I know, you guys are probably thinking Jenna, you’re really giving us a recipe for BURNT cheesecake?? Well it isn’t just any old “oops I baked it too long” cheesecake because this is a Basque Burnt Cheesecake and it is completely intentional!
What is a basque burnt cheesecake?
I’m going to explain this right up front so you don’t think this is an April fools joke. Yes this is for real, an intentionally burnt cheesecake.
This burnt basque cheesecake originates in Basque Country (hence the name). It’s a crustless cheesecake that’s starting to become a trend in the US.
The cheesecake is baked at a high temperature in order to get that beautiful burnt exterior and super creamy interior. It’s more traditional to have a custard-like center but I tweaked this recipe for a more solid texture.
This reason why it’s so good is the same reason why creme brulee is. The bitterness of the burnt exterior mixed with the sweet and creamy interior help to balance each other out. Kind of like salty and sweet desserts!
Prepping your pan for the burnt basque cheesecake
Everything about this cheesecake recipe is unique, starting with how you prep the pan.
For starters, there’s no crust so we don’t have to pre-bake or prepare for that first step.
Instead, you coat the entire pan with butter. Then, press in one layer of parchment paper so the sides stick up. Smear on another layer of butter and press in one more layer of parchment paper.
You want to make sure the paper reaches about 2 inches above the pan as this cheesecake puffs up quite a bit as it bakes.
Also fold in the wrinkles to get the edges as smooth as possible. It doesn’t have to be perfect. The more “rustic” style looks good on this cheesecake!
The easiest cheesecake you’ll ever make in your life
I don’t know about you, but baking cheesecake stresses me out. Between the careful mixing and the water bath, there’s just so many things that can go wrong.
Enter cheesecake’s alter ego. Seriously, it is so hard to mess up this basque burnt cheesecake recipe. It consists of a very short list of ingredients and it’s almost impossible to over bake it…cause…you know…it’s burnt and all.
To make burnt basque cheesecake, you mix up the ingredients, pour it into your pan, and bake. No water bath, no temperature changes, just let it do it’s thing. Talk about a low maintenance recipe.
Serving your basque burnt cheesecake
It’s traditional to serve it at room temperature as opposed to regular cheesecake. Let it cool in the pan, remove, slice, and serve. That’s a far cry from the hours we spend waiting for cheesecake to set up in the fridge.
This is where I didn’t stick to tradition. I let my cheesecake chill in the fridge overnight out of habit. It still gave me a super creamy center so it’s really up to you as to when you’d like to serve it!
Top it with fruit, chocolate, whipped cream, caramel…whatever you’re feelin’. This cheesecake is a blank slate that can be enjoyed alone or with a little something extra.
For more cheesecake recipes, check out my:
Make sure to tag me @butternutbakery on Instagram if you make this Burnt Basque Cheesecake Recipe. I love seeing my recipes come to life in YOUR kitchen! To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can use the button on the recipe card, the buttons above or below this post, or on any of the photos above. And if you have any questions, ask me on Instagram! That’s the best way to reach me. Happy baking!
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Basque Burnt Cheesecake
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 9” cheesecake 1x
Description
This basque burnt cheesecake is intentionally burnt to give a bitter outer layer and extra creamy inside. It’s the easiest cheesecake you will ever make!
Ingredients
- 2 lb cream cheese, room temp
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups heavy cream
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400F and butter the inside of a 9″ springform pan.
- Press two layers of parchment paper into the bottom and up the sides. They should stick up about 2 inches above the edge of the pan.
- Cream together the cream cheese and sugar on medium low speed using a hand or stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
- Mix in the eggs one at a time on low speed and then the vanilla.
- Pour the heavy cream in a slow and steady stream while the mixer is on low speed. Once smooth, sift in your flour and salt and fold to combine.
- Bake for 60-65 minutes or until the top is completely burnt and it has a slight jiggle to it.
- Let it cool to room temperature for about an hour then remove from the pan and slice. You can also leave it in the pan and place it in the fridge for a couple hours to completely set (my personal preference). Enjoy!
Keywords: cheesecake, burnt basque cheesecake, basque burnt cheesecake
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will this work with a crushed biscuit base?
Unfortunately the crust will burn…which is ironic because the whole cheesecake is burnt! But the crust will burn too much to where it’ll be a bit too bitter.
Can bake without parchment paper ?
The parchment paper is there to keep the outside from getting TOO burnt and sticking to the pan. You can definitely try it bit I recommend sticking with parchment paper!
