As a cheesecake lover, and one who also likes baking them, I was blown away when I first saw a Basque Burnt Cheesecake; and now, maybe because of my Instagram usage, they seem to be popping up everywhere. They are easy, kinda fun to make and bake, can be made gluten free, and, given the manner in which they are baked, have a casual elegance all their own. And did I say so creamy smooth?
Let’s go!!!
BASQUE BURNT CHEESECAKE
courtesy bonappetit.com
This recipe is scaled for a 10″ springform pan. That size is not carried in most cooking stores; I found one at Amazon.
INGREDIENTS
Unsalted butter (for the pan)
2 lb. cream cheese, room temperature
1½ cups sugar
6 large eggs, room temperature
2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup all-purpose flour (or a gluten free 1-1 substitute)
DIRECTIONS
Place a rack in middle of the oven; preheat the oven to to 400°.
Butter the pan, then line with 2 overlapping 16×12″ sheets of parchment, 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 the pan, you won’t end up with a clean, smooth outer edge to the cake; that’s okay!
Place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet.
Beat the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-low speed, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, until very smooth, no lumps remain, and the sugar has dissolved; about 2 minutes.
Increase speed to medium and add eggs one at a time, beating each egg 15 seconds before adding the next. Scrape down sides of bowl, then reduce the mixer speed to medium-low. Add cream, salt, and vanilla and beat until combined, about 30 seconds.
Turn off mixer and sift flour evenly over cream cheese mixture. Beat on low speed until incorporated, about 15 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl (yet again) and continue to beat until batter is very smooth, homogenous, and silky, about 10 seconds.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake the cheesecake until deeply golden brown on top and still very jiggly in the center, 60–65 minutes.
Let cool slightly (it will fall drastically as it cools), then release the springform pan. Let cool completely. Carefully peel away parchment from sides of cheesecake. Slice into wedges and serve at room temperature.
SUGGESTIONS
The “Bon Appetit” published recipe calls for serving with a glass of sherry. I’ve not tried that, but hey, nothing wrong with sherry.
If you choose to top the cheesecake, or each slice, with a topping of some kind, keep in mind that by it’s very nature, the cheesecake will have a slightly burnt, caramelized taste to it. A heavier sauce – caramel, caramel pecan, butterscotch, or the like – will serve you better than something light, berrylike, or citrusy. Toasted pecans or almonds would be nice.
As noted above, because the parchment is pleated to make it fit the pan, the outside of the cake will not be smooth, nor will the color be uniform. I like to describe it as ‘casual elegance’; it makes a great presentation.
never 2 old 2 start cooking 