While I do not think that the internet necessarily needs another recipe for burnt Basque cheesecake, it turns out I did. And since you’re stuck with me for as long as you’re here, pull up a chair, because we can’t get enough of this one.
What is burnt basque cheesecake? Also called San Sebastian cheesecake, it’s been around since the late 80s when it was created by a cook named Santiago Rivera at his restaurant and pintxo bar, La Viña, in San Sebastián, Spain. There are a whole bunch of things that set it apart from American-style cheesecakes, the biggest is that there’s no graham crust. In an interview, Rivera explained that when you bite into it, the cookie “prevents the cream cheese part from dissolving” — he wanted it to be more like chocolate mousse “so the flavor goes straight from the fork to your palate to your brain, instantaneously.”
Not only does the cheesecake have no crust, it’s often served closer to room temperature, so it tastes less dense. It’s slightly flan-like due to the addition of heavy cream. And it is baked at a higher temperature so it gets a scorched and caramelized top that contrasts gorgeously with the creamy interior. Oh and this is the most blessed thing — no water bath. Cracks? Sinking centers? Here the rusticity is intentional.
So what did I need from basque cheesecake that wasn’t already out there?
Believe me, I was tempted to add a cherry syrup or sherry-infused whipped cream finish but we’ve found we like the cheesecake best adornment- and frippery-free, exactly like this. Which also means you’re going to make it twice as often. We can’t stop.
Video
Easy Basque Cheesecake
- 2/3 cup (130 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (45 grams) cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 pound cream cheese (2 8-ounce/227-gram packages) [see Note at end]
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract plus 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) lemon juice
- 1 cup (235 ml) heavy cream
In a food processor or high-speed blender: Blend the sugar, cornstarch, and salt into the empty workbowl to combine. (Make sure the lid is on or the cornstarch will escape in a cloud of dust.) Cut the cold cream cheese into large chunks and add to the sugar mixture and blend until completely combined and the cream cheese is soft, scraping down the bowl once or twice. Add eggs, one at a time, and blend to combine then scrape down the sides of the workbowl (yes, each time). With the third egg, add the vanilla and lemon juice too before blending and scraping down the sides one more time. Add the cream and blend to evenly combine.
With a handmixer: Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add softened cream cheese and beat to combine, scraping down the bowl a few times as you do to make sure there’s no unmixed cream cheese. Add eggs, one at a time, beating to combine and scraping down the bowl between each. With the third egg, add the vanilla and lemon juice too before blending and scraping down the bowl one more time. Pour in the cream, beating on low speed until combined.
All methods: Pour into prepared pan, making sure it all lands inside the parchment paper sling. Transfer to oven and bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until puffed, deeply golden brown, and moderately jiggly when the pan is shimmied. [Mine registered an internal temperature of 190 to 200°F, which is much higher than a typical cheesecake but the texture was perfect.]
To finish and serve: Transfer cake in loaf pan to a cooling rack and cool at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours or transfer to the fridge and cool for one hour. The cheesecake can be served cool or at room temperature; the latter is traditional but both are delicious.
Use parchment paper to lift and remove cheesecake from loaf pan and transfer to a plate. Cut into just shy of 1-inch slices.
Do ahead: Leftover basque cheesecake keeps in the fridge for 5 to 7 days.
Notes:
Previously
6 months ago: Brown Butter Brown Sugar Shortbread
1 year ago: Sliced Egg Sandwich
2 years ago: Summer Ricotta with Grilled Vegetables
3 years ago: Perfect, Forever Cornbread
4 years ago: Beach Bean Salad
5 year ago: Raspberry Crumble Tart Bars
6 years ago: Ice Cream Cake Roll
7 years ago: Strawberry Graham Icebox Cake and Broccoli Rubble Farro Salad
8 years ago: Almond-Rhubarb Picnic Bars
9 years ago: Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake, Fake Shack Burger, and Swirled Berry Yogurt Popsicles
10 years ago: Carrot Salad with Tahini and Crispy Chickpeas
11 years ago: Greek Salad with Lemon and Oregano and Two Classic Sangrias
12 years ago: Vidalia Onion Soup with Wild Rice and Tzatziki Potato Salad
13 years ago: Classic Cobb Salad, Lime Yogurt Cake with Blackberry Sauce and Blue Cheese Scallion Drop Biscuits
14 years ago: Asparagus, Lemon and Goat Cheese Pasta and Raspberry Buttermilk Cake
15 years ago: Martha’s Mac-and-Cheese, Crisp Salted Oatmeal White Chocolate Cookies
16 years ago: Cherry Cornmeal Upside-Down Cake
17 years ago: Homemade Oreos and Cellophane Noodle and Roast Pork Salad
I can’t wait to try this, I tried a recipe that overbaked before it was well tanned so it was both blond and too firm and turned me off basque cheesecake for awhile. This tho, I trust, makes it worth another shot!
Also, have been on an sk video binge, really enjoying them!
Perfect timing with this recipe. I’ve been looking lately at making another one of these. I’ve also been looking at doing a smaller version, so this checks all the boxes. I can’t wait to give this one a go.
I love how easy this recipe appears to be and want to try it. Can the lemon juice be optional if you have someone who does not like that flavor?
I feel like in this recipe, the lemon isn’t going to make it taste lemony, it’s just going to enhance the tanginess of the cream cheese and provide a good balance of flavor with the sweetness.
You can skip it but I really love the lemon-vanilla combo here. It’s not lemony.
I’ve made this recipe twice now and it’s absolutely delicious 😋
However I somehow only used 227g of cream cheese not paying attention that this is just one pack 😅 it turned out so good I can’t stop eating. Second time used light philadelphia because the full fat was sold out. So cut the calories down to half with that also another half using only a single tub. My bad hahah, but still turned out better than the one we bought on a food market for £4.5 a tiny slice. *(according to my boyfriend and I have to agree)
Thank you so much for the recipe! 😁
How long does this keep in the fridge? Thank you!
I’d say 5 to 7 days.
Hi Deb! My friend made this and it was the best basque cheesecake I’ve ever had. I’d like to make a pumpkin basque cheesecake for my family’s thanksgiving this year, and given how good I know this base to be, was thinking about adapting from this one. I was just going to add a can of puréed pumpkin before the eggs, cut the lemon, and add a few spices. Do you think this would work? Thank you!
Practically speaking, it wouldn’t last 24 hours in my fridge without being eaten :D
Thank you for this. Been dying to make a Basque cheesecake, was always put off by the size. This will be perfect and love the cream cheese trick!
How long should one let this cool before slicing?
Sorry, about to add missing instructions. You can cool it to room temperature in an hour or two and serve it. Or you can chill it in the fridge for an hour. You can serve it cold or at room temperature; the latter is traditional but either works.
Hi Deb, I’m in Germany and don’t like cream cheese to much. Would this work with quark or is it to watery? I hope, you know what I meen.
I didn’t test it with quark so I cannot say for sure, but I know cheesecake is often made with quark in countries that use it, so it would probably work. Whether it needs more thickener or baking time, not sure.
I’m in Germany and I made this twice with full fat quark and it worked wonderfully!
The second time I realised I didn’t have lemon so I swapped it for apple cider vinegar. I was worried it would give it a funky taste but it turned out great! Couldn’t taste the vinegar at all.
Easy and very good. Super light.
Just in time for Shavuot!
What would be a good substitute for cornstarch? Tapioca flour, maybe? I love the idea of something silky-starchy rather than flour but I am sensitive to corn and 1/3c is probably more than is a good idea for me.
I have the same question. If we used regular flour like a standard basque cheesecake, how much would the substitution be?
I didn’t test it with all flour, only partial flour, partial cornstarch. However, I’d probably use 1/4 cup flour instead.
What about potato starch? That would also make it kosher for Passover, no?
What about Clear jel? It is a modified food starch that thickens either hot or cold. It does not get watery like cornstarch or flour after baking or cooking. It is used in the restaurant industry.
Deb – made this (more than once in quick succesion lol), love it. Do you have a modification suggestion on this if we wanted to make it pumpkin for Thanksgiving? Thanks!
I “pumpkined” (is that a word? it is now!) this the other week and it turned out great. I subbed 1/2 a cup of pumpkin for 4 oz of cream cheese and added some pumpkin spices. The consistency was perfect, but I think I would have liked it to be even more pumpkiny.
Fab! Just what I was looking for. And pumpkined is totally a word in the fall. Thanks!
I didn’t test it with tapioca flour, so I cannot say for sure, but I’d use less, maybe a lot less, if swapping.
I had tapioca starch turn my blueberry rhubarb pie into a solid gummy unit. Be careful.
