Burnt Basque Cheesecake With Raspberry Compote Recipe

Burnt Basque Cheesecake with Raspberry Compote

If you have ever pulled a cracked, sunken cheesecake out of the oven and quietly blamed yourself, this is the recipe that will change your mind about baking cheesecake. Burnt Basque cheesecake is a Spanish style cheesecake that asks almost nothing of you.

There is no water bath, no special equipment, and no long list of fussy steps. You mix, you pour, and you bake.

What comes out is a rustic looking cake with a deeply burnished top and a creamy, custard like center. That dark top is not a mistake. It is the whole point, and it is the reason this bake is so forgiving.

The first time I brought one to a church potluck, I set it down still in its crumpled parchment and warned everyone that it was supposed to look like that.

By the end of the evening, three people had asked me for the recipe, and one of them told me she had never once managed a successful cheesecake. This is the one that finally worked for her.

I like to serve it with a raspberry compote for a hit of acidity and color against all that rich cream. It comes together on the stove in about ten minutes while the cheesecake bakes, and it turns a simple dessert into something that looks like you fussed. You did not, and nobody needs to know.

If raspberries are not your thing, any fruit compote you love will do. And if you want to head in a more traditional direction, a lemon curd cheesecake is a lovely option too.

Raspberry Compote

Rich, creamy desserts need a little pushback, and fruit is the easiest way to give it. A compote brings acidity and brightness that balances the dense cream cheese, and it does it with almost no effort at all.

So what is a compote, exactly? It is stewed fruit. Whole pieces of fruit are cooked in a sugar syrup until they soften and the liquid turns glossy and slightly thick.

That is the difference between a compote and a plain fruit sauce, where the fruit is usually pureed or strained until smooth. In a compote the fruit stays in pieces, which gives you texture and small pockets of tartness in every spoonful.

Any fruit can be used here. Berries happen to be my favorite because they cook quickly and hold their color, so raspberries were the obvious pick for this cheesecake.

It is also a very good way to use up fruit that is a day or two past its best.

Spoon it over a slice, swirl the leftovers into yogurt the next morning, or warm it briefly and pour it over vanilla ice cream once the cheesecake is long gone.

Recipes Around the World

Cheesecake shows up in a lot of different kitchens, and every version says something about the place it comes from.

Growing up, my mother made a Russian crumb apricot cheesecake often. It was built on tvorog, a farmers cheese that sits somewhere close to ricotta but with a light, pleasant tang. The crumb topping and the apricot filling made an ordinary weeknight feel like a celebration.

Then there is Japanese cheesecake, which is tall, light, and jiggly, almost like a souffle that decided to become dessert. New York cheesecake is the one most of us picture first, dense and famous worldwide. Italian ricotta cheesecake is the closest cousin to the Spanish Basque version in this recipe.

Same basic idea, four very different cakes. That is a big part of what I love about baking.

What is Basque Cheesecake?

Basque cheesecake looks like a traditional American cheesecake from across the room, but two things set it apart. It is crustless, and it is baked without a bain marie, the water bath that usually keeps a cheesecake gentle and even.

Its most defining feature is the burnt top. That dark, almost scorched surface is intentional, not a mistake. Once you accept that, this becomes one of the hardest desserts to ruin.

You can bake it until the center is fully set, or pull it a little early for a softer, custardy middle. That choice is entirely up to you, and both versions are delicious.

Recipe Tips and Notes

A few small things make a real difference here.

• Line the pan with parchment paper and let it overhang the edges. That overhang is your handle later, and it is how you lift the cheesecake out of the pan without any wrestling.
• Do not worry if the paper creases or refuses to sit flat against the sides. Pleats are fine. This cake is supposed to look rustic, and the wrinkles disappear into the charm.
• Use full fat cream cheese only. Lighter versions behave differently and will not give you the same creamy texture. Philadelphia worked beautifully here, and it is the brand commonly used in Spain for this cake.
• Let the cream cheese come to room temperature before you start. Cold cream cheese stays lumpy no matter how long you beat it.
• Caster sugar, also sold as superfine sugar, is worth seeking out because it dissolves more quickly into the cream cheese and gives you a smoother batter.
• Serve it with a fruit compote. That touch of tartness brightens every slice and keeps the richness in check.

Trust me on the parchment. It is the difference between a relaxed dessert and a stressful one.

Favourite Cheesecake Recipes

If this one wins you over, here are a few more cheesecakes worth putting on your list:

• Almond Raspberry Cheesecake Bars
• Strawberry Meringue Cheesecake, no bake
• Raffaello Cheesecake
• Rustic Plum Cheesecake

Ingredients

This makes one 8 inch (20 cm) cheesecake that serves 8.

Main Cheesecake

• 700 g (25 oz) full fat cream cheese, at room temperature (I used Philadelphia)
• 200 g (1 cup) caster sugar or superfine sugar
• 5 large eggs
• 200 ml (1 cup) double cream or heavy whipping cream
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 tbsp plain or all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt

For the Raspberry Compote

• 150 g (1 1/2 cups) fresh or frozen raspberries
• 100 g (1/2 cup) sugar
• 2 tbsp water
• 100 g (1 cup) fresh raspberries, stirred in after cooking

Keep the cream cheese full fat and do not swap it for a lighter version. Everything else on this list is a pantry staple in most kitchens, which is part of why this cheesecake is such an easy one to throw together.

