What is Basque Burnt Cheesecake (Tarta de Queso)?
A burnt cheesecake recipe might sound more like a mistake than a crave-worthy treat, but names can be deceiving, and this crustless cake is an effortless dessert that yields an improbably delicious cake. With a gorgeously bronzed surface on top and a rich custardy center, this cheesecake from the Basque region of Spain has become a favorite in our household and around the world. In Japan, Basque burnt cheesecake can be found everywhere, from konbinis to cafés, bakeries and restaurants. My easy burnt cheesecake recipe makes producing a restaurant-quality dessert simple and easy.
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Why My Recipe Works
- Mixing the batter in a blender is easy and ensures there are no lumps. You can also do this by hand or using a stand mixer.
- I keep the amount of flour to a minimum to ensure the cheesecake is dense, custardy, and satiny smooth.
- Lining the pan with parchment paper makes it easy to unmold this soft, crustless cheesecake.
- Baking the Basque Burnt Cheesecake in a very high-temperature oven will rapidly caramelize the top surface while leaving the center only partially cooked. This gives the center of the cake a silky-smooth flan-like texture with a top that tastes like creme brûlée.
Ingredients for Basque Burnt Cheesecake
- Cream Cheese - As the name implies, cream cheese is the backbone of this decadent dessert, providing a rich, tangy base. For the best results, use full-fat cream cheese. I also recommend using a European-style cream cheese like Kiri (the brand I use). If you can't find it, an American-style cream cheese like Philadelphia will work, too.
- Cream - The cream is added to achieve the luxuriously creamy center of this Basque cake. It loosens up the cream cheese while adding fat. "Heavy cream" is the designation in the US for cream that includes more than 36% butterfat. I used a cream with 47% fat for a rich custardy cake. If you want a lighter cake, use a lower-fat whipping cream or even half and half. One thing to be careful of is cream with thickeners like gums or gelatin. Although I have yet to try it, I have received a few reports of this recipe not working out when prepared with these products.
- Sugar - Sugar not only sweetens the cake, but also aids in caramelizing the top, providing that iconic burnt finish of the Basque cheesecake original recipe. I usually use granulated sugar, but you can experiment with other sweeteners like maple or brown sugar. Liquid sweeteners like honey or maple syrup can be used, but you'll need to adjust the amount (they tend to be sweeter than white sugar), and you'll also need to adjust the amount of cream to compensate for the extra liquid.
- Eggs - The eggs bind the ingredients together, contributing to the cheesecake's structure. They also help create the silky, custardy texture that Basque Burnt Cheesecake is known for.
- Flour - The flour in the recipe also lends structure to this easy burnt cheesecake recipe. I use cake flour because of its lower protein content, but all-purpose flour will work in a pinch. Some readers have also reported success substituting starch for flour to make a gluten-free cheesecake
- Vanilla Extract - A touch of real vanilla extract enhances the flavors of the cream cheese and egg in this recipe, but other flavorings such as almond or lemon extract will work for a different twist, and you can also add powdered flavorings like cocoa powder or matcha.
How to Make Burnt Basque Cheesecake
Line your cake pan with a sheet of parchment paper. This Basque Burnt Cheesecake recipe makes enough batter for a 6-inch round pan that's at least 2.5 inches tall. I like using a pan with a removable bottom because you can use it to mold the paper to the pan.
For the cheesecake batter, blend the cream cheese, cream, sugar, eggs, cake flour, and vanilla extract until smooth and free of lumps. If you don't have a blender, a stand mixer will work. You could also mix the ingredients together in a bowl, but you want to be careful to get all the lumps out without introducing much air.
Once your cream cheese mixture is velvety smooth, rest in the fridge for about 20 minutes. This allows the air bubbles to rise and pop. Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C). Most ovens don't have an accurate thermostat, so you may need to experiment to find the right temperature and baking time for your setup to get a bronzed surface while retaining a creamy center.
When your oven is preheated, pour the batter into the prepared pan. To remove any remaining air bubbles, firmly tap the pan onto a kitchen towel. Set the pan on another pan to catch any spills, and place it in your oven. Bake your cheesecake until the surface of the batter has a burnt appearance, but the center is still jiggly.
After baking, let the burnt cheesecake cool on a rack before refrigerating it overnight. The resting time allows the cheesecake to be fully set while allowing the flavors to meld. When it's time to serve it, use a long, sharp knife to slice it. Dip the knife in hot water between slices to ensure your cuts are nice and clean.
Easy Dessert Recipes
- Matcha Burnt Cheesecake (Green Tea Flavor)
- Chocolate Mug Cake
- 5 Minute Sticky Toffe Pudding
- Molten Chocolate Omelette
- Key Lime Pie
- Blueberry Olive Oil Cake
Recipe
Best Burnt Basque Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 226 grams cream cheese (cold)
- 1 cup heavy cream (cold)
- 100 grams granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs (cold)
- 15 grams cake flour
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Why it works- Preheat the oven to the 450°F (230°C).
