Although the name makes it sound like it has a long history, Basque Cheesecake was created in 1990 by chef Santiago Rivera of La Viña in San Sebastian, Spain. According to interviews, Rivera was looking to add a dessert menu to his Pintxos restaurant after taking it over from his parents and settled on a custardy cheesecake.
The original recipe from La Viña contains just 5 ingredients: Cream cheese, heavy cream, sugar, eggs, and flour. I personally like to add some vanilla bean paste to the batter, but you can leave it out if you want something closer to the original. I also add a pinch of salt, depending on the type of cream cheese I use. 
It’s widely thought that Rivera uses Philadelphia, but in 1990, when this cake was created, it’s more likely that he was using a Spanish brand of cream cheese such as San Millan. I’ve never tasted San Millan, so I can’t say what the differences are in taste, but what I can say from comparing nutrition labels, is that San Millan has two and a half times the amount of salt as Philly, and it contains about 40% less fat.
All that being said, I’ve made this using Philadelphia as well as Kiri (French brand), they’re both delicious (though I think I prefer using Kiri). If you do go with Philadelphia, I recommend adding a pinch of salt.
The cream is added for 2 reasons. The first is that it’s a liquid which helps this turn into a batter you can pour. The second is that it adds fat, which makes the cheesecake more rich and creamy. “Heavy cream” is the designation in the US for cream that includes more than 36% butterfat. I personally used a cream that has 47% fat, which makes for a very rich custardy cake. If you want a lighter cake, you can use a lower butterfat cream. One thing to be careful of are creams that have thickeners like gums or gelatin. Although I haven’t tried it, I have received a few reports of this recipe not working out when prepared with such products.
All purpose flour has a higher gluten content than cake flour. Gluten is a protein that forms long chains when hydrated which is what gives bread and noodles their chewy texture. For cakes you don’t want them to get chewy, which is why cake flour is used. That being said, Basque Cheesecake uses a small enough amount of flour that the type you use probably won’t make that big of a difference.
By the subjective standards of cheesecake, Basque Cheesecake is burnt, but it is not cooked so long that the top turns to carbon. There are two non-enzymatic browning reactions happening here. The first is the caramelization of the sugar, which creates aromatic compounds such as Diacetyl and Maltol, which give the top the flavor of caramel. The second is Maillard browning, which is a reaction between the proteins in the cream cheese and sugars, which not only creates additional flavor compounds; it also creates the taste of umami. This is why the seemingly burnt layer on top tastes so good. 
Every recipe seems to have their own way of combing the ingredients, but I’ve found that the easiest way is to throw all the ingredients into a blender and spin it. The only slight drawback of this technique is that it introduces air bubbles to the mixture, which is why I usually let the mixture sit for about 20 minutes before I pour it into the pan.
Time and temperature are the most important parts of this recipe, but unfortunately, the answer isn’t clear cut. The goal here is to get a burnt hue that’s just shy of carbon black before the center of the cake is fully set. This is what creates that magical contrast of the cake-like sides, caramelized top, and custardy center. If the temperature is too low, the cake fully cooks before the top takes on enough color, and if the temperature is too high, the top will turn to carbon before the center has a chance to thicken to the desired consistency.
In my convection oven, I bake it at 230 degrees C (about 450 F) for 22 minutes. Unless you’ve had yours recently calibrated, the thermostat on most ovens is off by a significant margin. Additionally, the airflow passing through the oven has an impact on how quickly the cake cooks. If you have a convection oven, you can use my temperature and timing as a starting point, but you may need to make some adjustments in subsequent batches, depending on how it turns out. If the cake is too firm in the center, turn up the heat and bake it for a shorter time. If the cake is too runny in the center, turn down the heat and bake it for a longer time.
If you don’t have a convection oven (i.e., there’s no fan moving the air around), I’d recommend going with the high-temperature something closer to 250 C (480 F).
The time for baking this cheesecake is tied to your oven setup, so the goal should be to get a very dark brown top, that’s just shy of being carbon black on top. In my convection oven set to 230 C, this took 22 minutes, but the time will vary, depending on your setup. Read the section above for more details.