Potato starch is probably a good substitute for the cornstarch. I’ve been using them interchangeably depending on which I had.
what about arrowroot? I believe you can sub 1 for 1 for cornstarch, though I’ve never tried, as we have no food limitations around here (except I can’t eat black pepper and my bro. hates cilantro . . . )
Oh I hadn’t thought about potato starch! That might act a little closer to cornstarch… I certainly don’t want anything gummy, but I like the idea of leaving the flour out.
This is such a great recipe. I’ve made it twice now, using a blender. It’s the perfect size and goes together so quickly. I did find that it worked much better when I modified the order of ingredients the second time I made it. I added an egg first, then the sugar mixture, then an egg, then the cream, cheese, then the last egg, then the cream. This is definitely going to be an occasional treat!
I’ve made burnt basque cheesecake many times with tapioca starch. The version that makes the huge cheesecake has 1/3 cup flour that I subbed volume for volume. Therefore, with this being 1/4th the other size, I would probably not use more than 3 TB of tapioca starch.
Sorry – half the portion of the original not 1/4
Looks stunning. If I don’t have a food processor or a blender, would this work using a hand mixer from start to finish please?
Yes, there are handmixer instructions. The cream cheese will need to be at room temperature.
This sounds delicious and yours is my family’s favorite food blog. But I feel compelled to tell you about JONCAKE in Barcelona. The best cheesecake–not hyperbole. If there is a chance to travel to Spain in order to try it, we highly recommend doing so. And if there is any way to get a copycat recipe that would be wonder of wonders. The cake is so smooth, mystifyingly good.
Here is the website: https://www.joncake.es/en
Thank you again for the above recipe. We are looking forward to trying it soon! Warm regards.
I can’t stop making this because my family keeps asking for it ! Question though please ; do you think it would work with tofutti (non dairy ) cream cheese ?
Thanks so much !
“With a handmixer: Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add softened cream cheese and beat to combine, scraping down the bowl a few times as you do to make sure there’s no unmixed cream cheese. Add eggs, one at a time, beating to combine and scraping down the bowl between each. With the third egg, add the vanilla and lemon juice too before blending and scraping down the bowl one more time. Pour in the cream, beating on low speed until combined.”
Your mention of optional muffins made me curious and thinking about the next potluck I attend. Do you have instructions for just making this in muffin form?
I would also like to make a cupcake version… I’m going to try the recipe and just bake it in my silicone muffin tray and see how it goes 😬
Diane- if you have a chance, I would love an update after you experiment! (I’m particularly interested in what your bake time looked like!). I just got my first set of silicone muffin trays and am smitten. 😍
For some reason, I’ve been refreshing Smitten Kitchen a lot recently, hoping for something new and sweet to make. Little did I know that the perfect recipe would pop up this morning, like the answer to a question I didn’t even know I asked. Love basque cheesecake and can’t wait to try this out!
Fascinating that you don’t separate the eggs in this recipe. My Shavuot go-to is a Dorie Greenspan recipe with goat cheese – so less sweet, and the batter takes minutes to prepare. But even that recipe calls for beating and folding it the whites.
Oh Em Gee – I’m going to give this a whirl in the next couple of days. I have hesitated making other recipes because they are too much for what I want – a loaf pan size is perfect.
Tempted to try this with a (scraped) vanilla BEAN — which would roughly equate to 1 T of vanilla extract … pretty sure that “extra vanilla” would not hurt much!
What brand of parchment paper do you use? Mine never seems quite big enough to reach the corners and overlap the edges of the pan. Thanks!
I’m making this for Father’s day because cheesecake is my husband’s favorite, and this is the perfect size without bringing on cheesecake overload. I am so thankful it’s written as a gluten free recipe, too. Just marvelous!
Who needs a cherry topping, when you can have a nice glass of red wine with this? Definitely will be trying this, as I have made and loved basque cheesecake in the past, but agree with you on the excessive quantities/volume of the typical springform situation.
Basque cheesecake has become my go-to for holiday gatherings. I’m interested in trying this, but I actually do need the full-size version. Would I just double everything for that?
I didn’t test this as a full-sized cake but yes, 2x or 2.5x will give you more of a standard large one.
I did 2x and it fit well in a normal springform pan! It didn’t quite fit in my 11 cup cuinsart bowl, but everything except the last cup of heavy cream fit and then I just stirred that in. It look about 50 minutes at 425.
My loaf pan is glass instead of metal. Will this still work?
Should be fine. Sometimes I bake in a glass pan at 25 degrees less but I think you’ll be fine here.
So for not about the size, we bought a 8″ spring form just so we’d have a more manageable size cake for 2 ppl. Totally should have thought of the loaf pan idea, and very thankful you’ve added another recipe to the world
I am in San Sebastian and tried La Vina’s cheesecake just today (!), still slightly warm. The remainder is in the fridge for tomorrow. Looking forward to comparing these leftovers to a well- known version I have previously made. (First impression, I prefer the version I made, but I only tried it after an initial refrigeration period). SK’s interpretation may well be on my to-do list.
My loaf pan is still out on the counter from making your blueberry loaf on Saturday. Thanks for saving me a trip down to the basement to put it away!
Haha! I hear ya. I finally bought an extra USA Brand 9×5 because of Deb’s loaf/bread pan recipes for that very reason.
This looks beautiful! And EASIER than others I’ve read. Love how you bake in the loaf pan, and use cornstarch! Will try this week! Thanks!
Can I use arrowroot instead of cornstarch?
I didn’t test this with arrowroot, sorry, so I cannot say for sure.
Yes, I want to make straight away and only have arrowroot in the pantry!
Heavy cream……blend? Whipping cream?
You can use whipping cream but I prefer heavy if I have the choice because whipping often has other stabilizers or thickeners in it. Either work, though.
This is so good! And you’re right, the 2 lbs of cream cheese always kept me from making it.
Min turned out truly perfect.
If you were going to make a sherry-infused whipped cream, which one would you use?
I’d make regular lightly sweetened whipped cream, maybe with a little vanilla bean paste, and add 1 to 2 teaspoons sherry.
Aw, thanks for making a recipe for the gluten-free crowd!!! Yum,
What oven rack should we be using? Upper rack or upper middle?
Can’t wait to try this recipe!
I’d start with middle — in my oven, I sometimes move it up if I want more color.
I’m planning on making this in the coming days for a big family trip to the beach this weekend. I’ll be doubling the recipe for a traditionally-sized cheesecake but using my Pullman loaf pan so it doesn’t take up all the fridge space. Using a loaf pan is a revelation and I’ll be making this frequently as written for times when I’m not serving 15 people. I’ve made basque cheesecakes in the past and love that this is gluten free so that everyone in my family can enjoy it.
Coming back to say this traveled well (in the Pullman pan wrapped in foil, in the cooler) and was a massive hit with everyone. My dad bought a peanut butter cheesecake from a local bakery while we were at the beach and everyone still preferred my basque version.
I find this so fascinating because I live in Europe (Switzerland) and I’ve been to Spain and of course La Viña many times. Never once in Europe have I ever seen scream cheese as you have it in the US (like Philadelphia blocks). Here, only the spreadable Philadelphia tub exists. I’ve searched in San Sebastián as well, in an attempt to figure out what they could be using. I’d love to talk to them at La Viña next time and see if they are using blocks or spread. Most recipes say the spreadable Philadelphia doesn’t work but I am here to tell you it does, just adjust liquid accordingly, so here a little less cream since its more watery than the block!
For what it’s worth, I made this with 250g ricotta + 200g mascarpone instead of 450g cream cheese (food processor, blended it for a bit longer than I would have with just cream cheese because ricotta is naturally less smooth) and it came out very nicely.
The ricotta I used was pretty low in fat; some are distinctly creamier and for those I would use a larger proportion of ricotta to mascarpone. I was aiming for something like the same overall fat content as regular cream cheese.
I also added a little bit more lemon juice than the recipe calls for because I think typical cream cheese is a bit tangier than my ricotta/mascarpone mixture.
(Fan oven, nominal temp of 220degC, haven’t checked how well the actual temperature matches that, 40 minutes; came out a little darker than Deb’s photo, nicely jiggly but so far as I can tell properly cooked through.)
In zurich I used Philadelphia cream cheese from coop. It’s not aerated like you’d expect, more like the solid blocks. I’ve used it many times in cookies and such without problem. It’s just darn expensive.
I was thinking of trying out a recipe for Basque cheesecake and found yours! One thing that attracted me to the Basque version is what I saw elsewhere… the incorporation of manchego cheese! Have you ever tried that?
So excited oi try this!! My recent attempt at Basque cheesecake was such a failure – spilled all over as it wasn’t done in the required time. This one looks solid 😍
Can leftovers be frozen?
I’d think so!