- 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 226 grams cream cheese, 1 cup heavy cream, 100 grams granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, 15 grams cake flour, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract 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 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 but this will vary on your oven (see headnotes above for more information). The cake should still be very jiggly in the center when you remove it from the oven.
- Let the burnt 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.
Nutrition Facts
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FAQ
Although the name suggests a long history, Basque Burnt Cheesecake was created in 1990 by chef Santiago Rivera of La Viña in San Sebastian, Spain. According to interviews, Rivera wanted 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 now 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 I can say from comparing nutrition labels that San Millan has two and a half times the amount of salt as Philly, and it contains about 40% less fat. I've made this using Philadelphia as well as Kiri (a French brand); they're both delicious (though I prefer using Kiri). If you go with Philadelphia, I recommend adding a pinch of salt.
All-purpose flour has a higher gluten content than cake flour. Gluten is a protein that forms long chains when hydrated, giving bread and noodles a chewy texture. You don't want cakes to get chewy, which is why low-protein cake flour is used. That being said, this easy burnt cheesecake recipe uses a small enough amount of flour that the type you use probably won't make that big of a difference.
Basque Cheesecake is burnt by the standards of regular cheesecake, but it's not cooked so long that the top turns to carbon. Two non-enzymatic browning reactions are happening here. The first is the caramelization of the sugar, which creates aromatic compounds such as Diacetyl and Maltol, giving the top caramel flavor. The second is Maillard browning, which is a reaction between the proteins in the cream cheese and sugars, which creates additional flavor compounds and the taste of umami. This is why the seemingly burnt layer on top tastes so good.
Every recipe has its 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, so I usually let it sit for about 20 minutes before pouring it into the pan. You can also do this with a food processor, stand mixer with a paddle attachment, stick blender, or the old-fashioned way with a whisk and a mixing bowl.
Time and temperature are the most important parts of this recipe, but unfortunately, the answer isn't clear-cut. The goal is to get a burnt hue shy of carbon black before the center of the cake is fully set. This 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. If you don't have a convection oven (i.e., no fan moving the air), I'd recommend going with the high-temperature, something closer to 250 C (480 F).
Also, it's important to remember that ovens are notorious for having inaccurate thermostats, so you may need to experiment to find the right temperature and time. 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 longer.
The time for baking this burnt 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.
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, so you'll need to eat it straight out of the pan with a spoon. Covering and refrigerating the cake overnight allows the center to firm up.
This Basque burnt cheesecake recipe was made for a 6-inch x 2.5-inch cake pan with a removable bottom, but a similarly sized springform pan will also work. A small, deep 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 paper, which would be prone to leaking. The removable bottom is not essential, but 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. My pan holds a volume of about 70 cubic inches. If you use a larger diameter pan, it holds more volume, so you will end up with a thinner cheesecake that cooks faster. Since it will still take the same amount of time to brown the top, you will need to increase the oven temperature to make it brown before the cheesecake gets overcooked. I recommend increasing the ingredients if you use an 8-inch pan or larger; otherwise, the cheesecake will be too thin.
Here are some common pan sizes and their volumes, or you can use this calculator to figure out the volume of yours:
5" x 2" = 40 cubic inches
5" x 3" = 60 cubic inches
6" x 2.5" = 70 cubic inches (perfect for this recipe)
7" x 3" = 115 cubic inches
8" x 3" =150 cubic inches
9" x 3" = 190 cubic inches
By the way, the pan I used is not available in the US, but a reader experimented with a few brands of pans and found that the Nordicware 6" Cheesecake Pan worked best.
You'll need to adjust your parchment paper strategy for the shape of the pan you're using, but as long as the volume of the pan is roughly 70 cubic inches, and you're able to get a thickness of about 2 inches when you pour the batter in, it should work. That being said, I've never tested this with other pan-shapes, so you will likely need to do some testing with temperature and time to find the right combination for your setup.
The short answer is that this is what is supposed to happen, and it means you did it right. When you bake a cake, the oven heats the water in the batter, and it turns to steam. The steam creates pockets in the batter, and as it goes from raw to cooked, the proteins solidify and form a web around the pockets of steam so that even after the cake has cooled, it is fluffy. Basque Burnt Cheesecake is deliberately undercooked in the center to give it its smooth, creamy texture. Since the proteins have not been set, the steam escapes when the heat is gone, and the cake will sink into the center. The sides remain high because they've been fully cooked.
Cracking is caused by a difference in moisture between one part of the cake and the other. It is normal for burnt cheesecake to crack around the edges where the batter has formed a crust. If your cheesecake cracked in the center, it means it was overcooked. In this case, you need to raise the temperature of your oven so that the top browns faster and the center stays rare.
Ivy says
Hi Marc,
I don't have a cake pan with a removable bottom. Will a regular 6" inch pan work?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Ivy, please read the section about cake pan size in the headnotes, your answer is there.
