Whenever my family and I travel, one of the first places we scope out is a good local bakery or patisserie. It is a great way to get to know the area, and my husband always opts for a San Sebastian or Burnt Basque cheesecake.
This creamy, rich cheesecake has quickly become a staple of cake shops across the UK, and even around the world, despite its humble origins in a little bar in Spain. The delicious pudding was created in the 1980s in San Sebastian, a coastal city in the Basque region of Spain, and since then, its popularity has grown, especially with the rise of social media through the 2010s.
Now you can expect to see this indulgent dessert on menus everywhere, but it wasn't until recently that I made it at home and realised just how easy it was to make a showstopping dish that would impress the whole family.
I first made this pudding for Easter as it is often served with chocolate sauce, and it was a huge hit, with many going back for seconds, despite its richness. But I made it again recently, to win brownie points with my husband. All you need to do is throw all the ingredients in a bowl and mix, then once it is in a cake tin lined with baking paper, it is ready to cook.
The hardest thing is knowing when to take it out of the oven and then having to leave it to set for at least six hours, preferably overnight. But it is worth the wait. To try and be as authentic as possible, I used the easy recipe on Spanish Sabores, a website that aims to make many Spanish favourites simple and easy to make yourself.
How to Make a Perfect Burnt Basque Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 1kg of soft cheese
- Seven eggs
- 400g of sugar
- One tbsp of flour
- 200ml of double cream
Method
- Preheat your oven to 210°C or Gas Mark 7.
- After weighing out your ingredients, add them to a bowl and mix until smooth.
- Line a cake tin with baking paper and then pour in the mixture and place in the oven on the middle shelf.
- Baking time can be up to 45 minutes, but once 30 minutes have passed, start checking it every five minutes. The trick is to "burn" the top of the cheesecake but keep a little "wobble" in the centre.
- Once you have browned the top to your taste, take it out of the oven and cool before placing it in the fridge to set for at least six hours, but preferably overnight.
- When set, slice and serve. Often this type of cheesecake is served with a chocolate sauce, but you can also enjoy the indulgent, smooth flavours on its own.
