Active Time
10 minutes
Total Time
75 minutes (plus cooling)
Burnt Basque cheesecake is the antithesis of American-style or New York cheesecakes. It wants to cook at a high temperature without the protection of a water bath. It wants to get browned and crack, to soufflé high and then deflate. It eschews a crust, instead forming its own where heat and surface area meet. In essence, all the things that make BA’s Best Cheesecake so great are the exact wrong things to do here. What does that mean? It’s virtually impossible to mess up this easy recipe.
Molly Baz made a few tweaks to the famous version served at La Viña in Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain. She added a bit more flour to ensure the eggy cake’s center would set, dropped the sugar, and added some vanilla and salt. “The final recipe is jiggly and cloud-like, wet but not pudding-wet, burnt on purpose for a caramelized [surface], and barely sweet,” explains Alex Beggs. “Like a galette, it’s rustic and therefore perfectly imperfect. It forgives you for your sins. I need that kind of cheesecake in my life.” Don’t we all?
Cream cheese is key to the rich cheesecake batter—you will need two pounds of it (that’s four packages of Philadelphia’s finest), and don’t try swapping in low- or non-fat versions. Be sure to remove the cake from the oven while the center still jiggles; it will continue to cook and then set as it cools. In keeping with the theme of simplicity, you can make this a day in advance and refrigerate it—just leave time for it to come up to room temp before serving.
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What you’ll need
10" Springform Pan
$19 $15 At Amazon
Stand Mixer
$330 $240 At Amazon
Mesh Sieve
$13 At Amazon
Rimmed Baking Sheet
$26 At Amazon
Parchment Paper
$3 At Amazon
Ingredients
12–16 servings
2
1½
6
2
1
1
⅓
Special Equipment
Preparation
Step 1
Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 400°. Brush pan with unsalted butter, then line with 2 overlapping 16x12" sheets of parchment paper, making sure parchment comes at least 2" above top of pan on all sides. Because the parchment needs to be pleated and creased in some areas to fit in pan, you won’t end up with a clean, smooth outer edge to the cake; that’s okay! Place pan on a rimmed baking sheet.
Step 2
Beat 2 lb. cream cheese, room temperature, and 1½ cups (300 g) sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-low speed, scraping down sides of the bowl, until very smooth, no lumps remain, and sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes. (You can also use a large bowl with a hand mixer on medium low-speed, but you may need to continue beating for a few extra minutes to dissolve sugar.)
Step 3
Increase speed to medium and add 6 large eggs, one egg at a time, beating until each egg is incorporated, about 15 seconds, before adding the next. Scrape down sides of bowl, then reduce mixer speed to medium-low. Add 2 cups heavy cream, 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and 1 tsp. vanilla extract and beat until combined, about 30 seconds.
Step 4
Turn off mixer and sift ⅓ cup (42 g) all-purpose flour evenly over cream cheese mixture using a fine-mesh sieve. Beat on low speed until incorporated, about 15 seconds. Scrape down sides of the bowl (yet again) and continue to beat until batter is very smooth, homogenous, and silky, about 10 seconds.
Step 5
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake cheesecake until deeply golden brown on top and still very jiggly in the center, 60–65 minutes.
Step 6
Let cool slightly (cake will collapse drastically as it cools), then unmold. Let cool completely. Carefully peel away parchment from sides of cheesecake. Slice into wedges and serve at room temperature, preferably with a glass of sherry alongside.
Do Ahead: Basque cheesecake can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Let cheesecake sit at room temperature for several hours to remove chill before serving.
Editor’s note: This Basque-style cheesecake was first printed online in January 2019 as “Basque Burnt Cheesecake.” Head this way for more of our favorite Easter desserts →
Leave a Review
Reviews (559)
Back to TopI followed every single step of the recipe, the ingredients, the measurements and my batter was not thick enough. I added more flour but it wasn’t thick enough. I thought well, it has to turn out great, I followed all the steps! Sadly, after more than one hour of cooking in the oven the whole cheesecake is too jiggly. I am afraid to cut it because it will just run out like a runny egg.