Yung says
Hi, would I be able to use the same recipe if I were to bake it in a 5-inch cake pan or should i reduce the amount of each ingredient?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Yung, it would depend on how deep your pan is. It would need to be at least 3.5-inches deep in order to fit all of the batter.
Aafu says
1.Can I make this cake in a microwave?
2.Can i make this cake in a microwave safe glass dish but in convection mode?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Aafu, if you're microwave doubles as a standard convection oven (i.e. has radiant heating elements to heat the air), you should be able to make this recipe without making any changes. However if it's using microwaves to simulate a convection oven, I don't think it's going to work.
Aafu says
Thank you.
Nia says
if I only have small eggs, should I put in another one extra?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Nia, how much do your eggs weigh? According to the USDA, a small egg is 42-49 grams, a large egg is 56-63 grams. Assuming you're based in the US and your package of eggs say "small eggs", you'd be about 2 tablespoons short (which is not a while egg).
nia says
hii! is there any differences if i use room temperature eggs?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Nia, ideally you want to use cold ingredients, as the colder the batter is when it enters the oven, easier it is to brown the top without overcooking the center. That being said, room temperature eggs should be fine.
Nia says
ahhh i see. cold ingredients it is! thank you so much 🙂
Hptan says
Hi, thx for sharing the recipe! Can I know the 1 cup of heavy cream equal to how many grams? Cox I usually using weight scale to measure all my ingredients. Thx!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Hptan, 1 US cup is 240 ml. Cream is better measured as a volume since different fat content cream is going to weight different amounts (density effects mass).
Hptan says
Thx Marc for ur quick reply. OK, will try it and let u know the outcome!
Hptan says
Hi Marc, thx for the yummy recipe. The cheesecake is so soft, can melt in the mouth. Super easy to make. Just that I need to adjust my oven temperature.
Marc Matsumoto says
Glad to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks for reporting back on how it went.
Alice says
My burnt cheesecake using your recipe was successful and it was gone as soon out of of the fridge.
Mai says
I never like cheese cake but the type Marc shared here was easy for an amateur like me. Hence I tried baking it. Since then, I can't stop baking the same over n over. I just love it. I can't believe I would ever indulge in any cheese cake. My whole family and all my friends r now head over heels in love wt it tho I can't achieve anything near the perfect burnt on Marc's cake. They taste is enough to drive everyone crazy. Thanks very much Marc for sharing yr wonderful recipe.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Mai, I'm not much of a cheesecake fan either, but I make an exception for this one😆 I'm glad to hear you and your family are enjoy this too!
upli says
Hi does it matter when I have only have 200ml of heavy cream instead of 240ml for the recipe?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi upli, the cake will likely end up harder and not as soft in the center with only 200ml of heavy cream.
Nina says
Can I use sour cream instead of heavy cream?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Nina, I would not recommend it. You need a liquid in the batter in order to get the soft gooey center. If you want to introduce the taste of sour cream, you might be able to substitute some of the cream cheese and cream for it, but there are a lot of unknowns so I can't guarantee it will turn out right if you make the change.
Murni says
hi mark! i have a bit of a problem with the cream in getting it to room temperature because it’s winter here in NZ so it’s always cold. would it make any difference if i use cold cream?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Murni, you want to use cold cheese, cream and eggs straight from the fridge as this slow down the cooking of the cake allowing you more time to brown the top without overcooking the interior.
Pingo says
Hi, Can i just use any tin like those rectangular one? 🙂
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Pingo, you could but you need to find a pan that's about the same volume, otherwise the thickness of your cake can change will effect the cooking temperature and time (i.e. a thinner cake needs to be baked at a higher temperature to brown the top before the center gets overcooked).
Pingo says
I baked this cake today and omg it was soooo delicious and my family loved it! It was gone now, looks like I have to bake it again 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing your receipe, fuss free and easy! I substituted the castor sugar with brown sugar and it turned out yummy too! Also I used a square tin instead of round tin, and the results is perfect.
Marc Matsumoto says
I'm so glad to hear that you and your family enjoyed this! Thanks for reporting back on how the square tin worked!
Mimi Kyrrynz says
Hi, can i add sourcream and how much quantity can i add?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Mimi, can I ask what you want to achieve by adding the sour cream? Are you looking to use it as a substitute for another ingredient or do you want to add it in addition to the other ingredients?
Mich says
Hi, can I use creme fraiche instead of heavy cream?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Mich, aside from the egg, the cream is the only liquid in this cake, so I think using creme fraiche is going to make the batter too thick. That being said, you might be able to substitute creme fraiche for some of the cream cheese.
Eloise says
Can i use molasses sugar instead?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Eloise, you could, but the taste of the molasses will overpower all the other ingredient (i.e. you'll only taste the molasses).
