Cheese
Basque Cheesecake
- Prep time 30 minutes
- Cook time 1 hour
- Serves 10-12
Author Notes
Basque cheesecake is one of our favorite food trends for a bunch of reasons. It comes to us from Northern Spain, and it’s sometimes called “burnt cheesecake” for its deep red top, which is charred to create a crispy, nutty, caramelized crust. The inside is a delicate, melt-in-your-mouth custard as light and fluffy as soufflé. We love this interplay of opposites: put them together, and you get an elegant bite that's tangy, earthy, bright, and just exactly sweet enough.
Our culinary team developed this version, and they’ve given it both lemon and orange zest, making it the freshest Basque cheesecake we've ever tasted — and the absolutely perfect ending to a big holiday meal. —Ingredient • Food Marketing Agency
What You'll Need
Ingredients
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Unsalted butter, for greasing the pan
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4
8-oz pkgs cream cheese, room temperature
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1 ½ cups
granulated sugar
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5
large eggs, room temperature
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2 cups
heavy cream, room temperature
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1 teaspoon
kosher salt
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2 teaspoons
vanilla extract
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Zest of 1 lemon
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Zest of 1 orange
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¼ cups
all-purpose flour
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400º. Grease a 9” or 10” springform pan with butter, and line with 2 long, criss-crossed pieces of parchment paper. If needed, use more butter to help the second piece of parchment to stick. Fold the overhanging parchment over the edge and press the parchment so that it keeps the form of the pan. Place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet.
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and sugar together on medium-low speed until smooth and glossy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl as needed.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the cream, salt, vanilla, and citrus zests, and beat until combined, about 30 seconds.
- Sift and fold the flour into the mixture until combined. The batter should be very smooth and silky.
- Pour batter into the pan and bake until the cheesecake is deeply caramelized on top and jiggly at the center, 50 to 60 minutes.
- Cool the cheesecake at room temperature until completely cool, about 3 hours. Note: the cheesecake will fall considerably.
- Remove the side of the springform pan and the parchment paper before slicing. Serve at room temperature. You can store the cheesecake in the refrigerator in a plastic container for up to 3 days. Bring the cheesecake up to room temperature before enjoying.
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