This Basque burnt cheesecake is smooth, ultra creamy and a little gooey, with a rich caramelized crust that forms on its own. It is made from only six ingredients (plus salt). This step by step recipe goes through everything you need to know to get that perfect blackened crust and ultra creamy, gooey center that still holds its shape. Don’t worry, it doesn’t taste burnt at all! It is just heavily browned from all of the protein and delicious fat in the batter (hello maillard reaction). The crust has a deep chocolate-caramel flavor. This cheesecake is much simpler to make than a typical baked cheesecake because you don't have to worry about it burning or cracking!
This recipe will go through all of the tips on how to get the perfect, creamy and gooey - yet still set center. It's the only time you're allowed to burn your cheesecake, so if you tend to burn baked goods then this is the recipe for you!
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🍰 Why you'll love this recipe
- Easy: Basque burnt cheesecakes are notoriously easy and low fuss to make. There's no crust and no waterbath when baking.
- Crustless: Despite there being no actual crust, the outside of the cheesecake naturally forms into a striking caramelized crust-like skin that tastes rich and deeply caramelized. It doesn't taste burnt - don't worry it doesn't taste burnt.
- Creamy and gooey: I've tested and retested this cake 5 times to really perfect that ultra creamy, gooey center that still holds its shape when you slice through it - the traditional texture of a basque burnt cheesecake.
- Mini: This recipe makes a 6" cheesecake which is smaller than the typical 9" cheesecake that I usually make.
📝 Key ingredients
Read through for all the tips you will need for success!
Full steps and ingredients in recipe card below.
Cream cheese: Using a good quality, full fat, brick style cream cheese is very important in this recipe. This helps ensure that you get that perfect, set and creamy texture. You'll need two 8oz blocks.
Heavy whipping cream: It's important to use full fat cream to get the cheesecake to set properly. I used 35% whipping cream.
Eggs: Whole eggs help bind the cheesecake together and give it that custardy interior.
Cornstarch: This helps the cheesecake hold together and prevents the middle from being too liquidy. I've tried using potato starch - and it also works great! If you have potato starch, you need to try my cottage cheese cheesecake recipe that is best made with potato starch.
I've tried making basque cheesecake using all-purpose flour and cake flour, but the middle turns out the best when using starch instead of flour. I've updated this recipe using the starch method instead.
👩🍳 How to make Basque burnt cheesecake
Step 1: 20 minutes before starting, preheat oven to 500°F (260°C).
Line the inside of a 6” or 7" round pan (at least 2.5” tall) with two layers of parchment paper. Leave a 3-4 inches of extra parchment paper sticking out of the top - the batter will extend above the lip of the pan so it's important to have the parchment paper sticking out to hold in the extra batter.
Step 2: In a large bowl or stand mixer, blend together softened cream cheese, sugar and salt. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and blend again to make sure the batter doesn't have any lumps.
Step 3: In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs just until combined. This will help them blend into the cheesecake batter easier without adding too much air.
Step 4: Pour half of the whisked eggs into the cream cheese batter and blend with an electric mixer on the lowest speed until it's all mixed in. Scrape down the bowl and add the second half of the eggs. Blend again on the lowest speed setting just until incorporated.
Step 5: Add the heavy cream into another separate bowl. Sprinkle the cornstarch on top and whisk it in to break up any lumps.
Step 6: Pour the cream mixture and vanilla extract into the cheesecake batter and stir with a spatula, making sure to scrape the bottom and edges of the bowls to get a thin and smooth batter.
Step 7: Carefully pour all of the cheesecake batter into the lined baking pan. If you have a shorter pan Like I do, it'll fill up above the lip of the pan but don't worry - the parchment paper will hold it in.
Smooth out the parchment paper creases to make sure that they're not sticking into the cheesecake. Trim the parchment paper that is sticking up to only leave about 2 inches extending over the batter.
