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.
Make sure to also check out two of Butternut Bakery’s most popular recipes:
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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PinDescription
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.
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!