Making Basque cheesecake
Burnt cheesecake is an invention of bar La Vina in San Sebastian, the Basque Country. Every day hordes of people line up to devour a slice of this authentic cheesecake. And rightfully so! The recipe is simple, loved worldwide and copied endlessly. During our city trip to London, I tasted Brat x Climpson's Arch's version with poached pears. With this simple recipe, make your own burnt cheesecake and transport yourself to the Basque Country!
Cheesecake, incredibly simple but so delicious
You only need 5 ingredients to prepare a Basque cheesecake and you certainly don't need to be a pastry chef. The cheesecake has no bottom crust and it is creamy and soft on the inside. The slightly burnt upper crust gives the pie a slightly nutty touch.
At La Vina, you eat the cheesecake pure. At Brat's, they serve poached pears with it. But you can also add fresh fruit or a fruit coulis.
Shopping list:
- 1 kg Philadelphia cream cheese
- 300 g sugar
- 7 eggs
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 200 ml cream
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Step 1: preparing the pan
Preheat the oven to 200°C. You will need a tall springform pan with a diameter of 25 cm. Rub the inside with butter or oil and line the springform pan with baking paper. The paper should extend a few centimeters above the rim.
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Step 2: making the batter
Using a food processor, mix the cream cheese with the sugar until completely dissolved. Mix on low speed. Don't have a food processor? Then use a whisk.
Next, beat in the eggs one by one. Then mix in the flour and cream, without overworking the dough. Finally, pour the cheesecake batter into the springform pan.
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Step 3: baking cheesecake
The cheesecake should bake about 40 to 50 minutes in the center of the oven. Then remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the springform pan. The cake is still wobbly when it comes out of the oven. Don't worry, when it cools it will stiffen. Finally, put the cake in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Remove the cheesecake from the springform pan just before serving. Enjoy this blissful bit of Basque country!
![SG 40 basqueburnt cheesecake]()
