This carrot-flavored basque burnt cheesecake is so creamy and smooth. The cake is also a bright spring orange color. It is a unique carrot dessert to make for an upcoming brunch or gathering. This cake is also just 4 ingredients and very easy to make. The recipe is nearly fool-proof and takes only a few minutes to prepare.
This is such a fun dessert to make for others. The cake is sweet, silky, creamy and a beautiful orange color. It is also very easy to make and hard to mess up. I’ve underbaked it before and overbaked it before and it still turns out delicious.
Ingredients
- Carrot puree
- Cream cheese
- Condensed milk
- Eggs
Carrot puree: You can use homemade carrot puree or store bought. If you use homemade carrot puree, your cake will be a little more orange and will have a little more carrot flavor to it because store-bought carrot puree is usually more watered down. However, if you are pressed for time, this does work with store-bought carrot puree. I share more details in the recipe card. If you need a substitute for carrot puree, you can also use pumpkin puree.
Cream cheese: You will need two blocks of full fat cream cheese. Make sure they are softened before using them so that they will blend easily.
Condensed milk: Condensed milk is used to sweeten the cake and also helps to create the smooth and creamy texture.
Eggs: Eggs are used to give the cake its structure and rise.
What is Basque Burnt Cheesecake
I’ve shared a few different recipes for Basque cheesecake. Basque burnt cheesecake originated from the Basque region of Spain. What makes it different from classic cheesecake is that it is baked at a very high temperature which gives the surface a unique caramelized appearance. The cake is also very creamy and should not be fully set in the center.
How to Make Carrot Basque Cheesecake
The four ingredients are all added to a food processor and blended until smooth. You should stop and scrape the sides and bottom of your food processor once or twice to make sure everything gets blended. Then the batter is ready to be poured into your prepared baking pan and bake. It’s that easy! The cake will need about 30 minutes in the oven or until the cake is mostly set and the surface is caramelized.
More Cheesecake Recipes
- 4 Ingredient Pumpkin Basque Cheesecake
- 3 Ingredient Creamy Yogurt Cheesecake
- 4 Ingredient Fluffy Lemon Cheesecake
4 Ingredient Carrot Basque Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (119 g) carrot puree 1/3 cup if using store-bought, see notes
- 2 (8 oz) blocks full fat cream cheese 8 oz is the weight per block, softened to room temperature
- 2 large eggs about 101 grams total weight without the shells
- 3/4 cup (177 ml) sweetened full fat condensed milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C). Spray the interior of a 7-inch round spring form cake pan or a one-piece 7 inch round cake pan with cooking oil spray and then line it with a large enough sheet of parchment paper so that it completely covers the interior of the cake pan. Press the parchment paper as much as possible into the sides of the pan so that it sticks to the sides of the pan and doesn’t cause too many indents in the final cake. If you are using a springform pan, you must line your cake pan with a single sheet of parchment paper otherwise, the batter will leak through. See notes for more details on the pans.
- Add all ingredients to a food processor. Blend on high speed until you have a smooth batter. Pause a few times to scrape the sides of the food processor with a spatula to make sure all the ingredients are incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Place the cake into the oven and bake for about 30-35 minutes or until the cake is mostly set and is lightly caramelized on the surface. It's okay if the center is still a little jiggly. You can cook the cake a few minutes longer for a more caramelized appearance but watch the cake closely so that the edges don't burn.
- Let the cheesecake cool and set before eating. As it cools, the cake will deflate. The cake can be enjoyed soon after it is fully cooled but for the best flavor I recommend refrigerating the cake for a few hours. This helps the flavors develop better and it also will help the cake set firmer so that it is easier to cut and serve. Store any uneaten cake in the fridge.
Notes
- Cake pan. The cheesecake can be baked in a one-piece 7-inch cake pan or a springform pan. Make sure to line with parchment paper for both. For the springform pan it is important because the batter is very thin and will leak. For a one-piece pan, using a single sheet of parchment paper will make it easier to lift the cake out. However, if you want the edges to look a little smoother, you can grease the interior bottom and sides and only line the bottom with a parchment round. This is the method I use. You will need to loosen the sides of the cake after it is cooled and turn it upside down onto a plate and then flip it again onto another plate to get it to be right side up again.
- Make sure the parchment paper that lines the cake isn't too high above the cake pan. It should not be any more than 1 inch above the cake pan. If it is too tall, it may get too close to the top of the oven. If it is too tall it can also prevent the heat from reaching the cake properly.
- Cream cheese. I recommend using Philadelphia brand cream cheese. I've tried many other brands and found that other brands often leave little lumps in the batter that are hard to remove.
- Carrot puree. You can use homemade carrot puree or store-bought. For store-bought, I used Gerber carrot puree (yes the one that is made for babies). Just make sure it is just water and carrots in the ingredient list. Because store-bought carrot puree is much runnier, only use 1/3 cup (80 grams) instead of 1/2 cup. Your cake will come out a lighter shade of orange and the carrot flavor won't be as prominent but it does save time to use store-bought.
- To make your own homemade carrot puree:
- Wash, peel and trim 2 medium carrots and cut into thin round slices (1/4 inch thick). Measure out 1 cup of sliced carrots (123 grams).
- Steam or boil the carrots until they are very, very soft. When you stick a fork into it, it should go in easily and start to fall apart. I steamed mine at high pressure in the Instant Pot for 4 minutes.
- Place the cooked carrots into a blender or a small food processor (I used a blender as I think it is more powerful and better for purees). Add 2 tbsp of water and blend the carrots with the water. You will need to scrape the sides of your blender several times to help the blender blend. Add more water, 1 tbsp at a time, as needed. And blend and scrape after each addition. I needed 4 tbsp of water total. You may need 5 tbsp total but I would avoid using any more than 5 because you don't want your puree to be too watery. You want to use the minimum water amount needed to get a thick, smooth puree. When you are done, you should be left with 1/2 cup (with a tiny bit extra) of puree. Measure out 1/2 cup for the recipe. See photo in post for the texture of the puree.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
Made this with Ube condensed milk and mashed Japanese sweet potatoes because I had them on hand, recipe was a success. Thank you for the recipe :)! 100% will make again
I’m so glad it worked out for you!