Jennifer says
Hi Marc, I made this recipe but half the size of the ingredients and divided the batter between two 4 inch baking tins. I didn’t have heavy cream so I used double cream because it seemed to be a substitute when I researched online. It turned out so bad I was so disappointed. I don’t know why or what went wrong but it tasted quite eggy and the texture wasn’t every creamy. I made sure to check I had halved every ingredient. Not to mention it was extremely oily as well. Could you tell me where I went wrong?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Jennifer, from your photo I'm fairly certain that it was overcooked. That would also explain the eggy taste and oiliness. The sulfur in eggs start to smell when they're overcooked (like hardboiled eggs that turn green around the yolk). As for the oil, it looks like the emulsion broke (fat and solids separated), which happens when a custard is overcooked. If you calculate the volume of your pans (assuming they're 2.5 inches tall), they should hold 31 cubic inches each, which is a total of 62 cubic inches. A 6-inch pan holds 70 cubic inches. By halving the recipe, you most likely made the cake too thin. Between that and the the fact that a 4-inch pan is going to cook through much faster due to its smaller circumference, I'm 99% sure the problem was that the custard spent too long in the oven. To fix this, I would recommend 1) Make the full recipe 2) Pour most (if not all of the batter) into 1 4-inch pan. 3) Raise the temperature of your oven and cook it for less time. The center of the cake should be close to raw when you take it out of the oven.
Jennifer says
That was really comprehensive Marc thank you! The reason why I left them longer in the oven was because they were not browning enough. But your suggestion to raise the oven temperature makes sense. So if a 6inch takes 230degrees and 20 minutes, how much shld I raise the temperature for a 4inch cake and for how long shld I bake it? Thank you
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Jennifer, sorry I missed your note. It's really going to depend on your oven, but try going for 250 C for about 10-15 minutes. The top should be very dark brown (almost black) but the center should still be almost raw. It will set up as it cools and the center should sink.
Emily says
Hi Marc, the recipe that i found online uses 430g cream cheese, 3 eggs, 1 cup of heavy cream and 20 g cake flour baked at 240c for 30 mins. When i put in fridge, it turns solid as new york cheesecake texture.. so im afraid to chill my burnt cheesecake anymore..
Do you see any flaw in the recipe?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Emily, I can't speak for someone else's recipe since I've never tried making it, but it seems like this one has a higher ratio of cheese and eggs to cream. This will most likely make it firmer than my recipe, which has a higher ratio of cream.
Vicky says
Hi Marc.I tried the recipe and everyone loved it but my cake didn’t puff up as how it suppose to be.Should i put my temperature higher and bake it at a lesser time?Plus i used self rising flour,will that make any difference to the cake?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Vicky, the cake should only be puffy around the edges. The center should fall and be soft and custardy. Depending on how the texture was in the center, you could try raising the temperature. As for self-rising flour, this usually has a leavening agent such as baking powder mixed in. I wouldn't recommend it as it will introduce air bubbles, which don't you want (the center should be soft and creamy like flan).
Vicky says
Thank you.Will try again using cake flour 🙂
Anim says
Hi Marc, can i use whipped cream (cream that already whip)?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Anim, although I haven't tried it, I would not recommend it. Cream undergoes structural changes when you whip it. That's why over-whipping cream turns it into butter. My guess is that it will be a lot more likely to break (fat and liquids will separate) if you use cream that's already been whipped.
Joane says
This is the first time I’ve made burnt basque cheesecake using your recipe but I didn’t use the vanilla extract as I just wanted to try it plain and see how it goes. It turned out amazing!!
Made it to celebrate my anniversary with my partner.
Shared some with my parents and they loved it too!!
Thank you so much for sharing your recipe. It’s simple, mess free and best of all... DELICIOUS!!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Joane, I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed it! Congratulations on your anniversary!
Stef says
Hi! Did you also use only 1 block - 226grams of cream cheese? 🙂 Thanks! I am excited to try this out but seems there is quite little cream cheese.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Stef, yep its 1 block. Most recipes are for a larger pan which is why they include more cheese. I also use a fairly high ratio of cream to cheese which gives it it's soft custardy center.
Stef says
Thanks Marc! Awesome stuff, thanks for sharing this easy recipe and the quick reply. 🙂 Appreciate it.
I did see you had indeed a higher amount of cream on your recipe! I am giving it a try today.. Yay!
Stef says
It was a good one Marc, success!! And everything turned out well and my family loved it. I only used abit less cream I think, 1packet so the cake was a little flatter but tasted awesome and soft/gooey in the centre as it should be! Thanks again for this!
Marc Matsumoto says
You're welcome!
Elaine says
Hi. I'm using a Samsung Smart Oven for baking and the convection function has a max temp of 200 C. How long should I bake with a lower temperature? I tried the recipe today, used the convection function for 50 mins at 200 C and the grill function for 5 mins to make it more brown but still didn't turn out as brown as yours. There was also a small crack in the middle. Currently in the fridge so I havent tasted yet but smells really good!!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Elaine, cracking in the center means it was overcooked. You won't be able to get the brown top and custardy center in an oven that only goes up to 200 C. You could try doing it with just the grill function, but since I don't know how the oven works, or how hot the grill mode gets, I can't say if it will work for certain.
