs, it naturally will taste a bit eggier than a classic cheesecake. However, if you let the cheesecake cool completely or even after a couple hours of chilling, you will barely taste any egginess.

Why is it called San Sebastian cheesecake? ›

The famous Basque cheesecake was born.

Santiago Rivera, the chef who invented the famous burnt basque cheesecake at his bar La Viña in San Sebastian. By that time, La Viña was already a favorite amongst San Sebastian locals, and the cheesecake also had won the hearts of donostiarras (people from the area).

What temperature do you bake burnt basque cheesecake? ›

To achieve the perfect balance between the deeply browned top and creamy center, we chill the batter after mixing, and sprinkle the top with sugar right before the cake goes into a 400-degree oven.

How do you know when a Basque cheesecake is cooked? ›

Know when it's done.

Bake until the cheesecake is deeply golden brown on top and still very jiggly in the center, about 60 to 65 minutes. Once cooled, the center will solidify well enough to slice, and the top will deflate and turn darker and more shiny.

Why is my Basque cheesecake sweating? ›

Liquid can also come out of a cheesecake if it is overbaked as the proteins in the cream cheese mixture start to tighten too much and squeeze out the water. The cheesecake should still be quite jiggly when it comes out of the oven, even though it will have risen and formed a crust on the surface.

What are the two main types of cheesecake? ›

Cheesecake is a classic dessert that can be served for any occasion. There is even a Greek cheesecake recipe that dates all the way back to 5th Century BCE! While there are an endless amount of cheesecake recipes available today, they can be sorted into two easy categories - baked and unbaked cheesecakes.

What's the difference between New York style cheesecake and just regular cheesecake? ›

Regular cheesecake relies on heavy cream and sour cream to thin the batter and create a silkier, creamier texture. New York cheesecake is heavy on the cream cheese which is why it's so dense and rich. Extra cream cheese isn't the only thing that makes New York cheesecake so special.

What is the difference between Italian cheesecake and regular cheesecake? ›

The main difference between what we would consider typical New York American cheesecake and Italian cheesecake is that in Italy, cheesecake is made with ricotta rather than cream cheese. It is also a bit lighter and dryer, more cakelike and less cloying.

What does Basque mean in baking? ›

Gâteau Basque (Basque: Etxeko bixkotxa; "cake of the house") is a traditional dessert from the Northern Basque region of France, typically filled with black cherry jam or pastry cream. Gâteau Basque with cream is more typical in the Southern Basque region of Spain. Gâteau Basque. Type. Pastry.

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