Basque Cheesecake

5 from 1 vote

This incredibly delicious Basque Cheesecake is going to blow your mind! With a perfectly caramelized burnt top, no crust, and a super rich creamy center, this is no ordinary cheesecake. It’s a spectacular culinary treat that is super easy to make and will totally wow your friends and family at first bite!

Prep Time10

Cook Time55

Total Time1 5

Course: Cake, Dessert

Cuisine: Spanish

Servings:

Calories: 363kcal

Author: Joanna Cismaru

Ingredients

32 ounces Philadelphia cream cheese full fat, 4 packages, room temperature
8 ounces mascarpone cheese room temperature
1½ cups granulated sugar
8 large eggs room temperature
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
lemon zest from 1 lemon, finely grated

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Fully line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper, you will need to pieces of paper to overlap and leaving at least 2 inches of parchment overhanging the rim of the pan. Set aside.
To the bowl of your stand mixer, add the cream cheese, mascarpone cheese and granulated sugar. Using the paddle attachment, mix on medium speed until smooth and creamy and there are no more lumps of cheese, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Should take about 5 minutes.
With the mixer still running on low, add eggs one at a time, mixing for at least 10 seconds before adding the next egg. Scrape the sides of the bowl if needed.
Add the remaining ingredients, heavy cream, flour, vanilla extract, salt and lemon zest. Continue mixing on medium until fully incorporated, another minute or so.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan up to about 1½ inches from the top.
Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 30 minutes until the surface is light brown.
Increase the oven temperature to 500°F and continue baking for another 20-25 minutes until the surface is dark chocolate brown, but still a bit wobbly on the inside. The cheesecake will be done when the center of the cake registers between 150°F and 155°F on an instant-read thermometer.
Let the cheesecake cool completely at room temperature for at least 4 hours before unmolding. Peel the parchment paper gently from the sides of the cheesecake.
Cut into wedges using a sharp knife and serve with berries.

Notes

Use parchment paper. Do line the springform pan with parchment paper to ensure that the cheesecake doesn’t stick or fall apart. Not doing so could mean ending up with a delicious mess.
Room temperature ingredients. The cream cheese and mascarpone have to be soft, yet not melted, to make the cheesecake filling smooth. And the eggs must be at room temperature for the ingredients to properly emulsify.
The cheesecake must set. You have to give the cheesecake at least 4 hours at room temperature to set. It will literally fall apart if you try to remove the pan too soon.
Leftover basque cheesecake will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days wrapped well in plastic wrap or an airtight container. You can also freeze this cheesecake for up to 3 months. Then just allow it to come to room temperature before serving.

Nutrition