Eve Tee says
Can I use use 6"ingredient to 7" pan baking?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Eve, a 7" pan isn't big enough to double the recipe, but it will be much thinner than if you made it in a 6" pan, so you will most likely need to bake it at a higher heat for a shorter amount of time to keep the center soft.
Winnie says
Hello! I’ve tried making it in 5” using half of the recipe. However, it doesn’t seem to be baking right, not sure what went wrong. I’ve put it in 220 degrees Celsius for almost 25 mins but the top is not turning brown at all but yet it cracks on the top. Had no choice but to turn the temperature to 230-240 for another 10 mins and it finally turned brown but I’ve gotten a very cracked top 🙁 would u be able to advice? I want to get the creamy molten texture in the middle and I’m afraid that by baking for too long of a time will make the cake stiffer in the middle.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Winnie, sorry to hear it didn't turn out. A 5" x 2.5" pan has a volume of 50 square inches. A 6" x 2.5" pan has a volume 70 square inches. Halving the recipe will result in a thinner cake, which means it will cook though much quicker. The cracking is a symptom of being overcooked. You're going to need to crank the heat up much higher to get sufficient browning and you'll most likely want to bake it for less time.
Defi says
Hi Marc, thank you for sharing this easy recipe! I have tried making it once & my whole family love it so much.
This time I want to try making it, infused with Earl Grey flavor. Do you have any recommendation as to how I can incorporate the earl grey using earl grey teabags ?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Defi, I'm so glad to hear you and your family enjoyed it! Earl grey is a fantastic idea. My suggestion would be to steep the teabags in the cream overnight in the refrigerator. This should be enough to infuse the cream with the flavor of the tea which you can use to make the cheesecake. The only thing you'll want to be careful of is to account for the cream that gets absorbed by the teabags (i.e. you're going to need to steep more than 1 cup of cream). Good luck, and let me know how it goes!
Joy says
Hi I used a 6 Inch x 2.5 inch pan like you did and followed your recipe exactly however after it cooled down it sank to about half an inch. Why is that so?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Joy, this is supposed to happen. When you bake a cake, steam makes air bubbles that make things like cake or bread rise. If you cook it through completely the proteins set and the air bubbles become trapped, giving the baked good a fluffy texture. Basque cheesecake is deliberately undercooked so the center is custardy, but since the proteins are not fully set, the air bubbles escape as the cake cools and the parts that are not fully cooked (i.e. the center) will sink.
Miro says
Hello Marc, thanks for this well-explained recipe. If I prefer to add a bit more cream cheese for a richer taste (but still bake in a 6-inch pan), how should I adjust the recipe? Thank you!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Miro, I'm not sure what kind of cream you used the last time you made this, but if you felt it wasn't rich enough, the best way to make it even richer is to use cream with a higher butterfat content that way you don't need to change any of the proportions (I use one that's 47% fat).
Miro says
Hi Marc, thanks so much for the prompt response. Sorry i wasn't clear enough -- I'd like to increase the amount of cream cheese, not the cream. Any suggestions for doing that? 🙂 Thanks again!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Miro, your question was clear, but if your goal is to make this richer using a richer cream is your best bet. You don't need to increase the quantity of the cream. If that's not your goal, can you please elaborate?
Miro says
Hi again Marc, let me rephrase, I'll drop the 'rich' part 😂 How can i get a more pronounced cream cheese flavor?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Miro, thanks for the clarification. I finally get it 😆 Since this batter is fairly fluid you should be able to get away with substituting more cream cheese in for some of the cream. I think you could pretty safely substitute about 1/3 of a cup, and if that's not cream cheesey enough for you, and the batter is still pourable, you could try and increase the quantity. At some point you're going to run into one of two problems. Either there's not going to be enough liquid and you won't be able to pour the batter into the mold. Or, you're going to have too much fat relative to the egg, and your mixture will break while baking. If the latter happens, you can try adding some more egg.
Miro says
Hi Marc, I followed your suggestion and the result was fantastic. Added a bit of lemon juice and salt as well -- came out perfect (in my oven it was closer to 40 mins). Thanks so much for your responses and the great recipe!
Crystaldee says
Hi, may I know at which rack of the oven do you bake it? I bake mine on the middle rack but it doesnt seem to be able to get a nice even blackness like yours. Thank you!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Crystaldee, I bake it in the middle rack but I have a convection oven that circulates air around the food with a fan. If your oven is not convection (i.e. there's a heating element at the top of the oven), you may want to move the rack up to the top position.