Instructions

Heat the oven to 400F (200C).

1. Line the pan. Line an 8 inch (20 cm) cake pan with parchment paper, making sure the edges of the paper overhang by a good 1 to 1.5 inches. If your parchment paper is too narrow, cut two pieces and lay them down in a criss cross fashion. Do not worry if the paper is not flat against your pan and you end up with pleats. This cheesecake is supposed to look rustic. You can use a springform pan if you have one, or a regular one. Either way, you should have no trouble removing the cheesecake by pulling it out with the ends of the parchment paper.
2. Make the batter. Beat the room temperature cream cheese with the sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Then add the eggs and beat well until the mixture is light and fluffy. Pour in the cream, vanilla, flour, and salt, and blend until everything is combined. The batter will be runny, and that is exactly what you want.
3. Bake. Pour the batter into the lined pan and bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, until the top is burnt but the middle is still a bit jiggly. If you prefer a softer, custardy center, reduce the cooking time to 50 minutes. The cheesecake will rise to the top of your pan and then fall slightly once cooled, which is normal.
4. Make the compote. While the cheesecake is baking, combine 150 g (1 1/2 cups) fresh or frozen raspberries with the sugar and 2 tablespoons of water in a small saucepan. Let it cook over low heat until the mixture is syrupy and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and stir in 100 g (1 cup) of fresh raspberries. Set aside until needed.
5. Cool, chill, and serve. Cool the cheesecake until room temperature, then put it in the fridge and chill for a couple of hours. Remove it from the fridge 30 minutes before serving to bring it back to room temperature. Take it out of the pan, carefully pull the parchment paper off, slice, and serve with the raspberry compote.

If the top looks darker than you expected, that is the whole idea. The burnished surface is what makes this cake look like it came from a Spanish bakery instead of your kitchen.

Recipe details

Prep time is 30 minutes, cook time is 1 hour 20 minutes, and the total is 1 hour 50 minutes. One cheesecake serves 8.

Source nutrition per serving: 598 kcal, 48 g carbohydrates, 10 g protein, 42 g fat, 24 g saturated fat, 2 g fiber, 42 g sugar, 403 mg sodium, and 233 mg cholesterol.

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Burnt Basque Cheesecake

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Burnt Basque Cheesecake with Raspberry Compote If you have ever pulled a cracked, sunken cheesecake out of the oven and quietly blamed yourself, this is the recipe that will change your mind about baking cheesecake. Burnt Basque cheesecake is a Spanish style cheesecake that asks almost nothing of you.

• Total Time: 110 min
• Yield: 8 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Main Cheesecake
700 g full fat cream cheese, at room temperature
200 g caster sugar/superfine sugar
5 eggs, large
200 ml double cream/heavy whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla
3 tbsp plain/all purpose flour
0.25 tsp salt

For the raspberry compote
150 g fresh or frozen raspberries
100 g sugar
2 tbsp water
100 g fresh raspberries

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Instructions

1-Preheat the oven to 400F/200C: Preheat the oven to 400F/200C. Line an 8 inch/20cm cake pan with parchment paper making sure the edges of the paper overhang by good 1-1.5 inches. If your parchment paper is too narrow, cut two pieces and lay them down in a criss cross fashion. Don’t worry if the paper is not flat against your pan and you have pleats, this cheesecake is supposed to look rustic. You can use a springform pan if you have one or a regular one. You should have no trouble removing the cheesecake by pulling it out by the ends of parchment paper.
2-Beat the room temperature cream cheese with: Beat the room temperature cream cheese with sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Then add the eggs and beat well until the mixture is light and fluffy, then pour in the cream, vanilla, flour and salt, blend until everything is combined.
3-Pour the mixture, which will be runny,: Pour the mixture, which will be runny, into a lined with parchment paper pan and bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes until the top is burnt but the middle is still a bit jiggly. If you prefer a softer, custardy center reduce the cooking time to 50 minutes. The cheesecake will rise to the top of your pan but it will fall slightly once cooled, which is normal.
4-While the cheesecake is baking, make the: While the cheesecake is baking, make the raspberry compote. Combine 150g/1.5 cups fresh or frozen raspberries with the sugar and 2 tablespoon of water in a small saucepan and let it cook over low heat until the mixture is syrupy and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and stir in 100g/1 cup of fresh raspberries. Set aside till needed.
5-Cool the cheesecake until room temperature, then: Cool the cheesecake until room temperature, then put in the fridge and chill for a couple of hours. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before serving to bring to room temperature. Take out of the pan and carefully pull the parchment paper off, slice and serve with the raspberry compote.

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• Prep Time: 30 min
• Cook Time: 80 min
• Method: bake

Nutrition

• Calories: 598kcal
• Sugar: 42g
• Sodium: 403mg
• Fat: 42g
• Saturated Fat: 24g
• Carbohydrates: 48g
• Fiber: 2g
• Protein: 10g
• Cholesterol: 233mg