Basque Burnt Cheesecake

The world famous Burnt Cheesecake of Basque is a cheesecake that breaks all the rules. It has no crust, it’s served at room temperature, it’s baked without a water bath, the surface is supposed to collapse and crack, and most notably, the cheesecake is baked until the exterior forms a dark brown “burnt” crust. The slightly bittersweet burnt crust and contrasting custard-like interior result in a mature, sophisticated flavor profile. Another distinguishing feature, it’s probably the easiest cheesecake you’ll ever make.

The batter is simply mixed together until smooth, either by hand or in a stand mixer, then poured into a parchment-lined 10-inch springform pan. No special technique required.

The cheesecake is baked, without a water bath, until the top puffs up, cracks, and turns a deep brown color.

Here’s a peek of the cracked and “burnt” top after baking.

As the cheesecake cools, it will collapse - this is what it’s supposed to do.

When the cheesecake is completely cool, remove the sides of the springform pan and peel away the parchment paper. It’s now ready to serve.

Use a thin, sharp knife to cut. This cheesecake cuts beautifully and leaves very little residue on the knife blade (unlike traditional cheesecake).

It’s recommended that this cheesecake is best served at room temperature (although we prefer it chilled), and I’ve read it pairs well with sweet sherry. We like to dollop a big spoonful of our favorite cheesecake topping (recipe below). Let me know if you give it a try.

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• 10-inch springform pan https://amzn.to/2OxNmIy

• parchment paper https://amzn.to/3bgTxL5

• heavy duty stand mixer https://amzn.to/2UoLxBE

• beaterblade attachment https://amzn.to/2GWSQZ8

• pure vanilla extract https://amzn.to/3ovS9fE

• vanilla bean paste https://amzn.to/2OCnb3H

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Basque Burnt Cheesecake

makes 16 servings

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Cheesecake Filling:

• 32 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

• 1/3 cup all purpose flour

• 6 large eggs, room temperature

• 2 cups heavy cream

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

Optional Creamy Topping:

• 8 ounces sour cream

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or pure vanilla extract)

Directions

To Make the “Burnt” Cheesecake:

1. Preheat oven to 400F and place rack in center position.

2. Spray a 10-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray; line pan bottom and sides with parchment paper, allowing the paper to extend an inch or two above the top of the pan.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a BeaterBlade or paddle attachment, blend cream cheese to soften, then add the remaining ingredients until combine until the mixture is smooth and creamy, scraping down the bowl as needed. Alternatively, you can do this by hand.

4. Pour batter into springform and bake for 60 minutes; raising the oven temperature to 425F for the last 10 minutes. (if you’re worried about spills in your oven, place the springform on a half sheet pan)

5. Remove cheesecake from pan (it should jiggle like jello) and allow to cool completely before removing pan sides and parchment paper.

6. Serve slices at room temperature (although we prefer it chilled and served with a dollop of creamy topping).

To Make the Creamy Topping:

• In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the sour cream, sugar, and vanilla bean paste until the sugar is completely dissolved.

recipe adapted from Bon Appetit

No-Bake Matcha Cheesecake

College girl spotted a no-bake matcha cheesecake recipe on a Japanese youtube channel and she asked me to make it for her. She absolutely loves matcha so I was more than happy to fulfill her request. The texture of this cheesecake is quite different than American-style cheesecake. One of my tasters commented, “it’s kind of… ‘bouncy’, but I like it!” I attribute that ‘bouncy’ texture to the addition of unflavored gelatin. It’s also not an overly sweet dessert which allows the delicate matcha flavor to shine though.

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• my favorite digital scale https://amzn.to/3EHZkHL

• high quality culinary matcha powder https://amzn.to/2Kzq5oc

• 6-inch springform pan https://amzn.to/2N9tCv1

• parchment paper https://amzn.to/3I1TuTr

• unflavored gelatin https://amzn.to/2Z6O7uw

• hand mixer https://amzn.to/2Tz7Odv

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No-Bake Matcha Cheesecake

makes one 6-inch cheesecake (about 8 servings)

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 400g cream cheese, room temperature

• 80g granulated sugar

• 60g whole milk, room temperature

• 10g unflavored gelatin (powder or granules)

• 100g high quality white chocolate

• 250g heavy whipping cream, room temperature

• 15g high quality matcha powder

• 100g heavy whipping cream, room temperature

• 50/50 mix of confectioners sugar and matcha powder for dusting

Directions

1. Prepare a 6-inch springform pan by lining the bottom with parchment paper, then use your fingers to spread a thin layer of oil (like nonstick cooking spray) on the sides of the pan; set aside.

2. In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin evenly over milk, being sure no dry clumps of gelatin remain (stir to wet all gelatin if necessary); set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to combine room temperature cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy; set aside.

4. In a medium glass or microwave-safe bowl, gently heat white chocolate until melted (10-15 second bursts), then add the reserved milk/gelatin mixture (from step 2) and stir until smooth (if gelatin granules don’t melt fully, gently warm mixture in microwave for 10 second bursts, stirring, and repeating until smooth); slowly stir in 250g heavy cream (start slowly and stir until smooth before adding more - repeat until all cream is added), place bowl in a large bowl that contains ice water and use handheld mixer to whip mixture until thickened.

5. To make the cheesecake base, fold the whipped heavy cream mixture (step 4) into the cream cheese mixture (step 3); reserve 150g of this cheesecake base to use as the top white layer.

6. In a small bowl, use a rubber or silicone spatula to combine 15g matcha with 100g heavy cream (again, start by adding a little cream at a time and stir until smooth before continuing)l stir matcha paste into cheesecake base (step 5) until fully incorporated; pour into prepared springform pan and spread into an even layer.

7. Top with the white top layer (150g reserved in step 5), spread into an even layer.

8. Cover pan with plastic wrap and chill for at least 6 hours or overnight.

9. To serve, wrap sides of pan with warm towel for a few minutes, then release springform (the parchment should peel off easily.

10. Dust top of cheesecake with 50/50 mixture of confectioner’s sugar and matcha powder and place on serving plate.

11. To slice, dip thin, sharp knife in hot water and wipe dry before each cut.

adapted from HidaMari Cooking

Notes

• If separating the layers is too fussy for you, feel free to combine them - we’ve enjoyed this cheesecake that was as well.

• I don’t like to wrap the sides of the springform pan with parchment because it tends to buckle after being exposed to the cheesecake mixture. You’ll get a smoother finished cheesecake if you simply spread a thin layer of oil on the sides of the pan.