I’m using a 6-inch x 2.5-inch cake pan with a removable bottom. There are a couple reasons for this. The first is that a small deeper pan makes it easier to burn the top without overcooking the center. The second reason is that for the size of parchment paper I have, anything wider would require two overlapping sheets of parchment paper, which would be prone to leaking.
The removable bottom is not necessary, but I find it makes it much easier to get the parchment paper molded to the shape of the pan because you can use the bottom to press the paper into the pan. Then, after you have the sides of the paper creased to fit the pan, you can put the bottom back onto the pan, and the paper should fit perfectly into the pan.
If you use a pan that’s a larger diameter, you will end up with a thiner cheesecake which means it will cook through faster. Since it’s still going to take the same amount of time to brown the top, you will need to increase the temperature of the oven to make it brown faster, otherwise the cheesecake will end up fully cooked. If you are using an 8-inch pan or larger, I recommend doubling the amount of ingredients, otherwise the cheesecake will be too thin.
Yes! While it’s delicious served hot, if you’ve baked it for the right amount of time, the center will still be runny when warm, which means you’ll need to eat it straight out of the pan with a spoon. By covering and refrigerating the cake overnight, it gives the center a chance to firm up enough so that you can slice it.
Ingredients
- 226 grams cream cheese
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 100 grams sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 15 grams cake flour
- 1/2 teaspoon
Steps
- Preheat the oven to the 450 degrees F* (230 C). See the section above in the headnotes about how long to bake it.
- Line a 6-inch cake pan with 2.5-inch sides with parchment paper. If the pan has a removable bottom, you can use the bottom to press the paper into the pan. Then you can use your hands to crease the sides to hold its shape. Once the paper is molded to the pan, you can remove the bottom and the paper and then reattach the bottom to the pan, placing the paper on top.
- Add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. I usually let this mixture rest for about 20 minutes to give the air bubbles in the batter a chance to settle, but you can bake it right away if you’re in a rush.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan and then drop the pan a few times onto a kitchen towel to coax any remaining bubbles out of the batter.
- Bake the cheesecake until the top is just shy of turning black. This takes 22 minutes in my oven. The cake should still be very jiggly in the center when you remove it from the oven.
- Let the cheesecake cool on a cooling rack and then place it in a sealable bag and refrigerate overnight.
- To slice the Basque Cheesecake, prepare a long sharp knife along with a pot of boiling water. Clean and heat the knife with the hot water between each slice. This ensures you get nice clean slices.
Hi, first off I’m super excited to see a recipe from you for one of my favourite desserts! Quick question- can I replace the cake flour with farine de blé? Thanks!
Hi Antonia, to be honest, I have no idea. You want to use a finely milled flour with low gluten content. I’ve never worked with farine de blé and I couldn’t find much information on it online, but if it has a gluten content under 8% you should be good.
Hey Marc!
Thank you for all your inspirational recipes! It always makes me want to cook. Just a quick question… if I don’t have deep cake pans, do you think that dividing them into muffin tins would work too?
Hi Georgina, You could use muffin pans, but I think you’ll run into 2 problems. The first is that it will be extremely difficult to get parchment paper to stay inside the muffin tin. You could try using a cup or something that fits inside the cups perfectly to try and press them into place, but I think they’ll have a tendency to float up. Muffin liners will work, but they’ll stick to the cake, so you won’t be able to peel them without having the cake fall apart (it is very soft even after being set). Probably the best… Read more »
Thanks! Followed this recipe and it turned out perfect.
Hi Tina, I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks for reporting back!
Hi, I just tried this recipe using Kiri cheese! The texture came out great but I thought taste wise could be improved – perhaps more cheesy? Any suggestions, pl?:)
Hi Yq, I’ve seen variations made with other types of fresh cheese such as goat cheese which would make for a more intense cheese flavor. You could also try incorporating some savory cheese like comte or even a small amount of parmesan, but the original recipe for Basque cheesecake is made with just cream cheese.
Great, thks Marc!
Hey
I tried your recipe and it was a success with the whole family. We loved it and this will be a keepers dessert at our home 😋
Hi Ivone, I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping by to let me know. There’s a lot of room for variation here both in flavorings (chocolate, matcha, almond, lemon, etc) as well as with the type of cheese (goat cheese, ricotta, etc), so I hope you have fun with it!
