Talking with a nurse a few weeks ago about food and restaurants. We talked about regional foods, our favorite recipes, our favorite restaurants, and then she piped in about this incredible cheesecake she had. She told me I needed to try making a ‘Basque Cheesecake’. She said I would be hooked immediately as it is unlike any cheesecake she has ever had. I looked at some recipes online and I finally found one that I connected with from Spanish Sabores. It is a recipe based on the original version at La Vina in San Sebastian, Spain (Basque Country). This Basque Cheesecake was love at first bite, very creamy, and incredibly delicious! It truly was unlike any cheesecake I have ever tried before and it is so easy to make!!!
I served some up for my two sisters, a brother in-law, and my mom and it was completely devoured in three days. Topped with some peach/rhubarb jam I made, yummmmy breakfast treat with an espresso!
Ingredients:
2 lbs Philadelphia cream cheese (4 blocks) at room temperature
7 eggs at room temperature (eggs mix better when at room temperature)
2 cups of sugar (I cut back on the sweetness level and used 1 1/2 cups and it was perfect)
1 tablespoon of flour
1 cup of heavy cream
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Using a heavy metal or strong wooden spoon, combine the cream cheese and sugar.
3. Mix in the eggs one at a time. Add the flour and cream. Mix until smooth and creamy.
4. Line a 10 inch springform pan with parchment paper. The paper wants to extend past the edges of the pan. This will help you remove the cheesecake from the pan.
5. Bake on the center rack for 45 to 50 minutes. The cake will rise a bit but do not worry as the cheesecake will settle when it is out of the oven. If you want your cheesecake to be runny, remove it at 35 minutes. I like mine firmer and baked it for 50 minutes. The center of the cheesecake will move in the pan like Jello when you move the pan quickly.
6. Turn up the heat to 500 degrees for a few minutes to brown the top. The length of time depends on how amber or burnt you want your cheesecake to be. I did 3 minutes.
7. Turn the oven off. The center of the cheesecake will not be completely set. No worries, let it sit on the counter for an hour until it has cooled. Then, place the cheesecake in the fridge over night. Leave the cheesecake in the pan!
8. Do not remove the cake from the parchment paper until it is ready to be cut, plated, and devoured!!
9. Lauren, the chef and creator of Spanish Sabores, recommends enjoying the Basque Cheesecake with a sweet glass of Pedro Jimenez Sherry. I plated mine with peach/rhubarb jam.
*NOTE: I added a tablespoon of vanilla and lemon juice after mixing in the eggs. This cheesecake will not split so there is no need for a water bath. I was a wee bit worried about my batter seeping out of my pan so I lined it with aluminum foil on the outside before pouring the batter into the springform pan.
Cheers, Drew Frederic