I froze mine for summer treats and yes…it came out great! Just let it thaw first if you can!
I’ve had Basque cheesecake on my “to bake” list for some time and this recipe finally put it in the “baked” category. I used the 450 degree option and mine turned out the same color as the 425 degree version you made, Deb. I’ve only tried the edge piece so far, but it was everything I had hoped for in a Basque cheesecake. Thanks for making a recipe just the right size with just the right amount of effort!
I love how easy this was. I liked the texture best the next day after it had been refrigerated overnight and returned to room temperature. I used the 425-degree oven for 50 minutes and it was not nearly as dark as yours. I’m glad I did take it out at that time or the inside would have been overcooked. I was hoping for the more smooth texture of Basque cheesecake on the inside and this was more like a dense regular cheesecake. If I were to make it again I’d try the option of 450 degrees for 40 minutes to get the burnt outside and more smooth soft inside. I think I also would have preferred the 425 degree version with some sort of tart berry topping, maybe raspberry.
You put your finger on the reason why I never seem to make cheesecake at home! It’s so BIG and rich. Need a whole party for that one.
I like the looks of this cheesecake but I am torn – not wanting to keep the oven that hot that long in the summer but also looks like summer food with some berries on the side. . .
If I were you, I’d stick some potatoes or other veg in the oven while the cake baked to make best use of the heat.
This was a disappointment for me. Texture nothing like cheesecakes I have had. Flavor OK but I will not be making again.
Sorry to say I agree with John. On the plus side, the recipe couldn’t be any easier. I baked my cake 47 mins. at 425, and it came out just as pictured in the recipe. That said, of the cake wasn’t creamy and moist. Unlike John, I may give it one more try, and bake it a couple of mins. less to see if that improves the results.
Feel I should modify what I wrote above to say that, inexplicably to me, after a couple of days in the fridge the cheesecake texture and flavor improved markedly to the point that we thought it was actually very much like regular cheesecake and had very good texture and flavor. My advice is to let the cheesecake “steep” for a day or 2 for optimal texture and flavor. Btw, we found that the cake lasts very well in the fridge for longer than estimated by Deb.
This was my exact experience as well. After 24 hours in the fridge, I took it out a couple hours before dinner the next day so it was at room temperature when we ate it. The texture was much better, maybe because the corn starch had more time to absorb.
When you say ‘regular’ cheesecake, do you mean NY or American style? Or have you had the famous La Viña cheesecake that this is trying to emulate? It definitely has a different texture than what you might be familiar with
A friend brought a piece of this cheesecake today and it was just so amazing. I am going to try and make it keto. Do you think you could omit the cornstarch or is it too much of an integral part of the texture? Was also thinking about using arrowroot powder as a sub?
You should use cornstarch or flour (I’d use 1/4 cup). I haven’t tested it with arrowroot.
Very interested to hear about your modifications and the results if you do make a keto version! 👀
I was going to try this for a somewhat decadent Father’s Day brunch. Is it too sweet for breakfast?
Honestly, I’d go for it. It’s not very sweet as far as cheesecakes go.
Is there any reason this wouldn’t work in a 6 cup 9”x4” pain de mie pan?
It should be just fine.
This was fantastic. I started it at 450, but dropped the temperature to 425 after 25 minutes because it appeared to be browning too quickly. It was perfectly browned (a bit more than the photo) and tender all the way through at 40 minutes. Next time I think I will cook it 425 the whole time, although my instinct is it would have come out just fine at 450. This texture and flavor were excellent. This was the perfect easy, low-key dessert for a small dinner with a couple of friends. The leftovers will be great for breakfast/snacking over the next couple days!
I love that this is a smaller portion of cheesecake. I wonder if making it from lactose-free dairy would influence the cake. Any thoughts?
Thank you for continuing your perfect tradition of loafs for summer! In TX I don’t want to turn my oven on but I want baked goods. A loaf pan fits in the toaster oven perfectly. Also the line “a neat rectangle that fits easily in the bottom of a Sephora shopping bag” is why I love this site and have loved it since the beginning!
Delicious, easy, and not too sweet! Made for guests and everyone loved it.
How full is your loaf pan when you pour in? 50%, 75%, or something else? My loaf pan is slightly smaller than yours (7.5×3.5 at bottom, 8.5×4.5 at top), so I am wondering how far I should fill it before I stop and pour the rest in something else. Thanks! Looking forward to this.
If you have a kitchen scale, you could calculate the volume of your pan and the volume of Deb’s pan, and pour in the right proportion by weight of batter into your pan.
Thanks for the suggestion.
You can see how full it is in the third photo of this post. I also added a demo video yesterday; it’s above the recipe.
Thanks!
I dropped by, saw the lead image, and made it that evening. It’s every bit as delicious as the image suggests! Tangy (but not lemony), super creamy, with the perfect amount of sweetness. Adding this one to my dessert recipe box, which is already all smitten recipes.
Hi, Deb,
This recipe looks amazing! Sadly, my food processor bit the dust mid-recipe during the cream cheese mixing. Do you have a reliable, sturdy one that passed the cream cheese challenge during recipe testing? Thanks!
I have this Cuisinart. I haven’t tested out the Breville food processor but hear good things about it.
We have the Breville 16 c peel and dice and it’s a workhorse! I recommend if you’re looking to upgrade.
Most other recipes (Cook’s I’ll for example) have us refrigerate the batter before baking. Thoughts?
I have never found it necessary.
Perfection! I baked it for 50 min at 425 and I was a little worried at 40 min because it was barely brown, but the last 10 min gave it that gorgeous bronzed top. And did I mention delicious?! It’s my new favorite ‘what should I bring?’. Thank you!
I was so intimidated by basque cheesecake. But seeing how you have simplified it, I have to give it a try.
Made according to recipe except cut back sugar by 20g as I will serve with a “sweetish” blueberry-thyme compote. The cake bronzed up nicely during the last 10 mins. My loaf pan was a bit smaller than Deb’s so I offloaded a couple of ladles into 2 cupcakes. In hindsight, I think I didn’t need to do that. Helpful hint for lining the loaf pan with parchment. Wet the sheet of parchment under the faucet. Scrunch it together well and squeeze out moisture. It is now malleable and easy to line the tin with. I think next time (and there will be a next time) a couple of dollops of Biscoff spread would be great added to the food processor. Then when serving, drizzle with salted caramel or melted Biscoff.
I have needed this parchment paper tip for years! Thank you thank you thank you!
A talented home chef friend made basque cheesecake years ago and I have never stopped dreaming about it. It was so good! This recipe is so approachable to me, I decided to try it for our family thanksgiving gathering. I did 425 and kept it in the oven for closer to 55+ minutes to get it good and brown and moderately jiggly. It’s cooling now and I have high hopes!!
Has anyone tried using Splenda instead of sugar to keep this a low carb cheesecake?
I made a version with monkfruit sweetener instead of sugar to make it more blood sugar friendly, and it was wonderful–couldn’t tell a difference!
Will a glass loaf pan work?
I asked too and Deb said yes. Just made it and it turned out great!
They’re not my favorite for high-temp baking but since we are going to have this lined with parchment, I think it’s fine here.
can you use lactose free cream cheese or vegan cream cheese in place of regular?
I used Trader Joe’s vegan heavy whipping cream and lactose-free cream cheese. I did over bake it a bit, but it’s still delicious.
Can the cake be placed in the fridge overnight in the pan and with the parchment?
I’m wondering this, too. Mine is in the oven for my mother’s birthday tomorrow. Should I leave it in the pan/parchment paper until tomorrow, or should I remove it from the pan and paper today after it cools?
Go ahead and leave it in the paper and pan, no harm.
I let mine cool on a rack for two hours, stuck the whole thing in the fridge overnight and sliced it cold the next day. Turned out perfectly.
Yes, absolutely.
My almost 5-year-old is a devotee of your YouTube channel ever since we made the Yule log together for the first time two Christmases ago. We were making the “I want chocolate cake” cake cup cakes and in between pressing buttons on the stand mixer he piped up “Deb is making something today?”. So I said I’d ask. What were you making on Sat 15th of June? For Fergus and his mama xxx
In fact, I made a chocolate version of this cake. I just added the details of how you can do the same in the Notes section under the recipe. My MIL did the rest of the cooking: lobster, corn, salads, and grilled vegetables. Oh and steak. She always does the most!
Aw yay thanks for getting back to me, I’ll tell him, he’ll be so pleased :) <3 our next project is a unicorn carrousel birthday cake with the scaled and stacked 'I want chocolate cake' cake as the base, for one of his best little friends.
This is amazing! I’ve wanted to try a Basque cheesecake for a long time but have been intimidated by the size so this being more manageable is perfect. The texture and taste is excellent. Adding to my keepers file.