Hi. What can I substitute for heavy cream? Thank you.
Hi Icon, that depends on why you want to substitute? Can you tell me the reasoning and perhaps I can think of something.
We only have one brand of heavy cream sold here in the Philippines and it’s out of stock right now. Usually what’s available and most accessible is all purpose cream. But I think it has less fat than heavy cream. Can I still use it as substitute? Also, mine turned out a little too sweet, can I omit the vanilla or add salt instead? Thank you.
Hi Icon, a lower fat cream should work fine, but it won’t be quite as rich. If you want to make it less sweet, cut back on the amount of sugar (vanilla extract doesn’t include sugar so it shouldn’t make a difference in sweetness). As for salt, different brands of cream cheese include different amounts of salt, so you can add more salt if you feel it needs it.
Hi, can I use brown sugar or monkfruit sweetner as a replacement? Thank you
Hi Steph, brown sugar will work, but it will turn the cheesecake brown. As for monkfruit sweetener, I’ve never tried it, but the sweetener doesn’t contain sugar, which is what caramelizes and gives the top of the cheesecake it’s color and caramel flavor, so I don’t think it will work too well.
Thanks for the response Marc! If I use white does it matter if it’s castor or granulated? Thanks!
Hi Steph, granulated will work fine. Caster sugar can have anti-caking agents mixed into it such as starch which could theoretically throw off the texture, so I would avoid that. Also, if you are looking to use a less processed sugar without turning the cake dark brown, I’d recommend using evaporated cane juice. It will still turn a light brown color, but it won’t be nearly as intense as brown sugar, and I like the caramel flavor it adds.
Hi, can I use a 8 inch cake pan?
Hi Natalie, you could, but it will make it significantly thinner, which means it will cook through much faster, so in order to get the same amount of browning on top, you’ll need to really crank the heat, otherwise you won’t have the jiggly center.
Hi. What should the cooking time and temperature be for double the ingredients in your recipe? Thanks!
Hi Vivian, unfortunately there’s no straight-forward answer to that question as it will depend on the size of pan you use, and the type of oven you have. Assuming you’re using a wider pan, you could try it at the same temperature and cook it for a little longer to account for the extra mass, but you will likely need to experiment a few times before you get it perfect.
Thanks for the respond Marc. I tired this recipe with a 6inch pan and everyone enjoyed it. I have another question Marc, will it be possible to add in coffee liquor for this recipe?
Hi Natalie, I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it! There are a couple of ways you can integrate coffee liqueur. The first is to just drizzle it on top kind of like a sauce. The second way would be to add it to the batter, but you need to be careful not to add too much, or you might throw off the liquid to egg/flour ratio. That being said, I think you should be able to get away with adding a tablespoon or two.
Hi, what can i substitute for heavy cream? i read previous question regarding this but it doesnt answer much. Heavy cream is just harder to find at my place here, i looked up online that i can change it to milk and butter, is it applicable for this recipe? Also, can i use all purpose flour instead of cake flour?
Hi Zulkeflee, you can replace it with whipping cream (or whatever the highest fat content cream you can find near you. I would not recommend using fat and butter as they are not emulsified and it could lead to a greasy cheesecake. As for the flour, all purpose, will work but the texture won’t be as light. All-purpose flour has a higher gluten content then cake flour so when it is mixed vigorously (like in a blender) it forms a network of gluten that is what gives bread and noodles their chewy texture. That being said, this doesn’t include a… Read more »
Thanks for the respond! Will try the recipe soon
Thanks for all the great tips!!!
You’re welcome!
The crust on top looks amazing! I can’t believe I’ve never heard of this before. Thank you for enlightening me.
Thanks Jen! It’s delicious by any standard, but if you factor in how easy it is to make, it’s kind of ridiculous.
What a tasty looking cheesecake! I’d absolutely love a slice or two.
Thanks Bintu!
I’ve never tried burnt cheesecake before, but it looks so good. Can’t go wrong with cheesecake!
Thanks Erika, it sounds crazy at first, but I think of it like the creme brulee of cheesecake.
