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4.82 from 11 votes

Basque Burnt Cheesecake

This unique looking cheesecake is creamy and light. It's easier to make than traditional cheesecake.
Servings: 10
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
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Ingredients

  • 1 lb (2 blocks) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 3/4 cup granulated white sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 tsp table salt
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp + 2 tsp all-purpose flour

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray the interior of an 8-inch round springform pan with cooking spray and then line it with a large enough sheet of parchment paper so that it completely covers the interior of the cake pan and also comes up 2 inches above the pan. (You can trim the edges that are too high with scissors.) Press, pleat and crease the parchment paper as needed so that it sticks to the interior edges.
  • In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, add cream cheese and sugar. Beat with paddle attachment at medium speed until light and smooth. Scrape down bowl with spatula as needed to evenly mix.
  • Add eggs, one at a time, beating until one egg is completely incorporated before adding the next egg. Scrape down sides as needed.
  • Add heavy cream, salt, vanilla. Mix at medium speed until fully incorporated and batter is smooth.
  • Sift in flour. Switching to the whisk attachment, whisk at medium high speed until batter is smooth and no flour lumps remain (about 1 minute). Because of how thin the batter was, I had difficultly mixing out all the lumps so I also used a hand whisk and mixed for a few seconds at the end to remove any lumps.
  • Pour batter into prepared cake pan. Place cake pan on a baking sheet. Place cake into the oven and bake about 60-65 minutes or until surface turns a dark brown and center is still jiggly.
  • Let cake cool at room temperature. The cake will deflate about 1 inch when it cools. Refrigerate the cake overnight to let it set and so the flavors can fully develop. Let the cake come to room temperature before cutting and serving.

Notes

  • Slightly adapted from Bon Appetit.
  • Make sure to fully soften the cream cheese for several hours at room temperature before using. I prefer using Philadelphia brand cream cheese.
  • You don't need a flour sifter to sift the flour. I use a small wire mesh strainer.
  • Your oven rack should be positioned around the middle of your oven. This should give your cake pan enough room without the parchment paper touching the top and allow the cake cook in the top half of the oven so that the surface gets enough color.
  • You must cover the entire cake pan with one sheet of parchment paper because otherwise the batter will leak through the bottom of the springform pan.
  • If you don't own a springform cake pan or don't want the cake to have cracked and uneven edges, this cake can be made in an 8 inch round cake pan but the cake will not be as fluffy (see post for details). The photos in this post of the full cake are using an 8 inch round cake pan. If making in a round cake pan, you do not need to cover the cake pan in one single sheet of parchment paper. Instead, you can cover the bottom with a round sheet and then use a separate sheet for the edges, making sure the parchment paper around the edges is about 4 inches in height as the cake will initially rise quite high before deflating as it cools.
  • You should refrigerate the cake, which lets the cheese flavor develop more fully. The cake does not taste as rich if it is served right away.
  • For the springform pan, I used Hiware 8 inch springform cake pan.*
  • For the round cake pan, I used Fat Daddio 8 x 4 inch round cake pan.*
  • *This product link is an affiliate link. This means I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases (at no extra charge to you).
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
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