"Burnt" Basque Cheesecake

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(46)

"Burnt" Basque cheesecake is made by baking the cheesecake in a very hot oven to deliver a beautiful, dark exterior full of bittersweet notes that complements the creamy light interior. The original recipe was developed in the 1970s, at a cafe in San Sebastian called La Vina. I adapted it to fit a standard cake pan rather than the large springform pan used in the original. I rarely post a trendy recipe while it's still trendy. But this "burnt" cheesecake method deserves the hype and is just plain easier — just remember the parchment paper.

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High angle, looking at a burnt basque cheesecake, with a few slices pulled away from the cheesecake.
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Prep Time:
15 mins
Cook Time:
50 mins
Additional Time:
4 hrs 25 mins
Total Time:
5 hrs 30 mins
Servings:
10
Yield:
1 9-inch cheesecake
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Ingredients

Original recipe (1X) yields 10 servings

  • 1 tablespoon soft unsalted butter, or as needed

  • parchment paper

  • 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

  • 1 cup white sugar

  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • ½ teaspoon fine salt

  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 4 jumbo eggs, at room temperature

  • 1 ¼ cups heavy cream

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

  2. Butter a 9-inch cake pan. Cut a sheet of parchment paper large enough to line the inside of the pan by a few extra inches. Butter the paper and press it into the pan, flattening any major creases. Trim away any excess paper from the sides until you have an inch or two of overhang.

    Pan buttered, with a parchment paper also buttered inside the pan, and excess paper trimmed from the sides.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  3. Combine cream cheese, sugar, flour, and salt in a bowl; stir and smear together with a spatula until very smooth and creamy.

    Cream cheese, sugar, flour and salt combined in a bowl until smooth.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  4. Add vanilla and 1 egg; whisk to combine. Whisk in remaining eggs, one at a time. Pour in heavy cream and mix until smooth.

    Vanilla and egg added to mixture.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  5. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Tap the pan against the counter to burst any excess air bubbles.

    Batter poured into pan, tapping on counter until excess bubbles burst.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  6. Bake in the preheated oven until puffed, very well browned, and nearly burned on the edges, 50 to 55 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for the last 10 minutes.

  7. Let cheesecake cool to room temperature, at least 25 minutes. Lift out onto a plate and peel back parchment paper, using a knife or spatula if needed. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, 4 hours to overnight.

High angle, looking at a burnt basque cheesecake, with a few sliced pulled away from the cheesecake.

Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

Recipe Tips

Depending on the size of the roll or sheet of parchment paper you buy, you may have to overlap it.

You can use 5 large eggs if you don't have jumbo eggs, and 3/4 to 1 teaspoon of kosher salt instead of the 1/2 teaspoon of fine salt.

58 home cooks made it!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

467 Calories
38g Fat
25g Carbs
9g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 10
Calories 467
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 38g 49%
Saturated Fat 23g 116%
Cholesterol 204mg 68%
Sodium 359mg 16%
Total Carbohydrate 25g 9%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 20g
Protein 9g 18%
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 86mg 7%
Iron 1mg 8%
Potassium 137mg 3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.