Step 8: Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the top is very dark brown, puffed, and jiggly. It's ok if the cheesecake cracks. For a gooey-er cheesecake, opt for 25 minutes and for a firmer cheesecake, bake for about 30 minutes. I baked mine for 26 minutes but ovens can vary.
Remove it from the oven and let it cool down to room temperature. Then, refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours or overnight.
Serve chilled or room temperature, on its own or with warmed lemon curd poured over each slice. Delicious!
✔️ Expert Basque Cheesecake Tips
- Scrape down the bowl constantly: The batter is very thin, so it's important to constantly scrape down the bowl when mixing and adding ingredients. This helps prevent a lumpy, uneven cheesecake batter.
- Watch the cheesecake in the oven: It's ready when it's a rich dark brown color, puffed, and jiggly. If it starts smoking, then you probably actually burned it and the crust will be bitter. Keep an eye on it!
- To get the perfect bake and browning: Preheat the oven 20 minutes before starting and don't open the oven door as it bakes.
- Chill before serving: Chilling the cheesecake in the fridge helps firm up the center and deepens the flavor. It also makes it easier to slice! You can then serve the cheesecake chilled for a firmer texture or at room temperature for a more gooey texture.
🥄 Make ahead and storage
Basque burnt cheesecake is a great make ahead dessert because it needs to be served chilled. Make it the day or night before serving to give it plenty of time to cool in the fridge and develop its beautiful flavor and texture.
Store the cheesecake or any leftover slices in the fridge in an airtight container or cake carrier for up to 4 days. To store for even longer, freeze leftover slices in the freezer for up to 2 months in an airtight bag or container. I recommend adding parchment paper between the slices so you can take out one slice at a time, defrost and enjoy!
🔥 How to get that perfect blackened crust
It is pretty simple to get that striking black cheesecake exterior. The idea is to bake the cheesecake at a very high temperature for that extreme browning, while maintaining a silky smooth perfectly cooked interior. It is much easier to overbake a New York style cheesecake like this tangy lemon raspberry cheesecake, than a burnt cheesecake.
Since oven temperatures and cooking times can vary, here's what I recommend doing: Place the cheesecake in the oven and bake for around 25-30 minutes, checking at 20 minutes. You are checking to make sure that the crust is not browning too fast. At 20 minutes, it should be a medium brown color. If it already looks black, turn down the oven temperature by about 15-20 degrees and keep a close eye on it for the next 5-10 minutes. It is possible to overdo it and to burn the cheesecake - you'll know when the edges start to sparkle like charcoal.
Because the Basque burnt cheesecake is being baked at such a high temperature, it's normal for the surface to crack. Cracks occur because the outside of the cheesecake cooks much faster than the inside. Once the cheesecake cools and deflates, the cracks don't become very noticeable, so just ignore them.
When it's ready, the cheesecake will jiggle quite a bit when you move the pan. Don’t worry because as it sits and cools, it'll keep cooking and set to the perfect cheesecake consistency.
🌍 Basque cheesecake history and variations
The original recipe for Basque cheesecake originated from Basque Country, Spain. Originally, it was made from cream cheese, sugar, eggs, flour, and heavy cream. You can experiment with pungy cheeses as well, such as goat cheese and blue cheese.
The texture also varies on the recipe. Some prefer to bake their basque burnt cheesecake at such a high temperature that the interior oozes out. Others prefer a firmer texture that holds its shape but is still smooth and fluffy.
This version of Basque cheesecake has the perfect in-between texture: firmer and fluffier on the outside with a gooey and creamy, yet still sliceable center.
📖 Recipe FAQs
The Basque burnt cheesecake will be very jiggly and gooey coming out of the oven. It will continue to bake from residual heat. As it cools, the fats will start to re-solidify and the cheesecake will have a firmer texture. This is how you get a creamier and richer bite.
If you want a gooey-er, smoother texture you can slice the cheesecake when its chilled and serve it at room temperature.
I've tested using the convection bake and regular oven setting for Basque burnt cheesecake but ultimately I preferred the regular oven setting.
