It's not burnt, it's basque cheesecake! This variety of cheesecake originated in the Basque Country in Spain. It's crustless, deeply caramelized on top, yet creamy and slightly underbaked in the center. Though this recipe looks intimidating, it's incredibly easy to make. The result is a stunning, fancy, and highly-customizable cheesecake.

This recipe was originally by Catherine Zhang. However, I increased the heavy cream to use an even 1 cup, and the results were still delicious. The variations pictured are matcha with strawberry whipped cream on top, hojicha, and roasted corn-white miso (which was slightly too underbaked).

​​

​

Ingredients (6-inch cheesecake)

​

• 453 g (2 packages) cream cheese, softened

• 150 g granulated sugar

• 3 eggs (150 g)

• 15 g cornstarch

• 3 g kosher salt

• 5 g vanilla extract

• 236 g heavy cream

​​

Instructions

​

1. Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature.

2. Line a deep 6-inch cake pan with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 425°F. I actually make this recipe in my air fryer at 400°F.

3. Blend together all ingredients and strain through a sieve.

4. Pour batter into prepared cake pan and bake 22-25 minutes, until dark golden-brown but still slightly wobbly in the center.

5. Leave the oven door ajar and let cheesecake sit for another 5 minutes.

6. Cool on counter until no longer hot.

7. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight before serving.

​

-

​

Flavor options:​

​​

• Replace 5 g of the cornstarch with 2 Tablespoons tea powder