We made this cheesecake last night and it was incredible! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
You’re welcome Jessica, thanks for taking the time to stop by and let me know you enjoyed it!
Hi quick question, I would like to try and make this cake but I only have mascarpone cheese and ricotta cheese in my fridge and no cream cheese atm. Do you reckon I could use any of the two as substitute? And if yes, how much would I need of them in the recipe? Thanks 😊
Hi Yumii, I’ve never tried this with either, but they both should work as a 1 to 1 substitute. Let us know how it goes if you try one, or a mixture of both of them.
So I finally made it !! I used mascarpone as I thought it is smoother than ricotta. And it came out delicious!! 😍
It jiggled a lot when it came out of the oven. And then It set perfectly! I wish I could share the photo here!
Thank you so much for sharing the recipe Marc! 🙂
You’re welcome Yumii, I’m glad to hear it worked out! I’m gonna have to try this after things are back to normal and I can get to a place that carries mascarpone.
Hi. Can i bake it without parchment paper?
Hi Sharefah, you could, but you won’t get it out of the pan without the parchment paper as it very soft. You’ll probably need to serve it by scooping it out of the pan with a spoon.
Hi Marc, I have tried this on a 8” pan, love the taste, but my cake crack on top, any advice?
Hi Chean, small cracks towards the edges will happen, but if you had a big crack in the center, it’s most likely because the cheesecake was overcooked. An 8-inch pan will hold almost double the volume of a 6-inch pan, which means your cake will be half the height. Given how thin it is, you would really need to crank the heat in order to get it browned before it cooks all the way through. I’d recommend doubling the recipe if you don’t have a smaller pan.
This sounds amazing. Thank you for your detailed explanation and answers to all questions!
You’re welcome Angelia, thanks for stopping by to leave a note!
This recipe is rubbish. Way too much cream! The cake won’t even stand. Very disappointed!
Hi Fei, I’m sorry to hear it didn’t work out for you. I’ve made this at least 10 times, and we’ve seen a lot of positive feedback from people who have made it successfully so the recipe is sound. I’d be happy to work with you to figure out what went wrong with your attempt if you would like. When you say “it won’t even stand” do you mean it wouldn’t hold its shape when you unmolded it? If so, did you you let the cake cool overnight in the fridge before you unmold it? The thing that makes this… Read more »
Another thing I noticed is that you used the term “rubbish”. If you happen to be from Australia, 1 Australian cup is 250ml, 1 US cup is 237ml. While I don’t think 13ml is enough to make that big of a difference, it’s worth considering.
Great simple recipe
Easy to follow
Great result and taste amazzziiinnngg
Merci
Hi Handi, I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to let me know!
Hi, May I know how many gram for a cup of heavy cream? In my case I don’t have heavy cream but I will use whipping cream. Thanks as I’m learning to bake this today.
Hi Siew Ling, whipping cream will be a little lighter, but it will work fine. As for the quantity, 1 US cup = 237ml. I would not recommend using a mass based measurement like grams, as cream does not have the same density as water (i.e. 100g of water = 100ml, but cream is most likely different).
Hi Marc, thanks for sharing this recipe! I’m on a mission to cut down on sugar, and was wondering if using mashed banana, or mashed berries would work? I know it may sound weird, but really, what do you think?
Thanks a lot in advance!
Hi Fatema, the banana should work, let me know how it goes if you give it a try. As for berries, they might work, but the acidity of berries may cause the cream to curdle, so you may want to try the bananas first. I hope that helps!
Hi marc! Is it okay if i use a 5 inch pan? If yes, can you recommend the suitable temp and duration?
Hi Sha, a 5-inch pan should work provided it is at least 3.5-inches tall (otherwise the cake will overflow). As for the time an duration, you will likely need to bake it for longer (maybe 5-10 minutes, but this is a guess) which means you may need to drop the temperature a bit. My suggestion would be to start off at the 450F and then lower the temp if it looks like it’s browning too quickly. If you end up trying it, it would be great if you let us know the time and temperature so that it might help… Read more »
Hello Marc! I’m planning to make burnt basque cheesecake and came across your recipe! I am wondering about the differences of using Kiri and Philly cream cheese. Does using Kiri makes the cake taste saltier(?) and does it change the texture?
