Best Burnt Basque Cheesecake

Name: Best Burnt Basque Cheesecake
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 22 min
Total time: 27 min
Ingredients: 226 grams cream cheese ((cold)); 1 cup heavy cream ((cold)); 100 grams granulated sugar; 2 large eggs ((cold)); 15 grams cake flour; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Updated: 05.23.25 | Marc Matsumoto | 615 Comments

4.50 from 285 votes

With a caramelized top that borders on burnt and a rich and creamy center, Burnt Basque Cheesecake (Tarta de Queso) is a mind-blowingly delicious combination of textures and tastes that comes together with little effort from just a handful of ingredients.

Recipe Video

With a smooth custardy center and caramelized top, this ridiculously simple Burnt Basque Cheesecake recipe comes together from a handful of ingredients in a matter of minutes.

What is Basque Burnt Cheesecake (Tarta de Queso)?

A burnt cheesecake recipe might sound more like a mistake than a crave-worthy treat, but names can be deceiving, and this crustless cake is an effortless dessert that yields an improbably delicious cake. With a gorgeously bronzed surface on top and a rich custardy center, this cheesecake from the Basque region of Spain has become a favorite in our household and around the world. In Japan, Basque burnt cheesecake can be found everywhere, from konbinis to cafés, bakeries and restaurants. My easy burnt cheesecake recipe makes producing a restaurant-quality dessert simple and easy.

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What is Basque Burnt Cheesecake (Tarta de Queso)?
Why This Recipe Works
Ingredients for Basque Burnt Cheesecake
How to Make Burnt Basque Cheesecake
FAQ
Easy Dessert Recipes
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Comments

Why This Recipe Works

Mixing the batter in a blender is easy and ensures there are no lumps. You can also do this by hand or using a stand mixer.
I keep the amount of flour to a minimum to ensure the cheesecake is dense, custardy, and satiny smooth.
Lining the pan with parchment paper makes it easy to unmold this soft, crustless cheesecake.
Baking the Basque Burnt Cheesecake in a very high-temperature oven will rapidly caramelize the top surface while leaving the center only partially cooked. This gives the center of the cake a silky-smooth flan-like texture with a top that tastes like creme brûlée.

Ingredients for Basque Burnt Cheesecake

Cream Cheese - As the name implies, cream cheese is the backbone of this decadent dessert, providing a rich, tangy base. For the best results, use full-fat cream cheese. I also recommend using a European-style cream cheese like Kiri (the brand I use). If you can't find it, an American-style cream cheese like Philadelphia will work, too.
Cream - The cream is added to achieve the luxuriously creamy center of this Basque cake. It loosens up the cream cheese while adding fat. "Heavy cream" is the designation in the US for cream that includes more than 36% butterfat. I used a cream with 47% fat for a rich custardy cake. If you want a lighter cake, use a lower-fat whipping cream or even half and half. One thing to be careful of is cream with thickeners like gums or gelatin. Although I have yet to try it, I have received a few reports of this recipe not working out when prepared with these products.
Sugar - Sugar not only sweetens the cake, but also aids in caramelizing the top, providing that iconic burnt finish of the Basque cheesecake original recipe. I usually use granulated sugar, but you can experiment with other sweeteners like maple or brown sugar. Liquid sweeteners like honey or maple syrup can be used, but you'll need to adjust the amount (they tend to be sweeter than white sugar), and you'll also need to adjust the amount of cream to compensate for the extra liquid.
Eggs - The eggs bind the ingredients together, contributing to the cheesecake's structure. They also help create the silky, custardy texture that Basque Burnt Cheesecake is known for.
Flour - The flour in the recipe also lends structure to this easy burnt cheesecake recipe. I use cake flour because of its lower protein content, but all-purpose flour will work in a pinch. Some readers have also reported success substituting starch for flour to make a gluten-free cheesecake
Vanilla Extract - A touch of real vanilla extract enhances the flavors of the cream cheese and egg in this recipe, but other flavorings such as almond or lemon extract will work for a different twist, and you can also add powdered flavorings like cocoa powder or matcha.

Burnt Basque Cheesecake wrapped in parchment paper on a wooden cutting board.