HI Jenna,
I left it in the pan to cool about 40 min to let it firm up before removing it from the pan. Then I noticed it was wet at the bottom. so wet i had to pour the water out (about 5-10cc) I wonder if that was the water condensation from cooling? I did put the cheesecake on the cooling rack. How do I avoid this the next time? It seems impossible to remove it from the pan right away because it was very very soft right out of the oven. Thanks.
Try letting it cool in the fridge after it’s had about an hour to cool at room temp. This will help it set. The wetness could be due to the brand of cream cheese used. I’ve found there’s tons of variation when baking cheesecakes so I always stick with Philadelphia.
Hi Jenna,
Does that means cake has to be all the way in the pan while setting it in fridge?
Yep, keep it in the pan and place it in the fridge. The parchment paper will prevent it from sticking.
Hi. Can I use table cream and a little heavy whipping cream?
Yes that should be OK
Tried out this recipe however its taste turned out to be too egg-y. Tasted like egg tart, some feedback collected. Can this cake be made reducing it by 1 egg?
Oh that’s odd…did you use large eggs? You can try using one less egg next time.
Used coconut flour and all looked well but after cooling and removing from pan it was more or less a gooey mess. Let cool on wire rack 1hr and then transferred to fridge..??
Due to the coconut flour, it would have helped to chill the cheesecake before removing it from the pan. Since coconut flour lacks gluten, the cheesecake can’t hold together as well. I hope this helps!
Can I make this in a insta pot?!
Unfortunately not! You won’t get that burnt exterior in an instant pot 🙂
This sounds and looks amazing! Do I bake it in the middle rack or should I go lower to prevent the top from burning too much?
Middle rack will be fine!
Can i use 5 medium eggs instead?
Use 6 medium eggs
Hey…
Can I know if the heavy cream is cold or room temp? thank you
It can be either
Hi, I have made this delicious cheesecake a number of times now and it is always a hit.
How does it go baking it in individual tins instead of the large tin?
I’m not sure. Depending on the sizes of the tins it could make about 4 cheesecakes. I would try baking for half the time.
Can I use whipping cream instead of heavy cream?
Yes, heavy whipping cream and heavy cream are the same thing 🙂
I halved the recipe as my cake pan was smaller. The taste and texture were pretty good as I followed the advise on cooling and yes, the chilled version tasted much better. I have to reduce the baking time to 40 minutes next time as 50 minutes bake time was probably too much as the top was really dark brown, not bitter but very dark brown in colour. Thanks very much for sharing this recipe!
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how did you make the burnt looked glossy brown? Mine looked dry and crack? Overall tasted good. It was a success, tks.
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can I use double cream or whipping cream- since there’s not heavy cream or heavy whipping cream around where I’m from? ☺️
Yep it’s all the same thing 🙂
Hi Jenna,
Love your recipes….I tried this Burnt Cheesecake and its a winner!!! Do you think I can add some cheese or salted caramel to change the flavor a bit?
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Hi jenna, ..yup its me again 😀. i hv tried this full recipe thrice & always a hit! I’d like to mk half the recipe, so what size pan should i use?
Hi Jenna
Can I use whipped cream instead of heavy cream
You can use heavy whipping cream as it’s the same thing. As long as it isn’t already whipped.
hello !! can i use milk instead of heavy cream? wanting to make this for my mothers birthday❤️
Yes that’s ok!
My sister in law made this for us and it was so good, I want to make it again! Any suggestions on how to make this less rich/lower calorie?
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Since I haven’t tested any of these modifications, you could try my low carb raspberry cheesecake bars instead 🙂
Hi can I use the whisk attachment on my hand beater instead of the paddle attachment, as my mixer doesn’t have the paddle attachment.
Yep that’s fine! Just be careful and mix as low as possible.
Perfect. Thank you. Just made this and everyone loved it!
Can i use a normal cake pan instead of springform one
Yes, just make sure the parchment paper hangs over so you can lift the cheesecake out when it’s baked and chilled.
Hi, how much of amount of the ingredients do I have to use when I’m using a 6 inch spring form pan.
You can try cutting the recipe in half, but the cheesecake will not be as tall as the pictures here.
Hi if i am using a 8inch pan can i know how much ingredient do i need?
8 inches should be ok, you just may have to omit a cup or two of the batter.
Hi jenna! Im kinda new to baking and dont really understand about the hear selection. Do i bake this with top/ upper heat? Is it true that baking uses top heat only? Thanks 🙂
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No you do not need to broil this cheesecake. Just make it like you would any other dessert!
