Basque cheesecake

The Basque Cheesecake has developed a cult following across Melbourne.

Deeply burnished on the outside yet pale and creamy inside, this rich, custardy cake originated at La Viña, one of the many pintxos (snack) bars found all over the Basque capital of San Sebastian.

Unlike other cheesecakes, the Basque cheesecake has no biscuit base and is cooked in a hot oven. Most baked cheesecakes go for a low and slow approach to keep the cake blond; the approach here is to burn, baby, burn. And it works.

That richness is thanks to a mix that’s mostly cream cheese and eggs which can be purchased from the Market.

Shopping list (serves 10):
6 eggs from Triple Q
900 grams cream cheese from Ross Pecora Cheeses, chopped in cubes
300 grams white sugar or 150g baking stevia
400 grams pouring cream (thickened is fine)
30 grams flour or 10 grams coconut flour

Method:

Preheat oven to 200°C.

Place eggs into mixer bowl and mix until smooth and combined.

Add cream cheese and blend until smooth, stopping the scrape the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Then add sugar and mix until smooth.

Add cream and mix until smooth.

Finally, add flour and mix until smooth.

Line a 22 cm springform tin with paper, ensuring paper extends 10 cm beyond the top of the tin. Pour cheesecake mixture into tin.

Cook for one hour. Check the cake is ready using the ‘jiggle test’: you want a little bit of wobble in the centre and not too much around the edge. Err on the side of over-baking rather than under-baking if you are not sure.

It is normal for the cake to darken on top as it caramelises but if you are concerned it’s getting too dark, place a sheet of baking paper over the cake about halfway through baking time.

Cool in tin. When cool (about 2-3 hours), carefully open tin, peel away paper and transfer to a serving plate.

You could serve it with berries or just keep your bliss pure!