This classic, foolproof recipe for Basque Cheesecake is a delicious, crustless Basque baked cheesecake recipe I just know you’re going to love! With a caramelized crust and super creamy center this is honestly the easiest cheesecake recipe you’ll ever make!
What is a basque cheesecake?
I’m going to explain this right up front so you don’t think this Burnt Basque Cheesecake 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. It’s main difference from a New York Style Cheesecake is that it is crustless, and has a golden, beautiful caramelized exterior. It also has a much lighter texture and flavor.
The cheesecake is baked at a high temperature in order to get that 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 brûlée 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 burnt 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:
- Funfetti Birthday Cheesecake (with a cake bottom!)
- Classic Baked Vanilla Cheesecake
- Baked Salted Caramel Cheesecake
- Best Baked Chocolate Cheesecake with Philadelphia
- No Bake Blueberry Cheesecake Bars (Vegan)
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!
PrintBasque Cheesecake
- Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 slices
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This basque cheesecake is an intentionally burnt cheesecake which provides a bitter outer layer and extra creamy inside. It’s the easiest cheesecake you will ever make!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds (four 8oz blocks) full fat cream cheese, room temp
- 1 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs, room temp
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups (420g) heavy cream
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup (33g) all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat the 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!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cooling Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 1 hour
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Michelle C says
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?
Jenna says
Since I haven’t tested any of these modifications, you could try my low carb raspberry cheesecake bars instead 🙂
sara says
hello !! can i use milk instead of heavy cream? wanting to make this for my mothers birthday❤️
Jenna says
Yes that’s ok!
Azveeni says
Hi Jenna
Can I use whipped cream instead of heavy cream
Jenna says
You can use heavy whipping cream as it’s the same thing. As long as it isn’t already whipped.
Retni says
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?
Lizel says
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?
Dayn says
can I use double cream or whipping cream- since there’s not heavy cream or heavy whipping cream around where I’m from? ☺️
Jenna says
Yep it’s all the same thing 🙂
JOANNE NEAI says
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!
Lynn says
how did you make the burnt looked glossy brown? Mine looked dry and crack? Overall tasted good. It was a success, tks.
Ann C says
Can I use whipping cream instead of heavy cream?
Jenna says
Yes, heavy whipping cream and heavy cream are the same thing 🙂
Retni says
Can i use 5 medium eggs instead?
Jenna says
Use 6 medium eggs
Chloe says
Hey…
Can I know if the heavy cream is cold or room temp? thank you
Jenna says
It can be either
Janine says
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?
Jenna says
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.
Lia says
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?
Jenna says
Middle rack will be fine!
Nastassia Freeman says
Can I make this in a insta pot?!
Jenna says
Unfortunately not! You won’t get that burnt exterior in an instant pot 🙂
Rog says
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..??
Jenna says
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!
BRIGITTE ANNE JANUARIUS says
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?
Jenna says
Oh that’s odd…did you use large eggs? You can try using one less egg next time.
Sophie says
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.
Jenna says
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.
Shah says
Hi Jenna,
Does that means cake has to be all the way in the pan while setting it in fridge?
Jenna says
Yep, keep it in the pan and place it in the fridge. The parchment paper will prevent it from sticking.
Lou says
Hi. Can I use table cream and a little heavy whipping cream?
Jenna says
Yes that should be OK
Chai says
Can bake without parchment paper ?
Jenna says
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!
Mia Foo says
will this work with a crushed biscuit base?
Jenna says
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.