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Basque Cheesecake

Basque Burnt Cheesecake is a beautiful marriage of intentional imperfection and complex sweetness. Imagine a dessert that breaks every single rule of traditional baking: it has no crust, it is baked at a screamingly high heat, and it is purposefully scorched on top. This intense caramelization creates deep, bittersweet notes of toasted caramel and browned butter.
Servings 6
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Cooling Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 400 g Cream cheese room temperature
  • 100 g Sugar
  • 35 g Palm sugar chopped into small pieces
  • 3 Eggs large size
  • 240 ml Cream
  • 17 g All-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp Vanilla
  • 1/8 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Lemon juice

Instructions

  • Preheating and Pan Prep: Preheat your air fryer to 350°F for 5 minutes. Take a large sheet of parchment paper and crumple it tightly into a ball, then unfold it. Press the wrinkled paper firmly into a 6-inch cake pan, allowing the excess to pleat naturally and extend past the top rim of the pan.
  • Smooth Blending: Place the room-temperature cream cheese, white sugar, palm sugar, eggs, heavy cream, flour, vanilla, salt, and lemon juice into a blender or food processor. Blend on medium speed just until the batter is entirely smooth, fluid, and free of any lumps. Do not over-blend past this point to avoid introducing excess air bubbles.
  • The Pour: Pour the glossy batter straight into your prepared, parchment-lined cake pan, tapping the pan gently on the counter once to release any large trapped bubbles.
  • The Two-Stage Bake: Place the pan into the air fryer basket and bake at 350°F for 25 minutes. As soon as the timer ends, immediately increase the air fryer temperature to 400°F and bake for an additional 5 minutes until the top is a deep, scorched amber-brown.
  • The Rest: Carefully check the center with a digital thermometer; it should register an internal temperature of 185°F. The cake will look highly unstable and jiggly in the middle. Remove the pan from the air fryer and place it on a wire rack on your counter. Let it cool undisturbed for at least 2 hours before slicing.

Notes

Nancy's Notes 📝

  • The Room Temp Mandate: Do not rush this step. If your cream cheese or eggs are cold, they will separate and create a grainy, lumpy batter. Leave them out on the counter a few hours before baking to guarantee absolute silkiness.
  • Embrace the Crumple: Do not try to trim or neatly line your pan. The beauty of a Basque cheesecake relies entirely on those rustic, pleated, crinkled edges created by the crumpled parchment paper. It gives the cake its classic artisanal charm!
  • Choose Your Texture: This cake is two desserts in one. If you love a molten, runny, molten-lava-cake-style center, eat a slice warm after its 2-hour counter rest. If you prefer a dense, ultra-rich premium bakery texture, chill it in the fridge overnight before digging in!
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Vietnamese