Hi, can I use all purpose cream for this recipe? Or will the texture be different? Thank you!
Yes, any cream is fine
Can i use cooking cream instead of heavy cream?
Yes any cream should work
Hi Jenna, tried baking this for two times now, buy we noticed that the sides of the cheesecake did not burn compared to the top. Why is that? Thank you
The sides may not burn as much as the top is it is covered in parchment paper as well as the pan walls. As long as the top is nice and burnt it’s ok 🙂
Ok. But why are the most cheesecake that I’m seeing in the internet is burnt on the top and the sides as well? Does the spring form pan has an effect to this? We’ve only use an ordinary round pan on it.
Hi Jenna, can I use self-raising flour instead? What changes do I need to do if I’m using self-rasing flour
I don’t recommend using self-rising flour because leaveners will add lift to the cheesecake.
Hello Jenna! Thank you for this recipe 🙂 Do you think it’ll be okay if I bake this in an aluminum foil pan? Do I need to or should I still put parchment paper before baking? Thank you.
Yes use parchment paper, otherwise the cheesecake will stick 🙂
Hi Jenna,
If I half everyhing to fit in a 6 in pan, will the baking time change as well as the cooling process? Thank you!
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You may need to drop the baking time by about 20 minutes 🙂
Hi! I use greek yogurt when i make the normal cheesecake coz i love the tangy taste. Can i also use greek yogurt here instead of the cream? Thanks
Hi – Greek yogurt is a great substitution for sour cream but not heavy cream. They have very different tastes and consistencies.
Can i use 1/2 cup of condense milk and 1 cup of sugar?
I haven’t tested it so I can guarantee it will turn out the same.
Hi! I want to make this in 4” springform pans. How long should I bake them? Thanks a lot!
Hmm I’m not sure. Maybe half the time?
Dear Jenna
Do you mind to convert ingredients recipe to metric measurement? Greatly appreciated. Looking forward to my first time baking Basque Burnt Cheesecake.
Hi Jenna should I bake with top and bottom heat or just bottom?
Just bottom is fine!
Hi Jenna, 2 questions. Can i use brown sugar as substitute tl white? Which is better set up for oven, with or without fan? Thanks
Brown sugar may make the cake a bit grainy so definitely stick with the white sugar. I also suggest not using the fan.
I followed your recipe religiously but after cooling in the fridge the cake seemed to have deflated . Like squatty . It’s not as tall as your photo. Why is that? I used 9” springform pan too.
It could be that it just needed a bit longer in the oven. Some ovens run a bit lower than others, so yours may have needed an extra 15-20 minutes.
Tried the recipe and it tastes great. I’ve reduced it to half recipe. Although the burnt part may not look exactly as in the photo but generally it’s ok. Probably need some adjustment on my oven 🙂 It is certainly easy to make. Thanks for the great recipe
★★★★★
Thanks for sharing!!
Do the eggs also need to be room temp? Thank you.
It’s not absolutely necessary but it helps if they are!
Hi! If I use a 7” springform pan, how long should I bake it?
I would omit some of the batter and bake it for about 20 minutes less.
Can I use this recipe for nyc cheesecake?
I actually have a recipe for NYC cheesecake 🙂
Hello Jenna,
Instead of the all purpose flour, is it ok to use wheat flour or oat flour? Thanks.
I recommend all purpose as it has a finer texture than oat or whole wheat
I’ve made this a number of times and always a hit. Last time I put some zest of a lemon and Wow! Delish. I’m now going to try an orange. Wish me luck. Oh thank you for this recipe. So easy and so beautiful to look at.
★★★★★
Amazing! Best cheesecake ever. Put lemon zest and was delish. Going to try orange zest next time
★★★★★
I wonder if it’s possible to bake this cheesecake with a sugar substitute, such as stevia. I’m guessing it won’t “burn” the same way, as stevia doesn’t caramelize. What do you think?
I don’t recommend it as it could alter the taste of the cheesecake. The sugar is needed to balance out the tartness of the burnt bits and using too much stevia could leave an odd taste.
This cake is amazing! I’ve never wanted to attempt a cheesecake before but this was so easy and it tastes wonderful.
★★★★★
I have a glass baking pie plate also for making apple pie. Can I use this for the recipe?
Unfortunately not as it won’t be able to hold all of the batter.
Hi,
Do I use the convection setting on my oven or just regular baking? Thanks
Just regular!
The sides of mine did not rise as high. My oven did not distribute the heat evenly so one side is more burnt. The cake did split a little at the edges. Other than that it tasted great. I added some yuzu in the batter.