Anonymous
Boston
5/8/2024
Delicious, easy, beautiful - what more could you ask for? I followed the recipe exactly and we've eaten half the damn cheesecake in one day. Will definitely be on permanent rotation.
Artemis Rex
Seattle WA
4/8/2024
Amazing!! This cheesecake is so easy, but looks so striking and beautiful. Not to mention it is absolutely delicious. I will definitely be making this again.
Nicki D
Dallas, TX
3/31/2024
This was absolutely delicious. Creamy on the inside , with a caramelized crust on the outside. It was also one of the easiest recipes I've made in a long time. The trick is just to keep your eye on the oven for the last 15 minutes of baking. This is just because every oven is different... I highly recommend a couple of minor changes I made: In addition to the vanilla extract, I added 1 tsp almond extract plus the zest of one orange. The orange and almond are traditional Basque flavourings, and they really added a lot to the flavour of the cheesecake. My guests said they couldn't imagine the cake without them.
Daphne
Toronto, Canada
3/27/2024
Absolutely love this version of cheesecake. I tastes like an adult version with salted caramel overtones. Not too sweet!
David M. Kraus
Seminole, FL
2/11/2024
It is the best cheesecake I have ever had. It is so creamy, much like a mixture of cheese cake and cream brulee. My son made it because he knows how much I love cheesecake but this will be my favorite of all times.
Becky Warren
Lincolnton, North Carolina
2/6/2024
divine. absolutely delicious!! so easy to prep and fun to make. you could totally top this with a berry sauce, whipped cream, and powdered sugar for a more elevated and refreshing taste. awesome by itself too though!!
dori
chicago
2/2/2024
I've made this recipe about 12 times now so I pretty much have figured out what works best for my hot, dry oven. 45 minutes in the oven is the max for mine but I like to take it out at 40 minutes for the creamier center. The first cheesecake I made was a big fail because I followed this exact recipe shown here. My cheesecake came out dry, too salty and quite BURNT, and not in a good way. Wish they didn't say that it's supposed to be "burnt" because not knowing this type of cheesecake I took that literally and thought it was fine UNTIL the top started smoking, lol. Anyway, for my liking, I found that this recipe adds too much flour (one eights of a cup is enough) and too much salt (cream cheese is already very salty so I add none) than it actually needs. Also, don't make the mistake of using cheap store brand cream cheese. You won't get the best cheesecake and yes, it makes a huge difference. Hands down this is now my favorite cheesecake recipe with the few tweaks I made for my particular oven and taste.
Cheesecake Mama
1/21/2024
The third time I’m using this recipe - the cheesecake is luscious, rich, and very satisfying. It is easy to mix up and lining the pan with parchment is a lifesaver. This is the best!!!
Ree
Carmel, NY
1/13/2024
Divine!
Zane
Palestinr
1/1/2024
This is the most amazing cheesecake I’ve ever made (and one of the most delicious things period). Also amazing to read the negative reviews because clearly those people have never tried a basque cheesecake - LOL!
Kim Z
Los Angeles, CA
12/25/2023
Super easy, super delicious. Make it!
Jim Govoni
Cape Cod
12/22/2023
This is my absolute favorite cheesecake and everyone I have made it for, agrees. I now make it in 6 inch pans in air fryer and it is done in 30 minutes, start to finish and perfect to give to friends. It needs no extras, but I always give a few like fruit, lemon curd, caramel sauce.
Gumbamania
Milwaukee WI
10/7/2023
I make a similar recipe but no flour. I bake it on a wire rack on a sheet pan., this keeps it from burning the bottom. I have never missed with it.
Mika Scandif
Brooklyn NY
9/22/2023
This is one of the best cheesecakes I have ever made. Subtle but flavourful, light and,not too sweet. Delicious without embellishment and excellent with a glass of Madeira. I did make a nectarine puree, but mostly for a sort-of-chefy looking plate, with daubs and streaks and such. Too much YouTube. Save the time and fruit and serve naked.
Rainey
Toronto Ontario
9/15/2023