NCYL says
Hi, Marc. I have a 10” pan with 2.5” sides, same depth as your 6”. The volume works out to be 196 cubic inches. How much more should the recipes be increased, are you able to advise? Thanks a lot!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi NCYL, my 6-inch pan holds 70 cubic inches, so you can't quite triple the recipe, but double might still be a little on the thin side. The part I'm not sure about is the time and temperature for your size of pan as the added volume will make it cook through slower, but the top will still brown at the same rate. My hunch is that if you double the recipe, the thinness should make up for the added volume and you should still have a soft center and brown top using the same time/temp as with my 6-inch pan, but if you go with 2.5x you'll probably want to lower the temperature a bit and cook it for a little longer to account for the extra volume. Either way, you'll probably need to do a bit of trial and error to get the perfect texture and color (don't worry the trials will still be delicious!) If you give this a try, I'd love to hear what you ended up doing and how it went as there have been a few people asking about 10-inch pans.
Natalie says
Hi, marc!
I have just popped it in the oven, waiting for 22 mins to be up! But I realized the cream cheese didn’t blend into the mixture. Did I do anything wrong?
Thanks!!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Natalie, did you use a blender? If you had chunks of cream cheese remaining, my guess is that the mixture wasn't blended enough. Hope it turned out okay after baking!
Scha says
Hi does the cream needs to be cold or room temperature?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Scha, I would recommend using cold ingredients for this as you want the batter as cool as possible when it enters the oven.
Natalie says
Hello, Marc!
I am going to try this recipe tomorrow! However, there a few questions which I hope you’d be able to help me out —
1) you mentioned to pour in all the ingredients into a blender, if I do not own one, is a stand mixer fine?
2) I would like to make the middle of the cheese cake more gooey (almost like chocolate lava kind), how can I achieve that and what’s the temperature & duration for a 8” springform pan?
3) Which ingredient actually makes the centre of the cheesecake gooey? I do not have heavy cream but I have evaporated milk, will I still be able to achieve that kind of outcome?
So sorry for this long post!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Natalie, 1) yep a mixer will work, just make sure you use the beater attachment and not the whisk attachment 2) The gooey texture is a result of being undercooked. an 8" pan is not conducive to this as the amount of batter gets spread a lot thinner than in a 6" pan, so by the time you get the desired browning on top, the interior will be fully cooked. Depending on the height of your pan, you may want to consider doubling the amount of batter (calculate the volume of your pan). 3) The texture is not a result of the ingredients, but rather the amount it was cooked for. In my convection oven in a 6-inch pan, it takes 22 minutes at 230C to achieve this texture, but because different ovens vary in the way they cook, you may need to raise or lower the temperature and adjust the time. Evaporated milk will work, but it won't be as rich as it has a much lower fat content. One final note, is that if you want the cake to be unsliceably runny and plan to scoop it out with a spoon, serve it as soon as it's cooled down (i.e. don't refrigerate it first) you won't be able to cut slices out of it, but it will be very runny. After refrigerating, it will set to the texture of soft flan(i.e. still gooey, but not runny).
Natalie says
Thank you so much for the detailed explanation and patience! I can’t wait to give this recipe try!
Natalie says
1 more question, Marc.
I am going to use a 10” pan instead. Other than doubling up the required ingredients, how long should I pop it into the oven? And what temperature would you suggest to achieve that oozy centre?
Thanks so much!!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Natalie, with a 10" pan, your cake is still going to be on the thin side even with double the batter. I would go with the stated time and temp the first time, and then adjust as needed on future attempts. Once you come up with a combo that works it would be awesome if you could share your time and temperature so others that are trying it will have a starting point.
Denyce says
Hi, I double up the recipe, added lemon zest n juice, n bake in 12 rustic heat proof muffin cup, i used 220 °C fan for 15min n turn the oven to top heating only for another 5mins, they came out perfect, thanks for sharing 💌💌
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Denyce, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it! Thank you for taking the time to share your method using muffin cups. I'll point other folks to your comment if they ask.
Desi says
Why is my cheesecake crack on the surface? It kinda blows up, and just crack. I used non-convention oven at 250C for 22 mins and the top has not caramelized so I add another 10 mins and the cake bubbling up and cracks.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Desi, the cheesecake will crack a little around the edges (as shown in my photos), but if you had it crack in the center it was most likely overcooked. Try turning up the heat so that you can get it browned on top in 20 minutes or less.
Bel says
Hi! I have been baking the cake with your recipe and it is so simple and delicious! I am thinking of adding some lemon rind and juice, and chilling the batter before baking it (to keep the center oozy) because mine usually comes out a bit 'well done'.
Do you have any recommendation of how much lemon juice to add and how long this batter can keep before baking? Thank you!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Bel, I'm glad to hear you've been enjoying this. Adding lemon juice and zest is a great idea! As for refrigerating the batter, that's a good idea, you could also increase the temperature of your oven. As for how long you can refrigerate, I've never tried it, but I think it will depend upon how long the parchment paper holds up. Even though it's water resistant, it's not water proof, so at some point it's going to get saturated and turn to mush. I hope that helps!