I think I will be using a 9″ or 10″ pan. Do you think it’s better to double or 2.5x the original recipe?
Also, I am also thinking to cut back on sugar, so if I reduce to about 70 grams of sugar, will it make a difference in the texture as well?
Thank you very much!
Hi Chiara, I find that Kiri makes for a creamier cheesecake that’s a little bit saltier. As for the pan, if you use a 9 or 10″ pan, you will definitely want to double the recipe, otherwise the cheesecake will end up too thin and it will overcook in the center by the time you have some nice color on top. Google “Volume of cylinder” and you should get a calculator you can use to figure out the volume your pan will hold. A 6-inch pan that’s 2.5-inches deep will hold 71 cubic inches. As for the sugar it should… Read more »
Thank you so much for your help 🙂 I’ll try it out soon!
Hi, may I know if I can substitute heavy cream with whipping cream powder, since now my country is on lockdown and I only have whipping cream powder on hands. Thanks
Hi Shann, I’ve never used whipping cream powder before, but is it something you can add water to and rehydrate into cream? If so, you should be able to rehydrate according to the package directions and use it in this recipe. The cream is there to add liquid, and richness (fat), so as long as it fills those roles it should work.
Hi can i bake without a parchment paper? Thanks
Hi Yuuhuey, you can, but you most likely won’t be able to unmold it from the pan in 1 piece as it is very soft. If you do bake it without parchment paper, your best bet would be to serve it directly from the pan with a spoon. It won’t look as pretty, but it will still taste great!
Hi Marc, I’m wondering what will you suggest for the ideal temperature and time be for my cake since I’ll be using a 9′ cake mould instead?
Hi Shwewen, I’m assuming you mean a 9-inch (9″) pan, not a 9-foot (9′) pan? If so, I don’t own a 9-inch pan, so I have no way to test it. What I do know is that your cake will be significantly thinner, so it will cook through faster than it will brown if you don’t raise the heat. The other thing you could do is double the recipe and then you should end up with a cake that’s roughly the same thickness (though it will probably take slightly longer to cook through due to the extra mass). Sorry, I… Read more »
Hi
Does the cooking cream consider as heavy cream?
Hi Yasyiqa, I’m not familiar with cooking cream, but after googling it, it sounds like a processed dairy product that is “enriched” with fat. I haven’t tried using it so I don’t know if it will work, but it sounds like the fat content is similar to whipping cream, so at least in theory it should work.
Hi Marc
I’ve tried it & great result. But maybe because I use air fryer or wrong setting, my cake doesn’t have the curve after cool down
Hi Yasyiqa, I’ve never tried doing this in an air fryer so I’m not sure what might have happened, but the curve forms because the outside is fully cooked, but the inside is still rare. The cooked part expands because of the steam and it stays expanded because the proteins are set, but the rare part expands and then contracts because the proteins aren’t fully set yet. My guess is that your cake got cooked all the way through so it didn’t fall in the center. You can try and raise the temperature and reduce the cooking time next time.
Hi, yr cake look so beautiful. I tried baking it now. At high temp of 250 n 50mins yet it looks white (nothing near to burnt) and it cracks. Please help.
Hi Mai, I’m sorry to hear it didn’t work out for. Are you sure your oven temperature is measured in Celsius? If so, it sounds the thermostat is not working correctly. Try putting an oven thermometer in it and measuring the actual temperature.
Hi, can I use all purpose flour instead of cake flour? If so, how much? Thanks
Hi Ker, cake flour has a significantly lower gluten content (7-8%) compared to all-purpose (11-12%). This is what keeps cakes from getting tough and chewy. For this recipe, there is a relatively small amount of flour, so it shouldn’t make a huge difference, but you may find the cake ends up being a little firmer.
Thank you! Will try this on weekend! 😋
Thanks very much Marc for yr kind reply. I tried again n checking the temp correctly but I stil fail to get that beautiful burnt. Mine is just brown. Wats more, this one too, crack just like the first one. This one too, 45mins. Thanks much
Hi Mai, just to clarify, did put an oven thermometer in the oven? And was it registering 250 degrees C continuously?
