This is Basque cheesecake – rustic, rich, and unapologetically burnt. Originating from San Sebastián in northern Spain, it’s known for its deeply caramelized top, creamy custard-like center, and crustless simplicity. The edges puff and crack as it bakes, creating a smoky sweetness that balances the tang of cream cheese. It’s imperfect in the most perfect way—golden, jiggly, and utterly irresistible.
This was my first time baking this style of cheesecake. I wasn’t sure about it being crustless, but since top, bottom, and sides get somewhat caramelized, you don’t really miss the crust. Basque cheesecake has a clean, light, creamy vanilla flavor I really enjoyed. I’ve come to the conclusion I like all forms of cheesecake and this one was fun to make.
You can use your broiler to caramelize the top a bit more if the center is almost done and it hasn’t really darkened. I did need to do that step, and I think next time I’d do it a bit sooner because my cheesecake got slightly more cooked than it would ideally be. Overall this was a really easy recipe and we enjoyed the cheesecake a lot. Also check out my salted caramel, black forest, or chocolate peanut butter cheesecake recipes. They are all delicious!
Basque Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 32 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 1/3 cups sugar plus more for topping
- 5 large eggs at room temp, this is important so don't use cold eggs
- 2 large yolks room temp
- 1 cup heavy cream room temp, again, important for smooth texture
- 2 tsp vanilla
- zest of one lemon
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1-2 tbsp sugar for the top
Instructions
- Adjust your oven rack to the middle position and heat to 400 degrees F. Grease a 9 inch springform pan and lay two 12×16 sheets of parchment in a cross pattern to make it easy to remove the cheesecake. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer, cream the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla on medium, scraping bowl as needed until smooth and sugar is dissolved, about 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until well mixed before adding the next. Scrape down the bowl as you go. Next do the same with the yolks and mix until well combined.
- now add the cream, lemon zest and salt and mix on low until fully combined. Using a fine mesh strainer, sift flour over the mixture and beat on low until combined, 15 to 30 seconds, scraping the bowl again. Pour into prepared pan and place in the fridge for 30 min – 1 hour.
- Place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle the 1-2 tbsp sugar over the top. Place into the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes, rotating half way through. The edges should feel set, but the center should wobble and seem underdone. If you plan to broil the top, stop a bit short of where you feel like it is fully done, since it will cook more under the broiler. The center should be 150 to 155 when it is done.
- The top should be deeply browned, and if not, use the broiler to darken it. Move to a rack and cool for 1 hour, then move the fridge uncovered for 4 hours. Then cover with plastic wrap, or serve. Allow to come to room temp before serving. Store in the fridge.