The regular setting resulted in a cheesecake with a creamier middle that was still set, while with the convection setting the middle wasn't as creamy and the cheesecake cracked a lot more on top. I also had to bake it longer with the convection setting because it didn't get dark enough on top.
Every oven is different, so what works best for my oven may not work best for yours! Keep an eye on the cheesecake through your oven door, avoiding opening opening it or you'll lose heat.
The texture is like a cross between American cheesecake and Japanese jiggly cheesecake. It has a similar fluffiness to that of a Japanese cheesecake and the creamy, rich, cream cheese flavor of an American cheesecake. Plus it's delightfully gooey in the middle without being undercooked!
The recipe makes one 6” cheesecake. You don’t want to bake this recipe in a pan larger than 7" because it will bake faster through the middle and risk being overdone.
If using a spring form pan, make sure that the whole pan is fully covered in parchment paper with no holes to avoid leaks. Layer the bottom and sides with two layers of parchment paper. Press and crease it into the sides so that it clings to the shape of the pan. The weight of the batter will do the rest of the work.
🧀 More related recipes
📖 Recipe
Creamy Basque Burnt Cheesecake
Equipment
- 6" or 7" round pan (at least 2.5" tall)
Ingredients
- 16 oz cream cheese full fat, brick style, softened
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream 35%
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch potato starch, arrowroot starch, and cake flour can also work
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- 20 minutes before starting, preheat oven to 500°F (260°C).
- Line the inside of a 6” or 7" round pan (at least 2.5” tall) with two layers of parchment paper. Leave a 3-4 inches of extra parchment paper sticking out of the top - the batter will extend above the lip of the pan so it's important to have the parchment paper sticking out to hold in the extra batter.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, blend together softened cream cheese, sugar and salt. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and blend again to make sure the batter doesn't have any lumps.16 oz cream cheese, ⅔ cup granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs just until combined. This will help them blend into the cheesecake batter easier without adding too much air.3 large eggs
- Pour half of the whisked eggs into the cream cheese batter and blend with an electric mixer on the lowest speed until it's all mixed in. Scrape down the bowl and add the second half of the eggs. Blend again on the lowest speed setting just until incorporated.
- Add the heavy cream into another separate bowl. Sprinkle the cornstarch on top and whisk it in to break up any lumps.1 cup heavy whipping cream, 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- Pour the cream mixture and vanilla extract into the cheesecake batter and stir with a spatula, making sure to scrape the bottom and edges of the bowls to get a thin and smooth batter.1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- Carefully pour all of the cheesecake batter into the lined baking pan. If you have a shorter pan Like I do, it'll fill up above the lip of the pan but don't worry - the parchment paper will hold it in.
- Smooth out the parchment paper creases to make sure that they're not sticking into the cheesecake. Trim the parchment paper that is sticking up to only leave about 2 inches extending over the batter.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the top is very dark brown, puffed, and jiggly. It's ok if the cheesecake cracks. For a gooey-er cheesecake, bake for 25 minutes. For a firmer cheesecake, bake for about 30 minutes. I baked mine for 26 minutes but ovens can vary.
- Remove it from the oven and let it cool down to room temperature. Then, refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours or overnight. Serve chilled or room temperature, on its own or with warm lemon curd poured over each slice. Delicious!
Video
Notes
- Scrape down the bowl constantly to get a smooth, even cheesecake batter.
- The cheesecake is ready when it's a rich dark brown color, puffed, and jiggly - keep an eye on it!
- Preheat the oven 20 minutes before starting and don't open the oven door as it bakes.
- Chill before serving to set and deepen the flavor.
Lynn C
I have made this recipe several times because it is easy and delicious! Also, I like the smaller size if I'm going to offer a couple the cheesecake on a buffet. It has a creamy texture and should be made ahead of time to allow it to develop flavor.
Socoro
This was super easy to make and the instructions were easy to follow. I did not have a mixer, so I have to use a lot of elbow grease, but it was worth it! Everyone who tried it said it was delicious and creamy. I will be making again!