Hi, tried your recipe today, but i just can’t seem to have the melt in the center. Please let me know what i did wrong 🙂
Hi Celina, by “melt” do you mean it was too firm? If so, it was most likely overcooked. This can be caused by a number of factors, including using a pan that’s too big and the oven not being hot enough (the thermostat on most ovens is wrong). The solution is to turn up the oven to a higher temperature and cook it for less time.
Hi! May I know should I on the fan or not if I follow your temperature? (230 Degree Celsius for 22min)
Hi Constance, if you have a convection oven, turning the fan on will distribute the heat more evenly which will make the top brown more evenly.
Hi Marc, Thanks for your recipe. I just baked the cake and noticed that it didn’t puff up. I used a 7″ pan. Is it ok?
Hi Jaslyn, a 7″ pan will make the cake thinner than mine, so you will likely have to turn up the heat a bit and cook it for a shorter amount of time, or the center of your cake is going to be overcooked. As for not puffing up, can you send me a photo of what your cake looked like? The edges will puff a bit, but the center should not be puffed up at all as it is supposed to be dense and custardy.
Hey, yes. Replying from my previous comment. The texture is just like a normal cheesecake. I used a 6inch cake pan and the temperature was at 230, baked at 30 mins. Also, my cake did not rise much. What are the other things that i have to be aware of when i try my second attempt?
Hi Celina, it definitely sounds like it was overcooked. Try raising the temperature to 250 C and reducing the baking time to 20 minutes or less.
Hi Marc, I plan to use whip cream to replace heavy cream but I only have 250ml but yet I need to prep for 8″ pan. What substitue can be used to make up the volume?
Hi WC, you have enough cream for 1 recipe of this (1 cup = 236ml). If you want to double it to better fit your pan, you’ll need another liquid dairy product. I’ve never tried it with milk, but I think it might work (though you might want to reduce the amount slightly as it might end up too watery.
Hi Marc, can I use yoghurt instead of heavy cream?
Hi Joanne, I haven’t tried it, but it should work in theory. Keep in mind that this will make your cheesecake more tart and less rich/creamy.
Hi…i would really like to try this recipe…but can i use it for 7 1/2 x 2 inch cake mould?
Hi Khim, as I mention in the post, a bigger pan will result in a thinner cheesecake so you will need to raise the temperature and cook for less time. Please read the headnotes for more details.
Hi Marc, thanks for the recipe, I was wondering if this will work with a loaf pan because all my round pans are huge
Hi Niki, that’s a great idea. It should work fine, but there are a few things to consider 1) The corners in the pan will make lining it with parchment paper using the given method difficult. I’d recommend using the method shown in step 1 of this recipe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWm_gzheI6M (or watch the video for a step-by-step). The second thing is you will need to calculate the volume of the loaf pan you plan to use (length x width x height). Ideally you’ll want to use one with about the same volume (at a depth of 2.5inches) as my round 6-inch… Read more »
Hi. May I know 1 cup of heavy cream is it 231 grams? I Google it. Are you using U.S .cup measurement?
Hi Irene, cream does not weight the same as water (ie. 100 ml of water = 100 g, but cream is less dense than water, so 100ml of cream should weight less than 100 grams). That’s why you should use a volumetric measurement for this. 1 US cup is equal to 237ml.
OMG! This is amazing. I tried this recipe 3 times using 3 different cream. First trial using whipped cream (I’m from Australia) – batter turned out to be quite thick and cake was slightly heavier and less custart like middle. Top was slightly brown. Second trial using 2/3 cup pure cream plus 1/3 cup milk cause that what I had in the fridge – batter turned out looking more like in the video and I managed to achieve the dark brown colour on top as well as the custart like texture in the middle of the cake. Third trial was… Read more »
Hi Mey, I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed this! I wasn’t aware of the different types of cream in Australia. Can I ask what the difference between whipped cream and pure cream is? In the US, “whipping cream” has between 30-36% butterfat, where as “heavy cream” has more than 36% butterfat. Thanks or stopping by to share your results, I’m sure this will help other people in Australia navigate the differences in ingredients.