Alice says
I used whipping cream instead of heavy cream. somehow it tastes more like the custard in the portugese egg tart kinda way. and it sank rly deep HAHAHAH. Will try with heavy cream next time. I love that you have a scroller thingy to tweak the recipe by letting us change the number of servings.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Alice, lower fat creams will result in a lighter texture and taste, so switching to heavy cream should make it more rich and dense😉.
Alice says
Yes I cannot wait to try it again. My husband loves my whipping cream recipe nonetheless. haha. He finished half of my "failed" cake last night. 🙂
Berlyn says
Hi Marc!
Will the centre still be oozy and flowly if I leave it to room temperature after taking it out from the refrigerator? I would like the cake to be still be oozing with the creamy centre.
Thanks!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Berlyn, this cheesecake comes out of the oven oozy and flowy (i.e. if you cut it it without refrigerating it, it won't hold it's shape). So if you're looking for a scoopable texture, let the cake cool to room temperature and just serve it without refrigerating it. Putting it in the fridge allows the cake to set just enough to be sliceable (like a firm flan), though it will still be very soft and custardy.
Berlyn says
Thank you for the reply Marc! Cause i was actually looking at recipes that has the oozy melty centre. ie. the rest of the cake is firm whereas the middle is still slightly oozy 😊
Angelia Y says
Hello Marc, this turned out absolutely beautiful. It's quick, easy and simple to understand and bake! My first time baking a Basque Burnt Cheesecake too and we all loved it and I'm going to make another one today! Thank you!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Angelia, sounds like it's going to be a regular in your house 😆 I'm glad it turned out, and thanks for stopping by to let me know!
June says
Hi Marc! My oven max temp goes up to 220°c, would this temp works to bake this?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi June, you may not be able to get the top quite as brown without overcooking the cheesecake, but I think it should still taste good.
Olivia says
Hi Sir, may I know the weight of the eggs you'd used? We usually have 55 grams egg here in Singapore.
Besides, is there anything to take note for a square (conductor) pan?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Olivia, the eggs I use are typically between 60-70 grams (including the shell). I don't think this should make a huge difference, but if you're worried about it, you can add an extra tablespoon or two of egg to the batter. As for the pan, if you're using a square pan, you'll want to line it differently with parchment paper (see this page for the technique https://norecipes.com/chocolate-cherry-brownies/). You'll also want to use a pan that's going to give you a similar height to a 6-inch round pan.
Madeline says
Hi, what’s the rough estimate of the eggs weight? My eggs are rather small & I’m wondering if I should use 3 or 4 eggs
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Madeline, I just weighed the eggs in my fridge and they're between 60-70 grams each (including the shell). I hope that helps.
Madeline says
Thx so much!
Siddhima says
Hi Marc
Thanks for sharing their recipe. I’m a bit stuck, to get started with this cake.
My cake tin is a little too big for my oven. It just about fits in, with very little room on top for it to rise.
Do you think filling up the cake tin with lesser batter (about half way) will still let it rise?
I was so excited to do this cake 🙁
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Siddhima, in a 6-inch pan, the cake will rise a few centimeters above the rim of the pan, so you'll probably need to reduce the batter a little to keep it from hitting the top of your oven. The bigger concern though is that such a tight fit doesn't allow for even heat distribution, so you may find that the cake ends up browning/cooking unevenly.
Jamie says
Hi, I saw in the video is this Cheesecake no need waterbath ? I didn't see how is in the oven
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Jamie, it does not need a waterbath.
Scha says
Hi can I substitute with plain flour instead? For heavy cream, can I substitute with all purpose cream?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Scha, for the flour, all-purpose flour has a higher gluten content than cake flour which can make cakes tough. That being said, this recipe contains a relatively small amount, so I think it should be okay(but I haven't tried it). As for the cream, it seems the naming of cream is different in different countries, so I'm not sure what all purpose cream is, but any high butterfat cream should work as long as it does not contain any thickeners like gums or gelatin.
Scha says
Hi thanks for your reply. What do u recommend the substitute of thickened cream please?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Scha, I recommend using cream without any thickeners added. If you're in the US these would be sold as either heavy cream or whipping cream, if you're not in the US, I don't know what the name will be.
Scha says
Ok whipping cream is available here (35% fat) is it what you are referring to?
Oh carol says
Good day Marc, able to advice if I would like to incorporate mascarpone cheese how much cream cheese n mascarpone should I use? Based on 6” pan. Thks
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Oh carol, I've never done the Mascarpone substitution before so I can't say from first hand experience, but past commenters have said it worked out well (I think they replaced 100% of the cream cheese with Mascarpone). In any case, it should be a 1 to 1 substitution, so if you could use any ratio you wanted. For instance 113 Mascarpone to 113 cream cheese for a 50:50 mix, or 68 Mascarpone to 158 cream cheese for a 30:70 mix.
