Serves 4-6
Every now and then, I get excited about culinary experiences and discoveries and this is one of those moments. Burnt Basque cheesecake is the star of the day this round. This beauty originates from La Viña, a café in the resort town of San Sebastian in the Basque region of Spain, created and made famous by Chef Santiago Rivera in 1990.
Deeply caramelized "burnt" top, thanks to a high-temperature bake, this wonderful cheesecake requires no water bath. It is rich and creamy on the inside, with notes of caramel and some bitterness from the burnt top. This is a no crust and no fuss cheesecake that is hard to mess up. Its little imperfections and rustic beauty brought by the burnt look , the deflated top and the messy outer edges make this cake even prettier and more attractive. A must try! Just make sure you start a day ahead, if possible and if your patience allows. I love it served with raspberry coulis but the sky is the limit, I trust. It pairs perfectly with sherry wines, if you wish to follow the original pairing tradition or with your favourite Prosecco or sparkling wine, if you wish to follow my pairing preference. Enjoy!
500 g cream cheese, room temperature ( 2 Philadelphia packages)
175 g granulated sugar
1 cup of heavy whipping cream
1 ½ tbsp all purpose flour
3 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
½ tsp sea salt
1 tsp orange extract
Preheat oven to 450 °F/ 232 °C.
Line an 8-inch springform with two pieces of parchment paper overlapping in the middle, pressing to fit tightly in pan and leaving an overhang of 2 inches around all edges. Set aside.
Whisk cream cheese and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until very smooth and creamy for about 3-4 minutes. Scrape sides of the bowl, as needed and set aside.
Sift flour and salt over whipping cream and whisk in a small bowl until mostly smooth. Add to cream cheese mixture and whisk on medium low-speed until just incorporated. Add eggs and egg yolk one at a time, allowing a few seconds after each addition. Add orange extract and continue whisking until homogenous.
Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes until the top is dark brown and the center is still jiggly. It will set once it cools.
Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for about 2 hours. The cake will sink drastically, as it cools, just like a souffle. Chill uncovered for al least 2 hours or overnight. Unmold and peel away parchment from the sides of the cake. The outer edges will not be clean and smooth. Serve it either at room temperature or directly from the fridge.
Notes:
Use a 7-inch springform for a smaller and taller cake.
For a bigger crowd, you need to double the recipe. Make sure you bake the cake in a 9-inch springform in that case.
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