Unlike traditional cheesecakes, this Spanish delight is characterised by its burnt, caramelised top and creamy, custard-like centre. Originating in the iconic La Viña restaurant, the Basque cheesecake has won hearts worldwide for its unique texture and rich yet light flavour profile.

San Sebastián, renowned for its vibrant pintxos (tapas) culture and stunning coastal views, provides the perfect backdrop for indulging in this dessert. The cheesecake is intentionally baked at a high temperature, giving it a beautifully browned exterior while keeping the inside irresistibly soft and gooey. You’re basically burning the outer layer during cooking to give it more texture and taste.

It’s perfect for those who enjoy a dessert that's not overly sweet.

The Basque cheesecake is easy to make, with its minimalistic ingredient list and straightforward preparation. Whether you're savouring it in a bustling café in the Old Town of Donostia or recreating it at home, each bite transports you to the charming streets and lively atmosphere of San Sebastián.

How to make a Basque Cheesecake

This recipe was taken from one of my newest cookbooks, La Cucina Vasca, which I picked up in San Sebastián by Marti Buckley. It’s a simple recipe that requires just six ingredients (including some salt) and 1 bowl.

It’s really not complicated to make.

Ingredients you’ll need

To make the cheesecake, you will need the following (for 12 servings)

1kg of cream cheese at room temperature
5 large eggs
480ml double cream
350g sugar
30g plain flour
1g salt

Equipment needed

There isn’t a lot you need to make this cheesecake:

A large mixing bowl
Some kind of electric mixer either a hand mixer or a stand mixer (beating cream cheese into a smooth paste can be very tiring if you’re just using a wooden spoon or a whisk)
A 25cm spring form cake tin

Getting prepared

Preheat your oven to 200°C and prepare your cake tin by lining it with a large baking sheet. The tradtional way to do this is by pressing an oversized baking sheet into the greased cake tin and folding it at the edges so you have excess paper around the cake tin. This gives your final cake a lovely rustic appearance.

Preparing your cake mix

1) Add all of your cream cheese into the mixing bowl and add the sugar, beat this until you have a smooth, loose mixture.

2) Add your salt to the mixture and mix it until smooth.

3) Add your eggs, one at a time and use a wooden spoon to thoroughly mix until the egg has incorporated into the mix. Repeat for all of your eggs until you have a smooth mix.

4) Slowly add your cream whilst you continue to beat the mixture. The goal at this stage is to achieve a smooth, harmonious mixture without allowing anything to form clumps in the cake mix.

5) If you are planning to add any additional flavourings this is the point to do so.

6) Sift your flour into the mixture and mix until smooth once again.

6) Pour your mixture into your baking paper lined cake tin, make sure you shake the tin and give it a few taps on the counter to expell any air from the mixture.

7) Place your cake tin on a large baking tray and place in the oven for around 50 minutes.

8) Keep checking your cake to see how it is going, every oven will be different so you will need to bake it until the cake has puffed up and is a dark brown burnt colour on the top. It will be very jiggly when you take it out of the oven.

9) Let your cake rest until it reaches room temperature (can take a couple of hours). There is no need to set it in the fridge, tradtionally this cheesecake will be eaten at room temperature. The cake will set back down again and firm up so make sure you don’t cut into it too early.

10) When slicing your cheesecake, make sure you run your knife under hot water to heat it up, that way when you will be able to make smooth looking slices as the warmed knife will melt the cheese slightly when cutting through.

Variations

For some extra flavour, you can add the following elements to your spice mix

7g Vanilla extract
9g Orange blossom water

Basque Cheesecake

Yield: 12

Author: Zaeem Jafri

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 50 MinInactive time: 2 HourTotal time: 3 Hour

The famous cheesecake from La Viña in San Sebastián (Donostia), Spain.

Ingredients

1kg of cream cheese at room temperature
5 large eggs
480ml double cream
350g sugar
30g plain flour
1g salt

Equipment

25cm spring form cake tin
Electric hand mixer or Electric stand mixer
Wooden spoon
Large mixing bowl
Kitchen scales

Instructions

Preparing your cheesecake mixture

Preheat your oven to 200°C
Grease a 25cm springloaded cake tin
Line your cake tin with baking paper. The traditional way is to use a very large sheet of baking paper and fold it up at the corners where it starts to wrinkle
In a large mixing bowl, beat the sugar and cheese until the cream cheese loosens up and you end up with a smooth mix (using an electric hand mixer or a mixing bowl will make this much easier compared to a whisk or a wooden spoon)
Add your salt and mix it in with a wooden spoon
Add your eggs one at a time and keep beating with your wooden spoon until well mixed
Add your cream slowly and continuously beat the mixture
Add any extra flavourings at this point
Sift in your flour and gently mix in until smooth

Baking the cheesecake

Pour your mixture into the 25cm spring form cake tin
Shake the tin and tap it on the counter gently to expel any air from the mixture
Bake in the oven for around 50 minutes
(Timings may vary depending on your oven, the goal is to develop a deep brown crust across the top of the mixture giving it a burnt appearance)
(The mixture will rise very high in the pan)
Remove the cake from the oven. It will be very puffy and jiggly in the middle
Let it rest until the cake reaches room temperature (this could take a couple of hours)
Remove the spring form cake tin
Unwrap your cheesecake
Slice up and serve at room temperature
Store any leftovers in the fridge