Basque Cheesecake Recipe: A Culinary Gift From San Sebastián, Spain (7 Ingredients) by Jan Mostrom

My daughter lives in Europe and has told me how much she loves Basque “burnt” cheesecake. Naturally, I had to try to make this European recipe the last time she came home. The result? My daughter and our friends and family gave the cheesecake recipe rave reviews. I loved this creamy Basque cheesecake recipe because it is so easy to make. Plus, it's actually high in protein, too (check out the health benefits of protein).

The "burnt" in the name comes from the appearance of burning on the top of the cheesecake, but don’t let that deceive you. The top becomes caramelized and the inside is light and fluffy yet not too rich. Basque cheesecake has no crust and is easily made gluten-free. This cheesecake comes together in less than an hour, but it needs refrigeration time so it's best made the day before you want to eat it.

To make this Spanish cheesecake for your family, you'll need the following ingredients: cream cheese, mascarpone cheese, granulated sugar, eggs, heavy cream, fine sea salt and flour (all-purpose or gluten-free flour for a gluten-free dessert). 

Serve this crustless cheesecake for dessert after just about any dinner with a cup of coffee or milk. Or maybe a delicious glass of port wine?

Fun Fact: Basque cheesecake was created by Chef Santiago Rivera in the 1990s at the La Viña restaurant in San Sebastián, Spain.

Cuisine: Basque / European / Spanish
Prep Time: 15 minutes plus 6 hours to chill
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes plus chill time
Servings: 10

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds cream cheese (3 8-ounce boxes)
• 8 ounces mascarpone cheese
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 3/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• pinch of fine sea salt
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour

Here's how to make it: 

1. Preheat the oven with the rack in the center to 425 degrees F. Line a 9- or 10-inch springform pan with two sheets of parchment paper, overhanging the edges by 2 to 3 inches. Crisscross the parchment and leave the edges up.
   
2. In a large mixing bowl, add the cream cheese and mascarpone cheese. Blend with a stand mixer or hand mixer until smooth.
   
3. Add the sugar slowly and keep blending with the mixer.
   
4. Add the eggs and then the yolks, one at a time, blending well in between each one.
   
5. Blend in the cream and the salt.
   
6. Add the flour and blend well.
   
7. Pour batter into the parchment paper (pull the edges up) and place carefully into the oven. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, depending on how soft you like the inside of your cheesecake. When fully baked, the cheesecake will be dark brown and cracked on top but still a bit jiggly in the middle.
   
8. Remove the pan from the oven and set on a cooling rack for 1 hour. After cooling, place the cheesecake (in the pan) into the refrigerator to cool for at least 6 hours but up to 24. One hour before you are ready to serve, remove the cheesecake from the fridge and loosen the springform to transfer to a cake plate.
   
9. Serve plain or with whipped topping and enjoy! Store the cheesecake covered in the refrigerator.
   

Recipe cooking times, nutritional information and servings are approximate and provided for your convenience. However, 30Seconds is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe, nor may you have the same results because of variations in ingredients, temperatures, altitude, errors, omissions or cooking/baking abilities. Any nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and it is up to the individual to ascertain accuracy. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography.

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