How to Make Burnt Basque Cheesecake

Line your cake pan with a sheet of parchment paper. This Basque Burnt Cheesecake recipe makes enough batter for a 6-inch round pan that's at least 2.5 inches tall. I like using a pan with a removable bottom because you can use it to mold the paper to the pan.

For the cheesecake batter, blend the cream cheese, cream, sugar, eggs, cake flour, and vanilla extract until smooth and free of lumps. If you don't have a blender, a stand mixer will work. You could also mix the ingredients together in a bowl, but you want to be careful to get all the lumps out without introducing much air.

Once your cream cheese mixture is velvety smooth, rest in the fridge for about 20 minutes. This allows the air bubbles to rise and pop. Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C). Most ovens don't have an accurate thermostat, so you may need to experiment to find the right temperature and baking time for your setup to get a bronzed surface while retaining a creamy center.

When your oven is preheated, pour the batter into the prepared pan. To remove any remaining air bubbles, firmly tap the pan onto a kitchen towel. Set the pan on another pan to catch any spills, and place it in your oven. Bake your cheesecake until the surface of the batter has a burnt appearance, but the center is still jiggly.

After baking, let the burnt cheesecake cool on a rack before refrigerating it overnight. The resting time allows the cheesecake to be fully set while allowing the flavors to meld. When it's time to serve it, use a long, sharp knife to slice it. Dip the knife in hot water between slices to ensure your cuts are nice and clean.

FAQ

Who invented Basque Cheesecake?

Although the name suggests a long history, Basque Burnt Cheesecake was created in 1990 by chef Santiago Rivera of La Viña in San Sebastian, Spain. According to interviews, Rivera wanted to add a dessert menu to his Pintxos restaurant after taking it over from his parents and settled on a custardy cheesecake.

What goes into Basque Burnt Cheesecake?

The original recipe from La Viña contains just 5 ingredients: Cream cheese, heavy cream, sugar, eggs, and flour. I personally like to add some vanilla bean paste to the batter, but you can leave it out if you want something closer to the original. I also add a pinch of salt, depending on the type of cream cheese I use. Custardy smooth in the center with a caramelized top, this Burnt Basque Cheesecake comes together from just a few basic ingredients in the blender.

What kind of cream cheese should I use for this cheesecake?

It's widely thought that Rivera now uses Philadelphia, but in 1990, when this cake was created, it's more likely that he was using a Spanish brand of cream cheese such as San Millan. I've never tasted San Millan, so I can't say what the differences are in taste, but I can say from comparing nutrition labels that San Millan has two and a half times the amount of salt as Philly, and it contains about 40% less fat. I've made this using Philadelphia as well as Kiri (a French brand); they're both delicious (though I prefer using Kiri). If you go with Philadelphia, I recommend adding a pinch of salt.

Can I use all-purpose flour?

All-purpose flour has a higher gluten content than cake flour. Gluten is a protein that forms long chains when hydrated, giving bread and noodles a chewy texture. You don't want cakes to get chewy, which is why low-protein cake flour is used. That being said, this easy burnt cheesecake recipe uses a small enough amount of flour that the type you use probably won't make that big of a difference.

Is the cheesecake really burnt?

Basque Cheesecake is burnt by the standards of regular cheesecake, but it's not cooked so long that the top turns to carbon. Two non-enzymatic browning reactions are happening here. The first is the caramelization of the sugar, which creates aromatic compounds such as Diacetyl and Maltol, giving the top caramel flavor. The second is Maillard browning, which is a reaction between the proteins in the cream cheese and sugars, which creates additional flavor compounds and the taste of umami. This is why the seemingly burnt layer on top tastes so good.

What is the proper mixing technique for Basque Cheesecake?

Every recipe has its own way of combing the ingredients, but I've found that the easiest way is to throw all the ingredients into a blender and spin it. The only slight drawback of this technique is that it introduces air bubbles to the mixture, so I usually let it sit for about 20 minutes before pouring it into the pan. You can also do this with a food processor, stand mixer with a paddle attachment, stick blender, or the old-fashioned way with a whisk and a mixing bowl.

What temperature do I bake Basque Cheesecake at?