Ok, I’m that person who changed it up and got a great result! I needed an appetizer for a gathering. I used half cream cheese and half goat cheese. Omitted the sugar, and added a ton of fresh herbs from the garden. It came out great!
That sounds delicious! I love the thought of a savory version of this and will be trying that!
‘what herbs did you use?? that sounds great – savoury version.
thanks!
I used chives, parsley and fresh oregano because that’s what was in my garden, but I think anything would work — rosemary, thyme, etc.
What a fun idea!
Video petered out. Can you fix it please. I love a visual tutorial.
It seems to be playing in full for me. It’s short, just 52 seconds.
Can almond extract be used instead of vanilla?
Omg I’m so excited to try this recipe! I love making Basque cheesecake especially for my gluten free family and friends, but you’re right in that a whole cheesecake is so much!!
SO delicious, a keeper, plus super easy. The hardest part was getting the parchment paper to cooperate. The only slight change I made was adding the zest of the lemon I juiced to the batter, and before serving I topped with fresh blackberries and a blackberry coulis. A beautiful, scrumptious and quick dessert! Thank you Deborah!
Made this for Fathers Day and was 1. So easy to put together the day before. 2. Delicious I served with some cherry jam and everyone loved it, even my 6 yr who is generally and ice cream girly for dessert.
What a fabulous recipe! I had never heard of Basque Cheesecake before making this today. I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out so creamy and rich without being overly sweet. I’ll definitely make this again. Thank you!
My son made this for me and I was very impressed with the texture and almost caramel flavor. He couldn’t find the loaf pan and ended up using the oversized muffin pan. He got 9 muffins and baked at 400 for 40 minutes. He also separated the eggs and whipped the whites.🤷♀️
I made this over the weekend and it was, as the name suggests, easy! Also absolutely delicious. I used my stand mixer with cream cheese that was on the counter for a couple of hours on a fairly cold day. There were some lumps when making the batter that I was worried about, but it’s not at all visible in the final product. I also didn’t have enough cream, but subbed in a little milk and reduced the overall amount since milk is thinner. Despite all this, the cheesecake is delicious!!
I baked mine for over an hour. My oven tends to run a little cold, but there was a good amount of jiggle at the hour mark. Not really sure what moderate jiggle means, it felt like the whole top (apart from the browned edge) was jiggling. I was worried it would be underdone, but settled in nicely as it cooled and the texture is just perfect.
Happy to report that this turned out perfectly at 7500 feet. All of the problems that plague high altitude bakers like baked goods that raise too fast and then fall or tops that brown too quickly and then burn are non issues here. I chose to bake at 425 and 50 minutes at that temperature was exactly right.
Thank you for sharing! Also at high altitude. This is going to be my birthday cake!
I’ve been wanting to try a Basque cheesecake, but as I think I’ll be e eating most of it, didn’t want to make the traditional round cake. Now I have no excuse to not bake one.
This looks great. My mom used to make a German cheesecake with cottage cheese, yeast, and cinnamon. I looked through all of her recipe card boxes and can’t find it anywhere. Have you heard of a cheesecake like this? It was really good and I have been craving it. I just haven’t been able to find a recipe for it. Thank you!
No but I’d love to try it!
Is it fine to us a standing mixer?
Yes, but you’ll want to scrape, scrape, scrape it down a lot, especially if you start with cold cream cheese.
I made this and it was DELICIOUS and SO EASY! I am not a baker and never thought in a million years that I would ever make a cheesecake. But it was literally 5 minutes to make and was perfect. Now my only problem is I might be eating a lot more cheesecake.
This was yummy. I liked it best the day we made it, but others preferred the texture after refrigeration – to each their own. Like you said, it is great on its own. We had some rhubarb compote to go with it, but it overwhelmed the delicate flavor a bit.
Only gripe (and this might be a me problem) is that my food processor blades got stuck on the “stem” after mixing the starch and sugar. I continued the processing and had to dump the batter out by lifting the entire food processor. I got it unstuck with warm water later, but when I do this again, I might process the cream cheese first, or mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
Deb, Thank you profusely and from the bottom of my baker’s heart, for going the extra mile (kilometre) and including metric weights and Celsius for the recipe. I know what a pain it can be but I am in baker’s bliss. The recipe worked a treat and will become a go to for the sweets-loving partner of mine!
Deb, Have you taken an instant read internal temp of the finished cake? I see some recipes at 155 and others call for 185. I wanted to use your recipe but would like to know your favorite internal temp for this cake. Thank you.
I’ll check next time — I always forget!
I second this request! My top turned very dark brown and not golden at all after just 40 minutes. I was so worried it would be raw. Turned out ok, but being able to go by a temperature would be awesome.
Absolutely loved this recipe! I baked it at the lower temperature for the first 35 minutes and then finished it at the higher temperature for the last 10 minutes. The size was perfect for a small gathering- it made 6 well sized portions. I added macerated strawberries to serve as they are in season. New favorite!
I love the sound of this easy recipe but I live in England and we only have soft Philadelphia, not blocks. Would this work with what we have here.
Fellow England resident here – I wouldn’t use the tubs of Philadelphia cream cheese because they have a very different ratio of ingredients than the block. However, I recently found Longley Farm cream cheese at my local organic shop (looks like you can also find them at a lot of online shops), and the ingredients seemed very close to a block cream cheese from the US. I made this using 2ish tubs of that, and it turned out really well!
I’m in Europe as well and I’ve made this twice using Philadelphia – worked out great!
Absolutely delicious! Made a 7 inch round instead of a loaf. Made a sauce from fresh raspberries from the farmers market – perfection! This one will stand the test of time. Thanks Deb!
I’d love to know if you had to modify the baking time for the round pan. And did you use a spring form or regular cake pan?
This sounds amazing. Can I use a smaller food processor for the batter. Going to make this this weekend
I made this as muffins, at 200C with fan, and it took about 25 minutes to bake. They are absolutely delicious! I’m in the UK so had to use “soft cheese” which is softer than the US bricks of cream cheese, and double cream which is a bit heavier than US whipping cream. The batter was very thin but it still baked up well! Phew.
If I have a convection oven, should you adjust the temperature or baking time differently to achieve the best results for this cheesecake?
Has anyone used an instant read thermometer to check for doneness?
I’d love to have that info to confirm “moderately jiggly”
I made thisv for Father’s Day… Well, kinda. I had a 10oz package of goat cheese so I used that in place of the cream cheese and adjusted the amount of the rest of the ingredients. I also only had half & half instead of cream. It still turned out SO good! I will be making this again, hopefully with the right proportions!
I made this yesterday, and served it today, from the fridge. Absolutely delicious, and can’t be simpler!
Is it possible to use ricotta instead of cream cheese?
I’d also like to know this!
Yum!
Super easy, came together quickly.
Hand mixer with room temperature cream cheese.
Baked for 45 minutes, served slightly cooler than room temperature.
Big hit for Father’s Day but I think all liked it even more day 2.
Will be making the chocolate version next.
OMG. This was so good and as easy as you said it would be. Definitely keeping this on a rotation. I am so glad you made a small batch recipe. Thank you Deb!
Delicious and easy! Agree with reviewer who recommended bumping up the heat for the last 10-15 minutes to get the darker color without over baking. Was even better the next day after being in the fridge, and the pieces freeze well.
Hi Deb,
a decade or so ago my house burnt down in a bushfire here in Australia. We lost everything and life had to start again from scratch including 35 years of recipe collections (both books and family/friend recipes)
One of the first recipes a friend gave me when my brain was empty with sadness was your graham cracker caramel and chocolate slice and I’ve been following you now for what feels like forever. This is the first time I have written as you’re a very busy woman but I have just read your Basque cheesecake is gluten free and I’d like to say thank you. You keep delivering family/user friendly
recipes that I cook A LOT. Have a lovely week
Thank you. 💕
I made this with 2 TB fresh passionfruit juice/puree (unsweetened) instead of lemon juice, and it was very good. Also made a glaze with more juice and some confectioner sugar, to drizzle on top.
The texture after a few hours of cooling was almost spongy, but the next day after refrigeration it was dense and creamy.
Do you have advice on how to make this a chocolate cheesecake?
Thank you for a great recipe that will be a keeper in our house!
Disregard the question about a chocolate version, I see you already answered that. Yay!
Needed this forever, it’s perfect, thank goodness the internet exists so you can be here :)
Delicious! I did add lemon zest and made a mango puree to drizzle on top.
Absolutely delicious! Topped with a simple lemon glaze & fresh blueberries-definitely in my “top 10 best desserts….ever”!
