Basque Burnt Cheesecake

What is a Basque Burnt Cheesecake?

San Sebastian is known as the best place to eat in Europe. After a family trip to that lovely city on the Bay of Biscay, I wouldn’t argue with that statement. San Sebastian is famous for Pinxtos (Basque for tapas) and this unique cheesecake.

I visited La Viña before this cheesecake became a worldwide phenomenon, and I’ve been making it ever since.

To start, forget every “rule” you know for making a great cheesecake.

This cheesecake is different from American cheesecake in pretty much every way. The recipe starts with 2 pounds of cream cheese, as many cheesecakes do, but from there it gets really weird.

• There are no flavorings like vanilla or lemon and there’s a little more salt than usual.
• The batter is not made with a mixer (it can be though), but is made in a food processor. You simply chuck in all the ingredients into the processor and give it a whirl.
• There is no crust on the cheesecake.
• The batter is baked in a parchment lined spring form pan.
• The cake is not baked in a water bath.
• The weirdest part of this recipe, the cake is put into a screaming-hot oven and bakes in just 25 minutes.

What’s the result? Well, instead of a cheesecake that is pale yellow and creamy from the edges to the center, the cake is dark brown on top, set around the edges, and super-custardy in the middle.

The taste is eggy and creamy and the browned top adds a slight bitter edge.

The Origins of this Recipe

I’ve seen a bunch of recipes on the interwebs that call themselves San Sebastian Cheesecake or Basque Cheesecake but most of them didn’t look quite right to me.

Some of the recipes added flour and buttered the pan instead of lining it with parchment. Those cakes were pretty and sliced into a perfect standing wedge. But that’s not what we ate in San Sebastian.

The original cake we enjoyed at the famous La Vina Pinxo Bar was oozy, custardy and tasted like eggs. It’s nothing like an American cheesecake, which is why it was so fun to taste.

This recipe is adapted from the original La Viña recipe, which the chef generously shares publicly. I’ve adjusted it slightly based on my own testing, but the spirit of the original is intact.

Ingredients

Ingredient Notes

• Cream Cheese – Use only full fat cream cheese for this recipe. The cream cheese should be room temperature.
• Heavy Cream – Heavy cream adds additional fat for an ultra creamy texture.
• Eggs – There are a lot of eggs in this recipe. The egg flavor is prominent in this custardy cheesecake.
• Salt – There’s slightly more salt than you’d find in an American cheesecake. The salt balances the custardy flavor.

Process Photos

Here’s what the recipe process looks like at each stage. Refer to the recipe card below for measurements and exact instructions.

• Line a springform pan with parchment paper. Leave at least a 2″ overhang. It’s ok that the paper doesn’t lie flat.

• After mixing the batter in a food processor or with a mixer, pour the batter into the parchment lined pan.
• As you add the batter to the pan the parchment lining will settle.

• Tap the pan to release any bubbles.
• Unlike American cheesecake, Basque cheesecake is not baked in a water bath.

• Chill completely before serving. Do not remove the pan until serving.
• To serve the cake, remove the springform pan then peel back the parchment.
• Serve slices right from the parchment paper.

Recipe Tips for Basque Burnt Cheesecake

• If you have a large food processor use it to make the batter. If you don’t have a food processor you can make the batter using a mixer. Add the ingredients in the same order and mix until the batter is glossy and smooth.
• You can’t make this recipe without a spring form pan. Regular cheesecake gets firm enough when chilled to flip out of a regular cake pan. But this cake is so soft, even when chilled, the spring form is required.
• Chill the cake before serving so the edges and bottom are firm enough to form slices.
• Don’t try to remove the parchment and pan bottom before serving. The browned parchment looks dramatic so leave it in place until cutting the cake. Just peel back the sides, cut and lift the slice off the paper underneath.
• Serve Basque Cheesecake with good sherry for a real treat!