Peachy Burnt Basque Cheesecake

Kitchen Little Essentials

For this Peachy Burnt Basque Cheesecake recipe you will need:

10-inch springform pan

A stand or hand-held mixer

If you can imagine a happy, glorious marriage between a classic New York-style cheesecake, flan, a cinnamon roll, and a peach cobbler (I know, that’s a lot of things) that’s really what you’ll get when you take your first bite of this truly wonderful Peachy Burnt Basque Cheesecake. Yes, those are the tasting notes. And those are some notes I, for one, am so very happy to take.

This is genuinely the easiest cheesecake you will ever make – no hyperbole there. There is no crust but rather, a browned and crisped shell of sorts that forms all over the cake – or more specifically, the tarte – a result of the high cooking temperature and the all-around violent environment into which this thing is thrust.

But it all works out, in the end. The heat, the missing crust – it’s all just fine when said and done. Each member of my family gave this a rave review and happily scooped up seconds. It’s just such a special treat. And so, here I am, yet another smitten blogger, throwing my version out into the ether, for you to enjoy.

And I’m so sure you will enjoy.

What is Basque Burnt Cheesecake?

Born in San Sebastian, Spain – the capital of the Basque region – at La Vina restaurant under the brilliant hands of chef Santiago Rivera, this cheesecake (la tarte de queso) is apparently the apple of many a chef’s eye, the world over. It sports this creamy, luscious, jiggles-just-enough center that breaks against the addictively contrasting crust that forms as the thing bakes away in the hot oven. Confectionary alchemy at its finest.

It stays a little puddly in the middle. Tastes like it’s crusted in some sort of caramel-infused layer that you brilliantly wove into the mix, and makes an absolutely perfect bed for a brown sugar and peach butter sauce that we’ll pour down over everything once it’s had a chance to cool a bit.

I like to flavor my version here – my ode to the beloved, the original – with a good amount of cinnamon, a heavy splash of vanilla, and honey. I also make mine a smidge sweeter, as I just like it that way.

Basque Burnt Cheesecake: A Few Tips

1. Every recipe for Basque Burnt Cheesecake will ask you to line your spring-form pan in parchment paper. I tested without, and honestly, you don’t need to do that. I didn’t and as you can see, things worked out swimmingly. You’re not looking for perfection here, or some sleek and smooth outer rim. So, I say forgo the extra (tedious) step of lining your pan and just forge right on with things.
2. That said. You will want to allow your cake to cool almost completely before trying to get it out, as this will ensure that it does so with ease. I like to run a knife around the edge of the pan just to make sure it’s come loose.
3. If you want it a little less sweet, go ahead and reduce the amount of sugar by 1/2 cup.

Burnt Basque Cheesecake: Here’s the Step-by-Step

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Adjust the rack the middle position. Liberally butter/grease a 10-inch spring-form pan.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl using a hand-held mixer), cream together the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until very smooth; about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until each is fully incorporated. Add the cream, 1 tsp of the salt, 1.5 tsp of the cinnamon, the honey, and 2 tsp of the vanilla. Mix until everything is very smooth.

Sift the flour over the top and mix until combined and the lumps have broken up.  Pour into the greased pan and bake for 65 to 70 minutes, or until very deeply browned and just jiggly in the center (it won’t be set all the way through).

Allow the cheesecake to cool for at least 30 minutes before you try to remove it from the pan (I let it cool almost to room temp). It will sink dramatically as it cools.

Meanwhile, whip up your Peachy Brown Sugar Butter Sauce: In a large skillet over medium heat, add 4 TBSP butter, the brown sugar, the sliced peaches, and the cinnamon. Cook, stirring gently, until the sugar has dissolved into the butter and the peaches have softened; about 6 to 8 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in 1 tsp of the vanilla extract. Cool slightly and spoon over the cheesecake before slicing/serving. 

If you like the looks of this Peachy Burnt Basque Cheesecake, you might want to check out:

Toffee Cinnamon Tiramisu Cake

Cookies and Cream Icebox Cake

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