First there was the amazement—yes, I confess I was dubious—at how fast it was to prep, which literally made me laugh out loud as I slid that baby into the oven. Then came the thrill of the fabulous flavor and texture. Just one question: should I TRY to resist making this weekly from here on in? A thousand thanks, Deb, and thank you also to Lynn for the parchment-wetting instructions.
Usually after I publish a recipe, I stop making it for a while. I’ve made this 6 times since, including two yesterday. I’m no help!
Ha! I just got home with ingredients for two more. Now I’m wondering how I ever imagined I could wait a week.
I’m sorry THE VIDEO?!??!!?!?? I am sold. I wanted to lick the screen.
This was so very delicious. I made it just as written in the food processor and baked it for 40 minutes at 450F. Such a tremendous payoff for so little work. I saw that ATK used an instant read thermometer to check doneness at 155F in the center; mine was a bit over that and perfectly done. This is my new favorite thing.
Is it a mistake? Do you mean °C?
All methods: Pour into prepared pan, making sure it all lands inside the parchment paper sling. Transfer to oven and bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until puffed, deeply golden brown, and moderately jiggly when the pan is shimmied. [Mine registered an internal temperature of 190 to 200°F, which is much higher than a typical cheesecake but the texture was perfect.]
I’ll double-check but that would be like 90 degrees C internal and that would not be baked.
Not a mistake: 90C = 194F, right in the range Deb reported for the internal temp of her cake. Cindy’s was a little over ATK’s 155F, so maybe 70C+. Nice to know that among all its other amazing attributes this baby has a forgiving range of doneness!
This is so easy to put together and so delicous. The texture is perfect. I will be making this again and again.
Absolutely delicious, super simple to make, not too sweet and even better the next day. This recipe is going into my keepers list.
I can confirm, looks dramatic (chose higher temperature for more burnt color) and tastes delicious (sneaked corners from parchment paper, haven’t cut it yet). 10/10 would recommend. Thanks for the great recipe.
I can barely boil an egg, but I was able to make something edible on the first go! I literally had to buy all the ingredients and a loaf pan, because I rarely bake, except for box mixes.
Mine burned quickly on top, but I think because I was using a convection oven I just need to cook it at a lower temperature.
Looking forward to trying this again!
I made this today, and all I can say is that it’s absolutely delicious! I served it with a drizzle of your homemade chocolate fudge, and it was perfect! I will be making it again very soon.
I made this last week and my husband proclaimed “this is the best thing you’ve ever made.” Today I made the chocolate version, and he proclaimed “this is the best thing I’ve EVER TASTED. Ever.” Do I go back to the original? Make another chocolate? I don’t know yet, but we’re all super super happy here.
Meryl, here’s the solution we’ve come up with: have one of each on the go at all times, probably forever. Cut a slice of each in half to create side-by-side “full slices.” (I may have to finesse this a little: the choc version has more volume, so the halves don’t quite match in size:).)
How to win friends and influence people? Make this fantastic cheesecake! Thanks for a great recipe!
Ooooo! I made this recipe twice last week; once for work, and again for a dinner gathering. IT’S SO EASY TO PUT TOGETHER! Both times I received great feedback; even an “you’ve outdone yourself” from the director! I’d never tried a Basque cheesecake before. It is very mild and super light compared to your everyday cheesecake. I personally prefer a sharper flavor, but this was still excellent, and again, people were raving.
I ended up using two teaspoons of vanilla bean paste for the second time to see if it made a bigger flavor, but I don’t think it did. The 1 tsp regular/1 tsp paste will yield the same results in my opinion.
I baked it on 425 for 45 minutes and it turned out perfect both times. I am at ~100ish feet altitude.
Made this and loved it; will make again. Thank you!
However, it fell/collapsed a lot after cooling though (it’s only about an inch high after being beautifully domed coming out of the oven) and I wonder what I may have done wrong?
I agree, mine collapsed significantly as well. The presentation was subpar, but still tasted great.
Made this last week. I liked the fact that the ingredient list produced a smaller version of cheesecake than a regular basque cheesecake recipe (btw I love basque cheesecake – it’s so much easier to make and lighter than regular cheesecake.)
However – I didn’t love the texture on this one and will use flour instead (maybe the corn starch gave it a congealed texture.) Also I will let the cream cheese get a bit softer next time before putting in the food processor.
Thank you for a brilliant idea though – a banana bread sized cheesecake ensures one does not ingest an entire 10″ round cheesecake in three days :)
Gabrielle, I couldn’t figure out what it was that wasn’t sitting right with me, and then I read your comment. It’s the corn starch, I also do not like corn starch when used in pudding. I wanted to love this recipe, but there was something not quite right with the texture for me, although it was better the second day. Thanks for your comment, I’m going to try again with flour instead and see how it goes.
Made this for a picnic and it was a hit! I baked at the lower temp and it did not get as brown as the one pictured here, but that did not affect the deliciousness.
Wondering if I could sub buttermilk for the heavy cream? Anyone try that?
Love the look of this and can’t wait to try it! Thanks for scaling it down to loaf pan size, makes it way less daunting and perfect for a 2 person household where only one of us likes cream cheese.
This sentence in the chocolate variation confused me: “I melted 5.5 ounces chopped semisweet chocolate into a splash the cream” – should we melt the chocolate and then add a splash of cream before adding the rest?
Sorry, it was missing the word “of” — now fixed. You use a splash of the cream to help the chocolate melt smoothly, then whisk in the rest.
You..are…a… Genius!! I have a recipe for a full size basque cheesecake, and while it is delicious, I can never make it unless I’m going to an event of 20 people or more!!
I made this for a dinner party last night and it was delicious. The only issue is that the cheesecake sunk significantly in the middle, so looked like a horseshoe, nothing like the pictures on the website.
Mine sinks in the middle too!
As soon as I saw this recipe I knew I had to make it. I like basque cheesecakes so much more than regular cheesecakes. This one ticked off multiple boxes: gluten-free, since I have celiac; smaller, which works better for a family of two, and much less hassle.
Took a bit longer than 5mins, but that’s more likely about the cook. I followed the recipe to a T, and based on the tiny samples I’ve just had, it’s turned out beautifully. I also made a cherry compote to go with it, using your cherry cheesecake recipe, because I have cherries on hand. I tried the cheesecake sample with and without compote, and it was amazing both ways.
I was so excited to see this recipe … made it today and will report back.
What size food processor did you use? I think mine is a 7-cup and it might just be a tad too small.
Thanks for sharing!
Mine is an 11-cup. You can find it here: https://allnestor.shop/shop/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Wow! Wow! Wow! I absolutely love this, and have made it twice in less than 24 hours. Although I’ve given most of it away.
It’s tangy, only slightly sweet, and I love the texture. It’s in the oven in less than 5 mins, and the size makes it less overwhelming and totally achievable.
This was SO good and SO easy. I used the hand mixer version. I chose to bake at 450 and 35 minutes was plenty – it actually wasn’t quite as dark as the photo above, but there was only slight jiggle. I might try it at 425 for longer next time, just for comparison purposes. All I know is, I’m already trying to figure out when I can make this again.
Take two! I tried it at 425 and started it at 40 min, added 10, added 5 – it was getting quite dark so I tented it with foil for the last 5. It was still a bit wobbly and I could probably have baked it longer. It still tasted great; it had a lighter texture and collapsed more than it did last time. I will 100% make this again (and again!) but I think I’ll stick to 450 for 35 min. What a yummy treat!
This looked great when I pulled it out of the oven, but such a deep crater has sunk in the center of it as it cooled. Any idea why that happened?
I made the chocolate version as instructed and it took 60 minutes at 425 to set (my oven usually isn’t that far off, so I’m not sure where I went wrong) but the extra time was well worth it – it’s perhaps the best cheesecake I’ve ever eaten, and certainly the easiest recipe I’ve ever tried.
I made it with greek yogurt instead of heavy cream, I wanted the cake to be tangier. I liked it on day 1, and absolutely loved it on day 3 after refrigerating. The texture is perfect after refrigeration, so it is a great make-ahead cake to bring to summer parties.
I made the chocolate version today. First time making a Basque cheesecake and this recipe was so easy and delicious!
My loaf tin was 8.5 x 4.5 (top) and 8×4 (bottom). There was way too much batter, so I also made two 4″ cakes in spring pans.
Thank you all the amazing recipes!
I made this two days ago and the flavor is great … but … the texture seems to be a little odd. I’m not sure if it’s due to the corn starch or because I ate it directly from the refrigerator but the filling texture seems to be almost gelatinous and not silky at all. Any ideas?
I had never heard of or tried a bask cheesecake before. Made this one and wow it was amazing! Thank you for this simple recipe. Really impressed my sister who was visiting from out of town.
Sorry this talk to text spelled Basque incorrectly. Still, the cheesecake was divine!
