Basque Cheesecake

• servings: 8-10
• active time: 4 hours (3 hrs waiting)
• total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

800 g (28 oz) cream cheese, room temp

500 g heavy cream, room temp

350 g granulated sugar

225 g (8 oz) goat cheese, room temp (experiment with this, even some blue cheese works)

5 large eggs, room temp

50 g all-purpose flour (can sub gluten free easily)

5 g salt

Spray oil (for greasing the pan

Directions

It’s really important here to bring ALL ingredients to room temperature before combining and baking. This is for the cream cheese, heavy cream, goat cheese, and eggs. This cheesecake cooks at a high temperature and will still have a really undercooked middle if everything is baked from fridge-cold. Leave the ingredients out on the counter for like 1-1.5 hours then continue.

Preheat the oven to 475 F.

Cut a circle out of parchment paper to fit the bottom of a 9” springform pan, then cut a long strip to line the sides. Spray the pan with a little bit of oil, just enough so the parchment sticks inside, then lightly spray the top of the parchment.

In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, combine the cream cheese, goat cheese, and sugar on low speed until well combined, scraping down the sides as you go. We’re looking for something that’s not grainy.

Still mixing on low speed, add the eggs one at a time, waiting until each is fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides and add the salt.

Stream in the heavy cream while mixing at low speed.

Sift the flour into the batter and continue mixing at low speed for 2-3 minutes, or until the flour is evenly hydrated and there are no clumps remaining. Scrape down the sides again to get everything combined.

Place the springform pace onto a sheet tray and ensure the side wall is clamped down. Pour the cheesecake batter into the ban. Bake the cheesecake for 40 minutes, rotating the pan 180° halfway through. When done, the cheesecake should have a dark caramel burnt color exterior, with an indented middle. It should still be a little jiggly in the middle, but not wet.

Remove the cheesecake from the oven and allow it to cool for at least 2 hours before removing the springform edge and eating. It needs no accompaniment. Store leftovers in the fridge for a few days, if you have any.

Notes

A burnt cheesecake recipe from Spain, originally made in a small coastal town at the end of the 1980’s. This simple dessert is a great lesson in contrast. A sweet, tangy cream cheese filling has some more pronounced cheese added to give it a more complex flavor. It’s done differently than other cheesecakes you may be familiar with, like NY style. There’s no crust, and it’s baked really hot. This allows the outside to brown and caramelize quickly, while still leaving the middle creamy and undercooked. (You want this to be sunken in the middle). What results is a rich, burnt marshmallow like outer layer that really compliments the creamy and tangy interior. Incredibly easy to make, and one of my favorite desserts!