Carol Oh says
Great.. maybe i will try 40:60, due to circuit breaker here in Singapore.. alot of baking ingredients are like rare item now haha. Thank u so much for your reply and i really like your receipe ,simple and in small quantities which is great for those of us whom just want to try or only has small pan.. hope to see more receipe from you. Take care and stay healthy!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Carol, you're lucky you were even able to find it. I haven't seen it in the markets around here for weeks. I hope it turns out well! I have about 1000 recipes on here so hopefully you're able to find some others you enjoy as well!
Cassandra Koh says
Had to crank up the temp a bit but it's Super simple to make & Ive been told they taste amazing! Haha, im lactose intolerant but the smell is heavenly. Thank you for this!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Cassandra, I'm glad your friends/family enjoyed your efforts! Thanks for stopping by to let me know how it turned out!
MK says
Hi, can I change vanilla extract to vanilla essence? If yes, what is the amount? Thanks 🙂
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi MK, you should be able to make that substitution, but I've never used vanilla essence, so I'm not really sure whether it's a 1:1 substitution. The vanilla is there for flavor, so I'd suggest adding enough to give it a vanilla fragrance.
Chan sow ping says
Thank you for recipe.i baked the burnt cheesecake n my sons reaction was u must be kidding.you bought it from the confectionery didnt you.it looks n taste sooo good.guess in lockdown any food taste good esp comfort food.thank you for adding joy to boring days
Marc Matsumoto says
You're welcome! I'm so glad to hear this was able to bring a little joy into your home! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know. I have a lot of other great recipes on here, so I hope you check some of them out.
Ethel says
Thank you for the cake recipe it is fantastic!! Simple and easy
Marc Matsumoto says
You're welcome Ethel!
Ethel says
Hi Marc, could I also add in mascarpone cheese as an additional cheese?
Thank you!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Ethel, someone asked about that earlier, and although I haven't tried it (can't get Mascarpone right now), I think they said it turned out really well.
Mel says
Hi Marc can I replace cake flour with plain flour? Also is heavy cream same as thickened cream? And can I reduce the sugar. Trying not to consume too much sugar. Cheers
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Mel, to be honest I haven't tried it with all purpose flour. The reason why all-purpose usually isn't a good idea is because it contains more gluten than cake flour, which can make cakes tough (the gluten forms chains when agitated and this is what makes bread and pasta chewy). Since this has only a small amount, it might work, but I can't make any guarantees. As for the cream, I'm not familiar with thickened cream so I'm not sure. I would not recommend using a cream that has thickeners like gelatin or gums added. For the sugar, reducing that should be fine.
Mel says
Thanks Marc. Baked it and was fantastic. I did 240C for 25mins and it was a lil burnt on the top. So I reckon 240C for 20mins might do the trick.
Also, I have no cake flour, so I googled and substitute 15g Cake flour for 13g AP Flour + 4g Tapioca flour. Taste and texture wise was okay, just that when I cut it doesnt looks smooth.
I reduced sugar to 55g and swap vanilla extract with coconut sugar liquid (ie gula melaka liquid).
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Mel, thanks for reporting back on how it turned out. The reason why it wasn't smooth when you cut is most likely that it was overcooked. Since it mentioned it was more brown than you wanted I would recommend just reducing time in the oven. If it's still overcooked, you'll want to raise the temperature and bake it for even less time.
Mel says
Thanks Marc will definitely try again. Awesome recipe
Jacky says
Hey Marc, thank you so much for all your amazing YouTube recipeipes! I bought the exact baking form like yours of size and now doing my second attempt, using exact the amount of ingredients, but somehow my mix will fill up the baking form till almost 1/3rd instead of yours almost completely full!
Do you think maybe we miss something from your receipe? Like amount of cream cheese and eggs?
Many thanks!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Jacky, in a 6-inch pan, the mixture should come up about 3/4 of the way to the top of the pan. When you bake it the sides will rise up well above the rim of the pan.
JoJo says
Hi Marc, my question same like Jacky....the mixture only can fill 1/3rd of using 6inch pan. So the cake was flat cannot raise up as like yours.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi JoJo, you're using a round 6-inch pan? How tall is your pan? In my round 6 inch pan with 2.5 inch sides, the batter goes about 3/4 of the way to the top, so I don't understand why it would only go 1/3 of the way in your pan. As for the cake rising. The only parts that will rise are the parts that are fully cooked. The idea of this cake is that it is dense and creamy so you don't really want it to rise. The sides becoming fully cooked is unavoidable, but the center should fall mostly be flat. If the center of your cake is not falling after pulling it out of the oven, you've likely overcooked it.
Christy says
Hi. I'd like to know if a ceramic or glass cake pan is ok to be used to bake in?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Christy, glass and ceramic won't transmit heat as efficiently as a metal pan. This is one cake you want it to cook unevenly (i.e. the outside cooks before the inside), so it's important to get the exterior hot quickly. That being said, I haven't tried it with a glass or ceramic pan, but I've had several reports of people using silicone pans where it didn't set properly, so I think glass and ceramic may have the same problem. Let us know how it goes if you do try it out.