Just took this out of the oven, started at 45 minutes, checked the internal temperature and gave it another 5 – perfect. Beautifully bronzed and internal temperature spot on.
Easy to make and, based on taste testing the batter, expect it to be delicious 😋 . A little dismayed the the center sank but in looking at your photos it does not appear to be unexpected.
Thank you for what appears to be another SK winner.
I made as directed today but had to bake it for close to an hour. When I went to cut it, it had really sunk down, but the slices looked pretty much like the pictures. I served some fresh strawberries on the side. Loved it and will make again! I’m also looking forward to days 2 and 3!
As a P.S. to my earlier review – just had a slice and YUM 😋.The best part of a cheesecake without the distraction of a crust. Will most definitely make again!!
Love this cheesecake recipe. Truth be told, the crust is my least favorite part of traditional cheesecake, so this hits a home run! Easy to make, delicious to eat, and impressive to serve to family and friends.
I’ve been meaning to make this for a while and finally took the plunge today. I think I baked mine a few minutes too long – but it is great regardless.
I made this Basque Cheesecake this afternoon and it is a perfect size and delicious. This cake has been on my wish list since you posted it and so glad I finally made it. Thank you. It will be a regular in this household!
So easy and delicious. This was a winner. I might try customizing flavors next time… add some lime juice and zest, put some roasted strawberries on top?
My friends are reliving their honeymoon in Spain by throwing a Spanish tapas party. They said to me, “The only thing we are missing is Basque cheesecake. One day later, the video for this recipe popped up in my instagram feed. I did a test run last night. Perfecto! Thank you for reading my mind!
This was heavenly! And it couldn’t have been easier. I used a Ninja smoothie blender to fit as much as I could and then transferred to my mixer. The presentation was beautiful. With it being so dense, I thought the loaf pan was the perfect size. It didn’t even survive 24 hours before being devoured.
I have now made this recipe 3 times! 4th round tonight. Thank you for this recipe of effortless perfection! Bravo Deb!
This was my first time making a Basque cheesecake and it definitely won’t be my last! This was so freaking good. When given a 50/50 choice, I usually blow it – so I preheated to 450 degrees and baked it at that temp for the first 10 mins. Then, I reduced the temp to 425 degrees for 45 minutes. I came out just a bit darker than in the photo and super smooth & creamy in the center. I didn’t find any texture issues described by some reviewers when we ate it after being refrigerated just 4hours. My only complaint – please don’t recommend using a high-speed blender. It was not fun – a food processor is the way to go. Love that I can make it for a gluten-free friend!
Would this work with the ‘soft’ Philadelphia cream cheese that is all we have in England?
I used Lidls own brand cream cheese which is the same texture as Phildelphia and it turned out delicious!
I’m in the UK too and I just tried it with the soft Philly and it worked. It was *very* liquid and it would have overflowed had I not been generous with the parchment. Oddly, it took a bit less time to cook, just under 40 minutes.
Made today. Should have looked up texture of this vs cheesecake. Not a fan.
I prefer a dense cheesecake,
Onto the next recipe.
Can I bake this in a cupcake tin to make individual cheesecakes? How would I adjust the oven temp and/or baking time? Thanks!
One thing I really like about this cheesecake is that it pairs well with unsweetened fresh berries because it’s not too sweet itself.
Thanks, Deb! This was perfect. I used the vitamix so I just put the cream in at the same time as the cream cheese instead of at the end. Definitely making this again.
This is Not a basque cheesecake. The cornstarch changes the texture completely. If you want to post gluten free recipes then I believe you should state that this is a gluten free recipe that tastes nothing like a gorgeous basque cheesecake. It is more like a flan. I was surprised how off base this recipe was……..otherwise, it does cook up nicely but not a basque cheesecake in any way shape or form.
Yes this was easy and fabulous. Great texture and taste. A keeper in my kitchen. I served it with Bonne Maman caramel and blueberries mixed with maple syrup.
I made this yesterday for my own birthday. (I know – but I’d also intended it earlier this summer as father’s day/birthday, and I didn’t get it done then, so..) Anyway – it was delicious, and so fast and easy. I was able to decide to make it in the morning and still invite my mom for tea time in the afternoon.
I paired it with a cherry rioja sauce: 1 lb cherries (I used frozen, 1/2 lb each tart and sweet), 1/3 c. sugar, 1/2 t. cinnamon, 1 c. rioja wine brought to a boil, then adding a slurry of 1/3 c. water + 1/2 T. cornstarch and simmering until reduced.
Yum yum yum. Almost nothing was left over, and I think I am about to have the remainder for breakfast.
I made this twice in three days – and everyone loved them! What an easy, delicate, delicious dessert. We preferred it room temperature, with no fruit or sauces. Thanks!!
This is the best cheesecake ever!
I didn’t like the flavor combination of the caramel and the tanginess, so in my second try I omitted the lemon juice, and in the third I used twice as much lemon juice but at a lower heat so that the top doesn’t caramelize as much, and both versions were so good!
I loved it. For fellow people that grew up eating quark cheesecake: I substituted half of the cream cheese with quark and it worked perfectly
This is the only recipe for cheesecake I will ever use. Subbed ricotta and the cake came out light and very flavorful.
What is quark?
Well, the translation is curd cheese. You can not buy it in the US. It’s a German thing.
Im short, I’d say think of it as german Ricotta?
It is almost like a type of unsalted cream cheese, it is made with lactic acid so that the milk curdles and then it is strained, but way less than cream cheese so it has a texture that is slightly more dense than yoghurt. It‘s a bit of an acquired taste and rather tart, usually eaten with lots of sugar and/or fruit. It’s what most germans I know use in cheesecake instead of actual cream cheese.
I didn’t know I needed this burnt Basque cheesecake until tonight. Easy, done just as written. Lovely texture, lighter, perfect to take to a picnic. I know it will travel well, but it didn’t make it out of my house. Thanks for another winner.
Have you tried making this with a cream cheese that doesn’t have a bunch of stabilizers? I’m a fan of true cream-based cream cheeses, but if the stabilizers are important here I’ll get a block!
Love this! The only substitution I made was using flour instead of cornstarch (I was out of corn), and foil vs parchment paper. It cooked perfectly for me at 425 for about 38 minutes. I love the texture and flavor. I agree that it doesn’t need anything else, like berries, etc…. This recipe is such a find. Thank you!
Fantastic recipe. We subbed in flour for the cornstarch since we’re not gluten free and we prefer the texture with flour, and we also omitted the lemon since we didn’t want a tart flavor. Thank you so much for making a quick and scaled down version!
Did you use exactly the same amount of flour? And, was it AP flour? I also found the texture a bit off-putting. I wasn’t sure if it was the corn starch or if I hadn’t cooked the cheesecake long enough but the closest I could come to describing the filling was kind of like flan or panna cotta … very gelatine-y.
I made this over the weekend and at first I wasn’t wowed. While it was cooling I worried the sides would give out causing it to collapse because the whole thing seemed to lack structure and was super wobbly (I wondered if it was my use of 1/4 c flour vs 1/3 c cornstarch). There was something watery and spongy about it all even after an hour of resting at room temp but I figured the fault was mine for swapping the thickening agent (but I still kept cutting off pieces to taste). I did 40 min at 450 and frankly it got too dark.
All that being said, once it chilled for a few hours it was divine! Creamy, dense, delicious. I regretted eating so much of it while it was in its subpar state. In my opinion this needs to be refrigerated before serving.
Also, I love your blog and so many recipes (like this one!) are in my regular rotation.
I see the recipe calls for a cup of heavy cream, but I don’t see where in the recipe it gets added. Is it needed? Thank you!
It’s added last and it’s definitely an important part of the texture:
Had 3/4 of a block of cream cheese that I wanted to use up before our trip—used 1 egg and halved everything else. Baked in a 6” round pan lined with parchment a la the slumped Parmesan frittata from SK Keepers. It took less than 20 min to bake in our toaster oven! People! You can make an out of this world cheesecake in THIRTY MINUTES. You’re welcome.
I made this with 1 1/2 blocks of low fat cream cheese (it’s all I hand on hand and wanted to get rid of it). So I adjusted the quantities to 3/4 of everything. I also only had whole wheat flour (no cornstarch or white flour). The cheesecake tastes great. After cooling, the cheesecake “fell” and it is only about an inch or at most 2 inches high. This doesn’t bother me and may be a result of the whole wheat flour and adjustments to
The amounts. However, it still tastes great!