How do you test if its really cooked? When i baked it the last time, the middle part is still underbaked. It’s watery. I read that when its jiggly its cooked already but based on experience sometimes it works sometimes it does not. Even after putting it in the fridge. Any tips?
There’s a difference between a jiggle and a wobble. A wobble is like how a bowl of milk would move if you nudged the bowl. It’s loose and moves back and forth. A jiggle is tight but still has movement. You may be mistaking a wobble for a jiggle!
Hello, do the cream cheese, heavy cream and eggs need to be at room temperature?
Yes for the cream cheese, but the heavy cream and eggs can be either room temp or chilled.
This recipe works is great! I cut the sugar down to slightly over 1 cup and it still taste divine!
I used an 8 inch cake pan and filled the extras in silicon cups. The baking time for this was a bit off… the top started to over burn after 20 mins. I turned down the temperature to 180C and completely off once the top is fully burnt, took about 40 mins baking time. Tested it for a jiggle… and that was when i knew it was done.
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Loved this! My cheesecake really stuck to the parchment paper on the sides though making for a messy (not cute and rustic) presentation. Any tips or tricks you could suggest?
Oh weird! You can spray the parchment paper with nonstick spray next time. Hopefully that will help.
Hi Jenna,
Can I half the recipe and still use a 9 inch pan? For what temp and how long do you think I should bake it? Thank you i love this recipe!
★★★★★
It might end up over baking if you don’t use all of the batter, so I wouldn’t recommending halving it
Hi! Would just like to ask; which are the ingredients that will facilitate in the rising/puffing of the cake? I’ve tried different recipes and baked at different temperatures and I’ve not been able to achieve the look (high sides and collapsed center with a shiny surface) of your basque burnt cheesecake. Which factors cannot be discounted to achieve that look?
Since there are no leaveners in the recipe, it mainly relies on air and heat to rise. It could be that you’ve over mixed the batter, so it then puffs up and collapses. Or it could be that your oven isn’t hot enough. Make sure you use an oven thermometer to know exactly what temperature you’re baking at.
I have the oven at 230 degrees Celsius on convection. I see your cake puff on the sides and collapse in the center. I really like that look but mine doesn’t puff as much so the collapse isn’t as obvious. I’ll try to minimize mixing and see if that helps. Thank you.
Hi! I suggest that you use the conventional setting not the convection. Happy baking!
Hi! I use the conventional setting, top and bottom heat. My oven has 5 levels and i place the pan on the 3rd level. My cheesecake is dark golden brown at 40 mins, not more than that. Otherwise it becomes firm at the centre, which I do not like. So i guess it depends on your oven and your preference too. Happy baking!
Would the type of flour affect the rising? All purpose, cake flour and cornstarch. Thank you.
Hi! I use APF.
This is great and so easy to make! Would 1
recipe be able to make 2 6” cheesecakes?
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I haven’t tested it but it’s possible!
Hello. What can I do to prevent the top from cracking?
I also extended the baking time by 30 minutes because the top won’t burn.
Careful when you’re mixing! Very gently combine the ingredients. Over mixing creates tiny air bubbles in the batter and when baked, those air bubbles expand which causes cracking. As far as the top, try baking it a little higher up in the oven.
How to the make the cake creamy inside? I have tried to bake at the bottom level first then move to middle level for 10 min to burn the upper layer faster. But the interior part still fully baked and not creamy.
If I reduce the baking time, the upper layer still take time to become burnt, then after it ady burnt, the cake was fully baked.
Have you tried broiling the top? That should burn it faster to give you a creamier center.
Do you think adding flavours like lemon or matcha with this recipe would work?
Possibly! I’m not sure in what amounts though.
Hi Jenna, can I substitute 2pounds of ricotta for the cream cheese?
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Likely not, as ricotta has more moisture than cream cheese.
I would like to make this cheesecake for a pot luck. Can I substitute gluten-free flour instead of APF since several people at the party are gluten intolerant?
Yes that should be OK!
Do you leave the parchment paper on when serving? It’s really hard to get out from underneath the cheesecake but leaving it doesn’t look very good!
Yep, but you can always remove it once the cheesecake is completely chilled.
Served to company. Everyone loved it. I substituted 2 tablespoons corn starch (added it to the sugar), increased the vanilla to 1 tablespoons. I used 2 layers of parchment paper. Baked in lower third of the oven. The texture is a little different than New York Cheesecake, but we loved it!