Time and temperature are the most important parts of this recipe, but unfortunately, the answer isn't clear-cut. The goal is to get a burnt hue shy of carbon black before the center of the cake is fully set. This creates that magical contrast of the cake-like sides, caramelized top, and custardy center. If the temperature is too low, the cake fully cooks before the top takes on enough color, and if the temperature is too high, the top will turn to carbon before the center has a chance to thicken to the desired consistency. In my convection oven, I bake it at 230 degrees C (about 450 F) for 22 minutes. If you don't have a convection oven (i.e., no fan moving the air), I'd recommend going with the high-temperature, something closer to 250 C (480 F).
Also, it's important to remember that ovens are notorious for having inaccurate thermostats, so you may need to experiment to find the right temperature and time. If the cake is too firm in the center, turn up the heat and bake it for a shorter time. If the cake is too runny in the center, turn down the heat and bake it longer. By baking the Basque Cheesecake in a scorching hot oven, the top gets a little burnt while the center remains silky smooth.

How long do I bake Basque Cheesecake?

The time for baking this burnt cheesecake is tied to your oven setup, so the goal should be to get a very dark brown top, that's just shy of being carbon black on top. In my convection oven set to 230 C, this took 22 minutes, but the time will vary, depending on your setup. Read the section above for more details.

Can I make Basque Cheesecake ahead of time?

Yes! While it's delicious served hot if you've baked it for the right amount of time, the center will still be runny when warm, so you'll need to eat it straight out of the pan with a spoon. Covering and refrigerating the cake overnight allows the center to firm up.

What size cake pan should I use for Basque Burnt Cheesecake?

This Basque burnt cheesecake recipe was made for a 6-inch x 2.5-inch cake pan with a removable bottom, but a similarly sized springform pan will also work. A small, deep pan makes it easier to burn the top without overcooking the center. The second reason is that for the size of parchment paper I have, anything wider would require two overlapping sheets of paper, which would be prone to leaking. The removable bottom is not essential, but it makes it much easier to get the parchment paper molded to the shape of the pan because you can use the bottom to press the paper into the pan. My pan holds a volume of about 70 cubic inches. If you use a larger diameter pan, it holds more volume, so you will end up with a thinner cheesecake that cooks faster. Since it will still take the same amount of time to brown the top, you will need to increase the oven temperature to make it brown before the cheesecake gets overcooked. I recommend increasing the ingredients if you use an 8-inch pan or larger; otherwise, the cheesecake will be too thin.

Here are some common pan sizes and their volumes, or you can use this calculator to figure out the volume of yours:
5" x 2" = 40 cubic inches
5" x 3" = 60 cubic inches
6" x 2.5" = 70 cubic inches (perfect for this recipe)
7" x 3" = 115 cubic inches
8" x 3" =150 cubic inches
9" x 3" = 190 cubic inches

By the way, the pan I used is not available in the US, but a reader experimented with a few brands of pans and found that the Nordicware 6" Cheesecake Pan worked best.

Can I use a square/rectangular/oval/etc shaped pan?

You'll need to adjust your parchment paper strategy for the shape of the pan you're using, but as long as the volume of the pan is roughly 70 cubic inches, and you're able to get a thickness of about 2 inches when you pour the batter in, it should work. That being said, I've never tested this with other pan-shapes, so you will likely need to do some testing with temperature and time to find the right combination for your setup.

Why did my cheesecake fall?

The short answer is that this is what is supposed to happen, and it means you did it right. When you bake a cake, the oven heats the water in the batter, and it turns to steam. The steam creates pockets in the batter, and as it goes from raw to cooked, the proteins solidify and form a web around the pockets of steam so that even after the cake has cooled, it is fluffy. Basque Burnt Cheesecake is deliberately undercooked in the center to give it its smooth, creamy texture. Since the proteins have not been set, the steam escapes when the heat is gone, and the cake will sink into the center. The sides remain high because they've been fully cooked.

Why did my cheesecake crack in the center?

Cracking is caused by a difference in moisture between one part of the cake and the other. It is normal for burnt cheesecake to crack around the edges where the batter has formed a crust. If your cheesecake cracked in the center, it means it was overcooked. In this case, you need to raise the temperature of your oven so that the top browns faster and the center stays rare.

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