White Chocolate Basque Cheesecake with Cranberry
A soft and rich, almost pudding-like cheesecake made in the Basque style – without a pre-made crust, as the top forms its own beautifully browned, toasted crust. The tang of fresh cranberries is the perfect partner to some sweet melted white chocolate. Winter’s perfect sweet treat.Â
- Yield: Serves 8 to 12 1x
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- Butter, for greasing the pan
- 1 cup white chocolate chips, melted according to package directions
- 24 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature (3 packages)
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste, if you can find it)
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup fresh cranberries, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Adjust the rack to the middle position. Grease (with butter) a 10-inch springform pan.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large mixing bowl with a hand-held mixer, cream together the cream cheese, the melted white chocolate and the sugar; takes about 2 minutes. Stop to scrape down the sides/bottom of the bowl.
- Add the eggs to the batter, one at a time, mixing to incorporate each one. Add the cream, salt, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix to combine. Sprinkle the flour over top and mix just until combined (scrape those sides!). Pour the batter into the pan and add the cranberries, using a spoon or knife to swirl and stir them in a bit (I like to leave some right on top, for looks).
- Bake for 60 to 75 minutes (It’s a long bake) or until set around the edges and the top has achieved a deeply golden brown color, that is even darker around the edges. NOTE: If the tops is getting browner than you’d like, simply lay a piece of foil right over top, lightly, as this will greatly stop the browning while still allowing the inside to bake.Â
- The middle will still be jiggly – this is what you want. It’s supposed to be pudding/custard-like. It will sink as it cools, and it will set up quite a bit.Â
- Cool the cheesecake for at least 30 minutes before running a knife around the edges (to release it) and removing it from the pan. Let it cool almost completely before serving.Â
- Store in the fridge. Can be enjoyed cold or allow it to come up to room temp first. It will last for up to 4 or 5 days in the fridge.