Foolproof Basque Cheesecake Recipe – Cookie and Kate

63 Feedback

Behold, my favourite luscious dessert! This cheesecake recipe hails from the Basque area of Spain—particularly, from a restaurant known as La Viña, the place contemporary cheesecakes line the partitions and scent like heaven.

Truthfully, I’m unsure why this cheesecake (tarta de queso in Spanish) known as Basque cheesecake over right here. We must always name it La Viña cheesecake or Santiago Rivera’s cheesecake to present full credit score to the person who created the idea in 1990.

We loved the true deal on our honeymoon in San Sebastián in 2019. We spent the night wandering via the previous a part of city, sampling pintxos and sipping marvelous cheap white wine in every single place we went, as you do in San Sebastián. I insisted that we make room for the magical, legendary cheesecake at La Viña, so we adopted our noses across the nook till we discovered it.

Quick-forward just a few years, and we’re sleep-deprived with a child at house. My husband introduced house a shock Basque cheesecake from an area store. We’ve been obsessively recreating it at house ever since, making an attempt completely different strategies and proportions. I’m tremendous excited to share the perfected recipe with you at this time.

6 Causes to Love Basque Cheesecake

Earlier than we get to the recipe, right here’s why you’ll love Basque cheesecake. It’s an expertise!

1. Basque cheesecake is remarkably scrumptious. It’s creamy, wealthy, and tangy with a deeply caramelized crust on prime that gives tons of taste.
2. Basque cheesecake is the simplest of do-it-yourself cheesecakes. In case you have the components, you can make it on a whim for any event—for Valentine’s Day, a celebratory dinner, a potluck with mates, or simply as a enjoyable weekend mission. Simply understand that it’s going to want about an hour to chill, and it’s a fantastic recipe to make a day forward if that timing works for you.
3. No water tub required for Basque cheesecake. Certainly, we need the highest to crack. Embrace it!
4. There’s no crust to fuss with. Once more, embrace the expertise. With the quantity of taste within the caramelized prime, you received’t miss it.
5. It’s not too candy. Conventional cheesecake may be means too candy, and Basque cheesecake shouldn’t be overwhelming in that means. The recipe under presents a variety for sugar content material so you may make it fit your style buds.
6. Basque cheesecake freezes effectively. Retailer any leftover cheesecake within the freezer for a number of months, or bake an additional to have available in your subsequent celebratory event. You possibly can lower the cheesecake even when it’s frozen, so you possibly can pull out a slice any time you’d like.

Basque Cheesecake Elements

Right here’s what you’ll have to make this excellent cheesecake:

Cream Cheese

Like different cheesecakes, this Basque cheesecake depends on cream cheese for its heft, creaminess and tang. You’ll want two kilos for this recipe, which is 4 eight-ounce blocks of cream cheese. Don’t substitute “cream cheese unfold” or whipped cream cheese for this recipe.

Sugar

Plain previous sugar is greatest right here. I attempted making the recipe with honey, and it merely wasn’t pretty much as good or as creamy. For a calmly candy cheesecake that also tastes like a deal with, use one and one-fourth cups sugar. For extra conventional sweetness, add one other one-fourth cup. Sweetness is subjective, however we discovered the sweetness cloying once we used nearer to 2 cups.

Heavy Cream

Heavy cream thins out the cream cheese combination with out watering it down. We’ll want one pint of heavy cream for this recipe. We’ll use a portion of it upfront with the cream cheese to assist combine it, then we’ll add the remaining later.

Eggs

Cheesecake depends on eggs for construction. A half-dozen eggs is good; seven eggs tastes distractingly eggy.

Vanilla Extract

Whereas technically non-obligatory, a lightweight splash of vanilla ramps up the flavour a bit.

Flour

A small quantity of flour absorbs extra moisture, which turns into extra obvious the subsequent day. You may have a number of choices. All-purpose flour works effectively, as does sifted entire wheat flour (unsifted will go away little flecks of bran in your cheesecake). To make the cheesecake gluten free, we efficiently used Bob’s Purple Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour.

Watch Find out how to Make Foolproof Basque Cheesecake

Basque Cheesecake Ideas

Let Basque cheesecake be.

I attempted a number of variations of Basque cheesecake—with added orange zest, honey as an alternative of sugar, Greek yogurt as an alternative of cream cheese, macerated strawberries on prime, and so forth. Basque cheesecake is really greatest served plain. With the caramelized prime, it isn’t boring in any means. It’s a delight! If you wish to add some presentation worth, attempt serving with a ripe pink strawberry on the facet.

Use a meals processor or combine on low.

For the very best texture, keep away from whipping air into the batter or over-mixing the batter. That is key! Use a massive meals processor you probably have it (minimal 12 cups capability) or a mixer on low pace. The low mixing pace may take just a few additional minutes, nevertheless it’s well worth the wait.

Know when it’s accomplished.

Bake till the cheesecake is deeply golden brown on prime and nonetheless very jiggly within the middle, about 60 to 65 minutes. As soon as cooled, the middle will solidify effectively sufficient to slice, and the highest will deflate and switch darker and extra shiny.

Beneficial Tools

In case you bake considerably usually, you’ll most likely have all the pieces you want for this recipe. You actually do want these things to bake Basque cheesecake at house (the hyperlinks are affiliate hyperlinks):

Massive meals processor or mixer

Use a big meals processor (minimal 12 cups—I used my Vitamix meals processor attachment), or a stand mixer (good offers on KitchenAid at Goal proper now!), or a hand mixer with a big mixing bowl (I’m a fan of this 7-speed mixer). I attempted making this cheesecake by hand and it was so troublesome that I gave up.

Parchment paper

You’ll want parchment paper for lining the pan. With out parchment paper, your cheesecake will overflow into the oven!

Springform pan

Lastly, you’ll want a 9-inch springform pan for baking the cheesecake. The springform pan is the best peak and likewise means that you can simply take away the edges earlier than serving.

In case you solely have a 10-inch springform pan, that may seemingly work. Your cheesecake may be accomplished a bit sooner, so keep watch over it because the time approaches and comply with the visible cues offered. I don’t suggest substituting a cake pan for this recipe, as the edges are most likely too quick.

Find out how to Serve Basque Cheesecake

Basque cheesecake, like most baked items, tastes even higher the subsequent day. The flavors grow to be extra complicated and effectively developed. Make the cheesecake prematurely you probably have the time.

Some recommend serving Basque cheesecake at room temperature. I like this cheesecake served wherever from calmly heat to straight-out-of-the-refrigerator chilled. I even prefer it straight out of the freezer. In different phrases, I’m not choosy concerning the temperature.

In case you’d like to brighten up the plate, merely serve your slices with a pink strawberry on the facet.

At La Viña, they typically serve the cheesecake with a glass of candy Pedro Jimenez sherry. I really like this cheesecake with a glass of dry white wine, like an Albariño or Sauvignon Blanc, or a dry rosé. You would additionally attempt a dry, funky cider such as you’ll discover in San Sebastián. We love ANXO cider.

Extra Dessert Recipes to Strive

In case you take pleasure in this cheesecake recipe, attempt these as effectively:

Please let me understand how your Basque cheesecake seems within the feedback! I really like listening to from you.

Print