Who can resists a rich, creamy, and delectable cheesecake, let alone the mouth-watering Burnt Basque cheesecake! There seems to be quite a hoo-ha around the Burnt Basque cheesecake in recent years. What is it about this rustic, charred-looking cake that has gotten so many to try their hand to bake it? Let's go back to the beginning!
Santiago Rivera, the chef of Bar Restaurante La Viña. Image source via La Viña Restaurante Donostia
The Origin of Burnt Basque Cheesecake
The decades-old recipe was created by chef Santiago Rivera of Bar Restaurante La Viña in San Sebastian, Spain - in 1990. La Viña was opened in 1959 by his parents with his uncle and aunty, and Chef Santiago runs the restaurant.
La Viña Restaurante Donostia is recognised for inventing the famous Burnt Basque cheesecake.
It all started when chef Santiago was looking for a new dessert menu. Instead of baking the typical dense and smooth American-style cheesecakes, he tweaked the recipe to create his very own version.
There is no mistake with its burnt and cracked features. The world-famous burnt cheesecake of Basque is celebrated by home bakers and MICHELIN star restaurants chefs alike. Baked crustless in rippled parchment paper and burnt intentionally on top. It is the flavour of the burnt top that makes Basque cheesecake even more irresistible!
Image source via Nicki Chan-Lam Blogger Instagram
Burnt Basque cheesecake is lighter than the New York cheesecake. It is caramelised with a nice flavour like that of a crème brulée.
There are five main ingredients for the original recipe of Burnt Basque cheesecake: cream cheese, heavy cream, sugar, eggs, and flour. Everything about the its recipe seems to be in opposition to the rules we know about baking cheesecake. It is crustless, no water bath needed and baked fast in high heat with no temperature changes. On the other hand, the classic cheesecake needs careful mixing, and it is baked slowly at low temperatures in a water bath.
To achieve the delectable caramelised flavour of Basque burnt cheesecake, you want to bake it at an extremely high temperature. Chef Santiago seemed to have found that perfect balance between a moist interior and burnt exterior with his invention of Basque burnt cheesecake.
Image source via Kezia Lynn
It is quite extraordinary that you can have a burnt and undercooked cake, and sweet yet bitter at the same time!
The crucial part is to never overbake by going beyond the recommended baking time. The Basque cheesecake is deliberately undercooked in the centre to achieve a super smooth and creamy texture within.
Although this extra creamy cheesecake has been around for a long time, its popularity surged since the Covid-19 pandemic. With so many attempting to bake it at home during the lockdown, the Burnt Basque cheesecake has undoubtedly made the list of pandemic food trends!
Image source via pexels - taryn elliott
Go ahead and give this cake a try if you haven’t already! It doesn’t matter if you are an amateur. Not much can go wrong with the easy recipe of Burnt Basque cheesecake. After all, it is meant to be burnt, and fine lines of cracks only give it more character!
More importantly, when you finally get a taste of that impeccable combination – bittersweet burnt on the outside and custard-like soft and creamy on the inside, it is absolutely worth it and satisfying!
The recipe of Burnt Basque cheesecake has travelled around the world today. Just Google the name, and you’ll find a whole lot of recipes for it!