Hi Marc
We have:
Pure cream – >35% milk fat
Double crean – >56% milk fat
Thickened cream (for whipping) – 35% milk fat and sometimes contain thickening agent like gelatin.
I haven’t tried using the double cream yet. That’s next on the list.
According the notes, the higher fat content the better so if you want I will report back once I test it out 🙂
I must say I love this recipe cause it’s so easy and minimal washing. I hope you’ll come up with more similar easy cake recipe 🙂
Thanks Mey, that’s super helpful! Based on that information, it sounds like whipping cream is not a great choice for this. I’ve made this using creams that ranged from 35-47% butterfat and the 47% tasted the best. I’d be curious to hear how the 56% goes. There may be some point where the fat is just too much, but I guess we won’t know until you try😉 Thanks for offering to report back!
Hi Marc!! I tried this cake out in a 6” silicone cake pan yesterday. Followed your directions, and the flavour turned out AMAZING. Only difference is that I used mascarpone cheese instead of Philly cream cheese because that’s all that I had. however… (1) why does my cake not rise as much as yours, or other Basque cheesecakes? (2) although my cake stands up when I put a slice on my plate, my edges don’t feel very firm, whereas the middle is so custardy that some batter actually flows out of the cake after cutting a slice from it. any… Read more »
Hi Sue, I’m glad you enjoyed it! As for not getting the edges to rise, I’m 99% sure it’s your pan. Silicone is an insulator, and what you want is a conductor. Silicon pans are great for things like regular cakes, where you want even cooking, but for this particular cake, you want uneven cooking (i.e. outside well done, inside rare).
Ahh thank you so much Marc!! The only metal pan I have are these two 4” ones that are really deep. I’m planning to split the batter between them and bake your cheesecake for a party this weekend. Do you have any recommendations on the oven temp / timing.
Thank you once again <3
Hi Sue, the volume of a 6-inch pan that’s 2.5 inches deep is 71 cubic inches. The volume of two 4-inch by 2.75 inch deep pans is going to be roughly the same, which is to say that your baking temperatures and times shouldn’t change too much (in theory), as your cakes will be slightly thicker than mine which should make up for the smaller circumference. I’ve never tried it though, so I can’t give any guarantees. Good luck, and let me know how it goes if you get a chance!
Oh my gosh Marc I have to tell you.. I made your recipe but absentmindedly dumped the entire batter into a deep 4” tin (instead of separating it into two 4” tins). I baked it at 230c for 35mins, and the texture was perrrrrfect. the top was beautifully browned (kind of like a Portuguese egg tart), the edges were set firm but the middle was the right amount of custardy that still managed to hold its shape when sliced. Cannot thank you enough!! other recipes are so complicated but yours is so straightforward and easy to master. now my family… Read more »
Wow that’s awesome Sue! I love it when an accident leads to a happy outcome. Thanks for stopping back back to share with us. Can I as how deep your 4″ tin is?
Of course! my 4” pan is 3” deep!
Thanks!
Hi Marc,
Thanks for the recipe!
Is it possible to use the exact recipe to make Burnt Matcha Cheesecake? if yes, how much Matcha powder should I put? Do I need to reduce the amount of flour?
Thanks!
Yanthi
Hi Yanthi, it might work, but I’m not sure how matcha will react to being burnt (it might get quite bitter). As for the amount, I’ve never done it so I can’t give you an exact amount, but my suggestion would be to add a little at a time until you get a color/taste you like. As for the flour, matcha does not have starch like flour, so you don’t need to worry about reducing the amount of flour.
Thanks so much, Marc! Will give it a try! 🙂
Hello Marc! I finally made the cheesecake based on your recipe and it is amaaazing! I substituted 100g sugar with 70g brown sugar and it turned out a bit sweeter than I preferred (and it became brownish so I think I should use other sweetener next time hahaha), BUT I love how it your recipe out!!! custard-y in the middle and firmer at the edges. The texture and consistency is really great as well! I really wish I can show you that creamy inside! I would like to experiment more with your recipe, so I’m hoping you can give me… Read more »
Hi, can I use a 4” baking pan instead of 6”? Thank you
Hi Maggie, a 4″ x 2.75″ pan has roughly half of the volume of a 6-inch pan, so you should in theory be able to split the batter between two 4″ pans and bake it for roughly the same time at the same temperature, but I haven’t tried it, so I can’t make any promises. Let us know how it goes if you try it out.