I made this for and it was delicious, adding to my never ending list of recipes that never fail from smitten kitchen 🥰
I’ve had a lifelong love affair with cheesecake: when I was little, my parents let me try it, and I immediately demanded the whole plate. I’ve been making my own cheesecakes for at least 20 years, but I’ve always found the whole process slightly intimidating. I tried making my first Basque cheesecake years ago, and it worked out well, but like most cheesecakes, it made way too much. Making it in a loaf pan is genius! I still get my cheesecake, but I’m not eating it for a week straight. Took less than 10 minutes to throw together in my stand mixer, and then just shy of an hour to bake. I chill mine overnight because I like a slightly firmer cheesecake, but it’s delicious warm or room temperature, too. All-around great recipe!
Could I do this with a crust? If so, do you recommend any recipes?
My brother, who has worked in kitchens and always has something to say or turns his nose up at everything I offer him not only ate his entire slice, but also said the flavor and the texture were good. This day is going down in history and this recipe is going on my list of staples.
I’ve just made this for the second time, and its currently in the oven. Its really good! But I’ve definitely got a couple of things to point out, from my experience.
One, you really don’t need any sort of electric mixer. If your cream cheese isn’t fridge cold, I’ve found the mixture comes together very easily with a normal balloon whisk. Which is good, because its less faff and easier to wash up!
Two, I really think this cheesecake needs a couple of days in the fridge to ‘ripen’ for want of a better word. The first time I made this I made it in the morning and we ate it that evening after refrigeration time. It was okay, but nothing special, I figured I wouldn’t bother again. But then we had it for dessert the next day and it was 100% better. So I recommend making it a couple of days before you want to eat it, at least.
I tried the chocolate version this time, adding in some cold brew coffee concentrate I happened to have in the fridge instead of lemon juice. Not sure what it’ll be like lol, but since when has coffee and chocolate ever been bad?
Anyway, thank you for the recipe!
I’ve made this twice with ricotta because the only cream cheese available in Portugal is the spreadable Philadelphia in the tub, and I think it has a funny taste. Turns out the recipe works great with ricotta! Baked it at 205 degrees with convection and got a very nice dark top and smooth interior, not overbaked at all. The first time I had cream with 36% fat, the second time 30% fat and I don’t think it made a difference. Very nice flexible recipe, love that it’s not overly sweet as well.
did you sub the ricotta weight-for-weight … as in 16oz by weight of ricotta? thanks!
Looks delicious. Can I use an 8” round pan? Also can I use coconut flour instead of cornstarch? Thank you for the recipe!
It should be fine in an 8-inch round. I haven’t tested with coconut flour; don’t know it well.
I made this and loved it. I wanted to try a chocolate one and very glad you wrote how to do one. I’ll be making that one very soon.
This recipe is excellent. Very easy, very delicious. I fiddled around on the temperature and raised it to 450 about 30 minutes in, and then lowered it back to 425 to finish for the last 10 minutes. The top was nicely browned. The internal temperature when I took it out from the oven was about 210 degrees. I let it cool to room temperature and the consistency was almost flan like. Tart from the lemon juice and not too sweet. I loved this and can’t wait to try the chocolate version.
RE: Center falling and “ugly” nature… I have made this three times – twice in a water bath, and once without. The center fell once, when I did NOT use a water bath. I don’t know if it is because of the water bath. I baked using an aluminum loaf pan, and I put that pan in a bigger baking dish. I filled the loaf pan with the batter, boiled some water in an electric kettle, poured the boiling water into the bigger pan so that about an inch of the bottom of the loaf pan was submerged, and carefully put it in the oven. In my case I baked for 40 minutes at 425 degrees. It came out with a flat top, and stayed that way. It slightly defeats the purpose of this being a simple and fuss-free recipe, but if the appearance of the cheesecake bothers you, it might be worth trying. Either way – after a day of refrigeration, it tastes amazing.
The cheesecake is supposed to sink!
Ohh! Lol. Ok, good to know. Thanks.
I made this today for serving tomorrow night. Should I wrap it in plastic wrap when I store it in the fridge?
Just want to add that I used a slightly smaller loaf plan and baked the overflow in a mini loaf pan — which I had every intention of freezing for later. It never made it that far! This cheesecake reminds me of my mom’s Jewish cheesecake, which calls for hoop cheese. Your cake is better, easier — and no running around town searching for the elusive hoop (or farmer’s) cheese. Thank you!
I don’t usually wrap mine but I like the top kind of crisp. You definitely could cover the top with foil or plastic overnight.
Simply amazing and the easiest recipe I’ve tried!!!!
I love Basque cheesecake and I’m making this recipe right now. I’m using the loaf pan, but am curious if my 6 1/2 inch round springform would also work. It does hold 6 cups, would the time/temp need adjusting?
I haven’t tested it in a smaller pan, but I’d guess the bake time would be similar. You could always check in 5-10 minutes early, just in case.
If one were in a pinch, could they sub cream for a very rich all natural sour cream?
Accidentally grabbed the half and half instead of the full cream. Fingers and toes crossed as it’s in the oven as I wrote this. Otherwise, I’ve made this recipe several times and it’s superb! A real show stopper even with my NYC family.
Turned out great! I made it in a smaller sized springform pan and the batter all fit and it puffed up and browned nicely.
I didn’t love this. I think the primary issue for me was the lemon juice. I could taste it in the final product and it seemed a strange, unpleasant flavor note.
I just made this in pumpkin form by using the chocolate version and replacing the chocolate with pumpkin, plus some spices. Turned out great!
I’ve always wanted to make cheesecake but felt the water bath and springform requirements were to challenging. I made this right away when Deb posted it and it came out amazing! I’ve made it several times since then and it’s always a winner. I find the timing really specific— for me 48 at 425 is overcooked and 40 at 425 has a liquid middle. I also swapped the heavy cream for half and half since that’s what I had on hand, which seemed to work just fine. Thank you Deb!
This was superb! I only had 1 tsp vanilla and the batter didn’t quite have enough flavor so I added 1 tsp Cointreau and ¼ tsp fiori di sicilia to compensate and I’m very glad I did. Perfect with an espresso
I love this recipe and I am wondering about two modifications:
1) can I make it in cupcake tins for individual servings? If so how long do you think the baking time should be?
2) what about maybe adding some pumpkin? I looked at a few recipes online and people added as much as a can but I am worried it will change the consistency.
Thanks!!!
I haven’t tested it for baking time but I do think you could make these as cupcakes. I haven’t tested it with pumpkin but I think it could be fun here. The texture would change a little.
Have you tried this with the shelf-stable whipping cream from Trader Joe’s instead of heavy cream? The first two times I made it, I used heavy whipping cream and everyone loved it. Will they notice I used whipping cream?
Whipping cream and heavy cream are often labeled interchangeably in the US. However, some whipping cream has additional ingredients to make it whip more easily. But, I bet it will work fine here regardless.
Hi! Thanks for the exciting recipe. I just pulled mine out of the oven but I see that it doesn’t have the same sheen yours does in the picture. What makes the basque have that lovely sheen?
I just saw a pumpkin basque cheesecake recipe in the NY Times. Any thoughts on how to make this into a pumpkin version?
I had seen the Bon Appetit pumpkin version go by, but I was attracted to the smaller size and loaf-pan format here. I tried to look at what was different between the BA regular and pumpkin versions and apply that to this – I ended up removing one egg and 4oz of cream cheese, and adding 7.5oz (half a can) of pumpkin puree plus the additional spices. I also left out the lemon juice, not being sure how it would interact with pumpkin as a flavor.
It’s pretty good! I ended up with 50 minutes at 425, medium browned but not quite to burnt (the rest of my household does not consider the darker degrees of brown to be acceptable flavors, alas). Oddly, if anything I’d say my loaf pan was a bit too large – the final slices after it cooled are maybe 4 times as wide as they are tall. Pumpkin worked well as texture and flavor, though I might go up even more on the non-vanilla spices. I will also restore the lemon juice.
Thanks for these suggestions! I’m going to try them!
This is So. Good. I had the nerve to serve it to Basque people, and they loved it. I followed the recipe exactly (for hand mixer) … I baked it in a glass loaf pan at 425 degrees for 40 minutes and 450 degrees for 10. I let it cool and refrigerated it overnight in the pan. I also made a blueberry compote, but it was unnecessary (but we liked it anyway). I have never made anything like this and now it’s going in the rotation. Thank you for such a divine dish!
I made this for Christmas Eve and it came out beautifully! I served it with a cranberry compote.
I’m thinking next time I make it I may grind up a bit of almond paste with the sugar. Definitely a keeper and I’m excited to experiment with more flavors
this is baking right now for my birthday cake. I made my 7 year old help me, and i wanted to comment that it makes a great recipe to prep with a relatively unwilling child – he was won over by being able to use the lemon squeezer and also getting to poke air bubbles out of the bottom of the blender (we have a humble regular-old blender, it worked but just took more time/fiddling/scraping and i needed to soften the cream cheese first). Felt really easy for him to help with, and is pretty low mess; excited to eat it later!
