Creamy on the inside and caramelized on the outside, this Basque Burnt Cheesecake of Spanish origin is remarkably easy and quick to make. Baked at a high temperature, the cheesecake’s iconic rich dark top is a show-stopper! Follow my tips and tricks for a foolproof recipe.

Basque Burnt Cheesecake 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb cream cheese (226 g x 2 blocks; I used Philadelphia; at room temperature)
• ½ cup sugar (100 g)
• 3 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell) (150 g; at room temperature)
• 2 Tbsp cake flour (15 g; you can use all-purpose flour; use rice flour for gluten-free)
• 2 tsp cornstarch (6 g; or you can substitute with flour)
• 1 cup heavy (whipping) cream (240 ml; 36-38% fat; at room temperature)
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice (15 ml)
• ⅛ tsp kosher/sea salt (I use Diamond Crystal; Use half for table salt)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Gather all the ingredients.
   

To Preheat the Oven

1. Preheat the convection oven (with fan) to 450ºF (230ºC). If you don’t have an oven with fan, preheat the conventional oven to 475ºF (245ºC). If your oven doesn’t get hot very well, you can preheat to the hottest oven temperature (mine is 550ºF (290ºC)) for 30-60 minutes. As for the oven rack, I used the middle rack for the convection oven (the fan circulates the air, so the middle rack is ideal). If you use the conventional oven, move the rack slightly higher as heat rises and the top of the oven is higher temperature. However, keep in mind that a 3-inch deep cake pan needs extra space for rising.

To Prepare the Cake Pan

1. Line a 6-inch (15-cm) round cake pan with 2 large sheets of parchment paper. When you cut 2 sheets of parchment papers, leave at least 2 inches (5 cm) of overhang around all edges. Fold the parchment paper twice to find the center of the paper.

2. Overlap 2 sheets of parchment paper so the cross/center matches and place them over in the middle of the pan. Make sure the longer side is against each other. Place the removable bottom on top.

3. Press down the removable bottom and the parchment paper, creasing against the bottom of the cake pan to fit snugly in the pan. Press the paper around the cake pan too.

4. Gently take out the removable bottom and the parchment-paper “mold”. Place the removable bottom back into the cake pan (as it should be). Then place the parchment-paper “mold” into the cake pan. Press the paper down to fit perfectly.

To Make the Batter

1. Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature. If not, microwave the cold cream cheese at half power (50%) for 45 seconds, or microwave at 15 seconds incremental.

2. Press down the cream cheese and make it soft. Then add sugar.

3. Combine cream cheese with sugar by rubbing the mixture with the spatula against the bowl. The cream cheese will become fluffy and smooth as the sugar granules disappear.

4. Scrape both bowl and spatula often to ensure that nothing sticks to them and that there are no lumps.

5. Crack eggs in another bowl and whisk well.

6. Slowly and gradually add the beaten egg 3 separate times. Don’t add the egg until the batter is smooth and with no lumps.

7. In each addition, blend it with cream cheese COMPLETELY and THOROUGHLY.

8. Add the rest of the egg and blend well.

9. Scrap off the batter from the bowl and spatula and make sure there are no lumps in the batter. Then add lemon juice.

10. Sift the cake flour and cornstarch a little bit as you stir and blend together. Then sift more and continue as you finish sifting and blending in all the flour. Take your time to do this. You don’t want any lumps.

11. Add salt and blend together. Make sure at this stage (before adding heavy cream – more liquid) that there are no lumps.

12. Gradually add heavy cream while you stir. Mix until it’s all combined.

13. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan in one go (avoid stop-and-go) so the air pockets don’t go in. Tap the cake pan on the countertop a few times.

14. With a bamboo skewer or toothpick, pop the air bubbles if there are any, and then run the batter with it to remove any bubbles. If you’re not sure if the cheesecake may overflow, bake the cheesecake on a baking sheet, just in case. Mine never did, but I use it as it’s easier to transfer the cake pan from and to the oven.

To Bake

1. Transfer the cake pan to the oven and bake at 450ºF (230ºC) (or 475ºF (245ºC) if conventional oven) until the top is dark amber/brown and the center is still very jiggly, about 30-35 minutes (please keep an eye on your cheesecake because every oven is different). My top doesn’t start becoming dark until a 30-minute mark, then within 5 minutes, it starts to get dark brown. If you love the “gooey/ oozy” texture and bake for a less amount of time than I provided, then you must chill before serving. NEVER overcook the cake by extending the bake time, even though the top doesn't turn dark. The texture of the filling will become curdled and you can't fix it. You probably need to adjust the oven temperature (or oven rack or preheating time) next time you make it.

To Cool

1. Take out the cake when the surface is dark, burnt color. The cake should wobble when you gently shake the pan. Let the cheesecake cool in the pan on a wire rack until it reaches room temperature, about 2-3 hours. Don’t put it on the countertop directly and make sure the air can go through under the cake pan. You can place it on top of the stovetop, if it's is not in use.

To Chill

1. You can skip chilling and serve at room temperature (which we like, too). If you prefer to serve chilled cheesecake or a firmer cheesecake, place the cheesecake, covered in cloth (don’t use plastic, as condensation may drop onto the cake), in the refrigerator for 4 hours.

To Serve

1. Remove the cheesecake from the cake pan and carefully peel back the parchment paper. If you have chilled the cake, let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours before serving.

To Store

1. You can store the cheesecake in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

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