Thanks for the advise. Just tried with the recipe, turned out not too bad. Perfect for my afternoon tea! thank you 🙂
This looks so good! I love gooey desserts. Planning on using ramekins. Can I torch the top like creme brulee? Thanks!
Hi Myra, I haven’t tried it, but you might be able to make it work in a ramekin by cooking them in a broiler. Because a ramekin holds so little batter, my concern is that it’s going to be cooked through all the way by the time you get the tops dark enough. I definitely would not recommend using a torch. A torch is not a diffuse heat source and while it works for caramelizing sugar, it won’t work on this for the same reason you wouldn’t use a torch to make toast. The only exception might be if you… Read more »
Hi Marc, what is the purpose of the eggs here? I have a 8inch 3.5inch sides pan and will hold 175litres. Based on your 71litres using 2 eggs, my pan will need to used 5 eggs. My concern is the cake will be too eggy. Can I reduce the eggs to just 3 or 4?
Hi Farah, the eggs are there to set the cake. Without them your cheesecake will not set properly. You can experiment with reducing the amount, but I can’t guarantee how it will turn out.
What is the purpose of the flour? I’m using 8inch pan. Could I reduce the flour to 20gram? Any recommendation?
Hi Farah, the flour is also there to set the cake and give it structure. You can certainly experiment with reducing the amount, but since you’re changing the size of the pan, you already have one variable up in the air (bake time and temperature), so I wouldn’t recommend altering the recipe until you figure out what temperature and time works in your oven. Otherwise, if things don’t work out, you won’t know if it was your change to the recipe or the time/temp spent in the oven.
Hi, was wondering if i can substitute the heavy cream with cooking cream? Thanks!
Hi Chen, I’m not familiar with cooking cream, but assuming it’s a high fat dairy product and doesn’t have other stuff added (like thickeners or gelatin) it should work.
Hi, may i know if i can substitute heavy cream to fresh cream? And which cream should i use to get the best runny texture in the centre?
Hi Irene, I’m not sure what “fresh cream” is, but as long as it has a relatively high fat content (heavy cream has over 36%) then it should be fine. As for the runny texture it’s less about the cream, and more about the time and temperature used to cook it. Like a chewy cookie, you need to undercook it in order to have the center be soft.
Can I use freeze heavy cream and cream cheese ?
Hi Gaithri, I haven’t tried frozen cream and cream cheese, but I think it should work. You’d definitely want to defrost it before using it though. Let us know if you give it a try.
Hey Marc, thanks for patiently answering all the questions. I’m going to attempt this recipe using 35% whipping cream, that’s the heaviest here in Canada. Regarding the convection oven, my oven automatically reduces the temperature by 25° when I select the convection mode so 450° becomes 425°. I should set it back to 450°, shouldn’t I? Thanks!
Hi Kerry, you’re welcome! 35% cream should be fine. As for your oven, one thing I’ve learned over the years is that every oven is different, so it’s hard to say with any certainty, but you can start it off at 450, and if it looks like it’s browning too quickly (relative to the cooking time) you can turn down the heat to 425. Good luck!
Hi, thank you for posting this recipe – I’m hoping to try this out once I get the delivery of ingredients:) – quick question on suitable pans – I don’t have a 6 inch cake tin, googling suggests a loaf pan is the nearest volume substitute. Would it be better to try this recipe in a 8 inch cake pan (resulting in a thinner possibly less burnt cake) or a standard loaf pan? would the shape of the pan affect the results? thank you!
Hi Lee, if you use an 8-inch pan you’ll probably want to double the recipe, otherwise it’s going to cook through before you get enough color on top. As for a loaf pan, if you have one that will give you about the same thickness as a round 6-inch pan, that may be the way to go. You will have to change the way you line it with parchment paper though as crumpling it in won’t work because of the corners. I’d recommend the method shown here: https://norecipes.com/chocolate-cherry-brownies/ I’ve had a couple people ask about this, so if you try… Read more »