I absolutely love Basque Burnt Cheesecake and now this new version should be fun to make. I have used the King Arthur Flour Air Fryer recipe in 6 inch pans and it is start to finish in a little over a half hour. Perfect for fast impressive dessert.
You start with even cold cream cheese in a food processor and then bake for about 20-25 minutes in air fryer. Everyone says that they don’t need any toppings since this is a perfect gluten free cheesecake. Just don’t try the pumpkin recipes during fall since the texture is way off.
I made the Basque cheesecake – a friend of mine had made it before, and it was delicious. It looked beautiful when it was baking, and when it came out of the oven… and then it sunk flat.
What did I do wrong?
I can buy dairy free cream cheese and it works well in my recipes, but do you suppose I could use full coconut milk for the cream? I don’t mind a bit of coconut flavor as I’ve gotten used to it over the years of dairy free living.
That’s what I did for mine and it worked perfectly!
Wow! I just made this. So fast too! In the time it took to preheat the oven to 425, using my cuisinart, I was able to whip this up! I served it with blackberries that had been tossed with a sprinkle of sugar. Delicious and simply elegant, this was the crowning touch to a virtuously healthy Salmon dinner with a friend that came about On the spur of the moment!
I made this on New Years Day and it turned out great. Couple of things I’ll do differently next time is I will up the heat to 450°F so the top is a darker brown (my oven is finicky). I’ll also add a bit more sugar, the flavor was too subtle for me. Although I am curious to try it later after 24 hours in the fridge per the other comments about the flavor getting stronger the next day. Overall it was easy, perfect size for 2 people and the texture was incredible.
Made this earlier today and had for dessert. O M G!! Soooo delicious! My family absolutely loved it!! It’s so delicate unlike regular cheesecake! Thank you for an amazing and simple recipe. Will definitely be making this again. Maybe serve with a berry compote.
I made this exactly as written, hand mixer version but used 1/4 cup flour (your earlier recommendation) instead of corn starch and it turned out HEAVENLY!!! I do not use that term loosely, it was an exquisite blend of flavor, texture and perhaps as good as what I ate several times when my wife & I visited the Basque region several summers ago…also, the size is perfect for 3 or 4 nights…thanks for this recipe. It will be used frequently!
Jack, I agree wholeheartedly … I initially made the recipe exactly as written (lower baking temp) and the cheesecake was good … but i really wasn’t a fan of the texture of the filling. I made the cheesecake again over the weekend and substituted 1/4-cup of AP flour for the 1/3-cup of corn starch (also cooked at the higher temp) and the cheesecake is absolutely phenomenal!
I may try with another starch other than corn starch as my SIL has a gluten sensitivity but I was really not impressed with the texture imparted by the corn starch … it was too “gelatinized” for lack of a better word. With AP, it was smooth and silky.
I’ve made the basque cheesecake twice. The first time it turned out perfectly. The second time it cracked quite a bit on the top. I’m sure it will taste delicious but what went wrong. I used a hand mixer. Maybe too much mixing?
I used half Allulose to cut the sugar and it’s delicious!
As for the chocolate version, I’m thinking of using valrhona strawberry or Carmelita feves. I think it would be really good!
This basque cheesecake is phenomenal – I’ve made it many times, in both springform pans and loaf pans, and we prefer the loaf pan version. We live part time in Italy, and so I’ve always used two small tubs of mascarpone instead of cream cheese. The consistency is perfect with mascarpone, and we love that it’s a teeny bit more tart.
We’ve tried the original basque cheesecake at La Viña in San Sebastián, but my husband thinks my / your version is far superior! This is in regular rotation at our house, and we love it at breakfast with coffee. It’s simply sublime!
Help! Mine completely collapsed in the middle when cooled. It was puffed and perfect coming out of the oven. Ideas on how to avoid that?
It’s supposed to. Basque cheesecakes have sunken centers.
This was SO GOOD! We swooned! We couldn’t stop eating it! The texture! And as Deb promises, it’s very quick & easy to make. The only thing I’d change next time: more lemon, maybe the zest of a whole lemon. But this is going in my repertoire! I’m also curious if I can emit the sugar and make it a savory cheesecake — the texture is so amazing & I bet it would be good with asparagus & goat cheese. Almost like a crustless quiche.
I made what I was calling a Persian Basque Cheesecake. I ground up a healthy pinch of saffron, which I let bloom in the lemon juice for a bit and added it to the batter. For the topping I used a sweet alballoo (sour cherry) compote . It was a great finish to a big Persian meal and my guests loved it. I don’t usually do the dessert baking because that’s my husband’s specialty, but this recipe seemed so easy that I decided to try it. And it really was easy and delicious!
Loved this recipe! I was in between several loaf pan basque cheesecake recipes, but I’m glad I opted for this detailed one. I used a stand mixer and it came out perfectly, not too sweet and the perfect texture (creamy, light). I’m glad to have used cornstarch instead of flour like other cheesecake recipes sometimes include because you can’t taste it! It also maintains a good texture (not too thick).
I definitely want to make this again, maybe other variations! :)
Definitely eat this straight out of the oven or maybe slightly cooler. The softness, the nice hit of lemon, the contrasting texture of the crust to the soft smooth creaminess of the rest = perfection.
Another great recipe from the amazing Deb! Thank you!! This was so easy to make and tasted so good!
decided to make a half batter in a mini loaf pan. came out perfectly, baked for about 36 minutes. dumped it all in the food processor. couldn’t be easier. i’ve made a 6″ basque cheesecake before that was denser and richer. this one is so light and fluffy. absolutely nailed it, deb. thank you.
Hi there, if I wanted to half the recipe, could I use mini loaf pans or a muffin tin instead? What would the bake time look like for this?
Yes you can halve it but there isn’t an exact science to how long it will take — it will depend more on the specific pan size. I’d check in at the halfway mark at then every 5 minutes after.
I have made this recipe at least 20 times now. I make it exactly as it’s written and I, my husband and every person who’s tasted it agree that it is just the very best cheesecake recipe ever! Wonderful for gluten-intolerant people, rich enough but not over the trip, not too sweet, makes the house smell amazing, and it always impresses. Great for a treat at the end of the day, or to elegantly finish a gourmet dinner. Thank you so much for this gem!
I see in the questions that several people asked about their cheesecake collapsing after cooling, but I didn’t see a response. I’ve made this several times and it is delicious, but it has collapsed each time to maybe only 2 inches high. I’m following the recipe exactly right down to the parchment sling. It comes out of the oven so beautiful then falls in the center and collapses a lot. It tastes great but doesn’t look so good, plus obviously the slices are much smaller.
Any suggestions to overcome this?
The basque cheesecake, by design, sinks after it bakes. I hope you can see it in my photos of it, too!
do you think it would work using half and half instead of the heavy cream? (i have some left over from a houseguest who wanted it for his coffee and I’m trying to find a use for it today :) )
Yes, it will be fine. You might need more for a creamy effect, however. Use less water if so.
Since you mentioned cupcakes, can the baking time be adjusted to bake the batter in cup cake tins?
Yes. I haven’t tested it but it looks like a few others wanted to give it a spin. I’d check them at 15, then 20 minutes.
Considering that tonight is the start of the cheesecake Jewish holiday, Shavous, last night I made a graham cracker crusted sour-cream topped cheesecake with the recipe from Daisy brand. AND, in honor of spring, I made a rhubarb-strawberry sauce for the topping. This Basque cheesecake looks great, and I won’t have to get graham crackers for it, either. Shavous is a great excuse for making all kinds of things dairy: blintzes, cheesecake, noodle kugel, and on and on!
Hi Deb, if I were to make the chocolate version of this with white chocolate, would you use the same amounts? Thank you!
Yes, I think it will be just fine. I just find that white chocolate’s flavor is less “loud” but I am sure it will be delicious reglardless.
I made this yesterday but I forgot to adjust the temperature for my fan assisted oven, so it ended up baking on the higher temperature and came out with a very black top. Luckily it still tasted delicious and it was enjoyed by everyone who tried it (I will try the lower temperature next time!).
Made this several times – firm favourite. I dot fresh berries into the mixture as I pour it in … pitted cherries, raspberries, blueberries – sheer joy!
Love your recipes … and the way you write. Thank you!
Any suggestions for a sweetner substitute that you could use here instead of sugar?
Honestly, I thought it was pretty boring and tasteless.
Will not be making it again.
Can I swap arrowroot powder for corn starch?
My kids and I made this for my husband today for Father’s Day. Everyone loved it! So unfussy and tasty!