Basque Burnt Cheesecake

Basque Burnt Cheescake are baked over high heat to create its rustic appearance with almost cracked edges. Those cracked edges were created using a parchment paper when baking. 
​A cake that can't be judged by its appearance because it just looks burnt and not appealing but inside is a light, creamy and custardy and ooohhh....with bittersweet exterior. It is burnt but taste really really good and I like this better than the traditional cheesecake. This cake looks hard to make but is actually easy to make. 

Yes, the easiest cake you'll ever make. With easy steps and just few ingredients, this cake will surely wow the crowd. It's a simple cheesecake that is the opposite of what you would imagine a perfect cheesecake to be. It looks different but tastes different.  I was actually shocked how good this dessert is. I suggest that you try this and let me know what you think by leaving a comment below. And if you are a fan of cream cheese, why don't you give these recipes listed below a try as well. 
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Cream Cheese Recipes to Try:

• Cheesecake Flan
• Cream Cheese Banana Bread
• Mango Cream Cheese Ice Cream​
• Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

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Basque Burnt Cheesecake Recipe

Ingredients:

• 16 oz / 450 g cream cheese, softened at room temperature
• 3/4 cup / 150 g granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup / 240 ml  heavy whipping cream
• 2 tbsp / 16 g cake flour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp lemon juice 

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Procedure:

• Preheat oven to 450 F / 230 C.
• In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, beat cream cheese until creamy. 
• Add sugar and beat on medium speed until very smooth. Make sure to scrape sides of bowl. 
• Add eggs, one at a time beating well after each addition.
• Add cream, vanilla and lemon juice. Beat until well combined.
• Add cake flour through a sieve, sift then beat on low speed until smooth and silky.
• Line an 8 x 2 or 8 x 3 round pan with parchment paper by pressing the bottom molding the paper to the pan, and ceasing the sides to hold its shape, covering all the sides all the way up the pan leaving 2" extra on top. 
• Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan then tap the pan a few times to release air bubbles. 
• Bake in a preheated oven for 40 minutes or until the top is dark / copper brown. The middle of the cake should still be very jiggly. 
• Remove from oven and slightly cool in pan then remove from pan to cool completely.  Carefully peel away the parchment from the sides. 
• Refrigerate before serving. 
• Cut into wedges using a heated knife to get clean slices. 
• Enjoy! Make sure to read my tips and notes below :)

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Tips & Notes:

​​​Cake Flour Substitute  (Watch my VIDEO HERE)

• Measure out 1 cup all-purpose flour.  
• Remove 2 tbsp of all-purpose flour and place it back in your flour canister.  
• Replace the removed all-purpose flour with 2 tbsp cornstarch.
• Sift flour 5 times.

​*Sifting the flour and cornstarch together will help thoroughly combine the mixture and help to lighten and aerate the flour.
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Cream Cheese​

• Cream cheese must be softened at room temperature. If the cream cheese is too cold, it will not blend easily.
• Make sure the cream cheese and sugar are completely blended, free of lumps and smooth before adding any other ingredients. 
• To soften cream cheese, place unwrapped cream cheese in microwave bowl and microwave n high for 10 seconds or just until softened. Add 15 seconds for each additional package of cream cheese. 
• *Tips from Philadelphia Cream Cheese

Baking

• Cake can be baked at 400 F but will take 1 hour in the oven. 
• Oven temperature varies so make sure to check before the set time. What you want to achieve here is the get the burnt top which is a nice deep golden brown or I would say copper brown? 
• I used an 8 x 3 round pan to make sure the cake won't overflow while baking but with my experience you can actually use an 8" x 2" pan. 
• Cake will fall drastically as it cools. That's normal.

Serving

• To remove the cake from the parchment paper, I used an 8" cake lifter and transferred into a cake board. Gently slide the cake lifter at the bottom of the cake. Pull away the parchment paper, lift the cake and with the help of a large spatula, lightly pull the cake lifter. Be careful not to pull the cake itself as it is very fragile. Then gently pull the spatula. 
• Make sure to refrigerate before serving. I know it's tempting but it tastes better when chilled and already set. 
• To cut, use a heated knife to get nice clean slices. ​It slides very smooth while cutting and avoids sticking. Clean slices, clean knife :) 

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​You May Also Like:
​

Cheesecake Flan

Cream Cheese-Filled Banana Bread