Basque burnt cheesecake
Contains egg (no meat or fish)
Tarta de queso
A crustless cheesecake baked very hot so the outside blackens and caramelises while the centre stays soft, creamy and just set, in a rustic crumpled-paper lining.
Basque burnt cheesecake is a Spanish cake from Spain, ready in about 4 hours 10 minutes and made with cream cheese, egg and heavy cream. It serves 12 and is rated easy to cook.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 55 min
- Rest
- 3 h
- Total
- 4 h 10 min
- Serves
- 12
- Level
- Easy
- Calories
- 494
Method
Step 1
Heat the oven (opens in a new tab) to 230 °C (fan 210 °C). Line a 23 cm springform tin with two overlapping sheets of baking paper, crumpled first so they mould to the tin, leaving 5 cm standing above the rim.
- 5 min
- 230°C · fan 210 °C
- Oven (opens in a new tab)
- Springform pan (opens in a new tab)
Step 2
Beat the cream cheese (opens in a new tab) and sugar (opens in a new tab) on medium-low until completely smooth, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs (opens in a new tab) one at a time, then the salt.
Step 3
Pour in the cream and mix on low, then sift in the flour and mix just until smooth. Keep the speed low — you want a silky batter, not an aerated one.
Step 4
Pour into the tin and bake 50–60 minutes until the top is very dark brown, almost black, and the cake has puffed up. It should still wobble like a jelly in the middle 10 cm when nudged.
- 55 min
- 230°C · fan 210 °C
- Oven (opens in a new tab)
If your oven runs cool, give it 5 minutes under a hot grill at the end for colour.
Step 5
Cool in the tin on a rack at room temperature for at least 2–3 hours; it will sink and the centre will set to a creamy custard. Serve at room temperature, or chill for a firmer texture.
Food safety: Refrigerate the cheesecake once cool (within 4 hours) and keep leftovers chilled.
About this dish
- Origin
- Basque Country (San Sebastián), Spain · Commonly attributedWidely credited to a San Sebastián bar in the 1990s; it became an international bakery trend in the late 2010s.Also popular in Japan, United Kingdom, United StatesMore food from Spain
- Dish
- Dessert · Cakes · Desserts
- Cooking method
- Oven-baked
- Taste
- creamy, sweet, rich, bitter
- Diet
- Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No nut ingredientsWith the listed swaps: No gluten ingredientsWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
All labels
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free - Good for
- Make-ahead · Festive & celebration
- Cook more with
- Cream cheese · Egg · Heavy cream · Sugar · All-purpose flour
- Techniques
- Baking
Allergens
- Contains: Milkfrom cream cheese, heavy cream
- Contains: Eggsfrom egg
- Contains, can be adapted: Wheatfrom all-purpose flour
- Contains, can be adapted: Glutenfrom all-purpose flour
Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.
Nutrition
494 kcal per serving
Calculated1 serving ≈ 138 g · recipe makes 12
Where the energy comes from
- Protein 7%
- Carbohydrate 22%
- Fat 71%
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 494 kcal | 359 kcal |
| Protein | 8.4 g | 6.1 g |
| Carbohydrate | 27.7 g | 20.1 g |
| Net carbohydrate | 27.6 g | 20.1 g |
| Sugars | 24.7 g | 17.9 g |
| Added sugars | 20.8 g | 15.2 g |
| Fibre | 0.1 g | 0 g |
| Fat | 39.9 g | 29 g |
| Saturated fat | 23.5 g | 17.1 g |
| Trans fat | — | — |
| Cholesterol | 191 mg | 139 mg |
| Sodium | 371 mg | 270 mg |
| Salt equivalent | 0.9 g | 0.7 g |
Vitamins & minerals per serving
- Potassium
- 162 mg
- Calcium
- 107 mg
- Iron
- 0.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 12 mg
- Vitamin A (RAE)
- 401 µg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin D
- 1 µg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.4 µg
- Folate (DFE)
- 24 µg
How these numbers were made
- Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
- “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
- Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.
Good to know
Tips
- Everything at room temperature means no lumps and no need to over-mix.
Common mistakes
- Baking until the centre is firm — that gives a dry, ordinary cheesecake.
Serve with
- On its own, or with fresh berries or a fruit compote.
Food safety
- Contains lightly set eggs; keep refrigerated after cooling.
Storage
- Keeps 4 days covered in the fridge.
Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated
Sauces, chutneys & dips for this dish
Recipe DNA
How this dish is built
Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.
What the dish is built around
Main ingredient
- Cream cheese900 g
- Egg5 piece · 250 g
- Heavy cream400 ml · 400 g
- All-purpose flour25 g
Baker’s notes
Customise in Bread & BakeryTimeline and readiness cues
Mix and knead · about 15 min
Knead until smooth and soft; it should feel like an earlobe.
Bake · about 55 min at 230 °C
Puffed with golden-brown spots on both sides.
Cool · about 3 h
Cool on a rack before slicing — the crumb is still setting; cutting hot bread makes it gummy.
- Start to finish: about 4 h 10 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.
If something goes wrong
Gummy or wet crumb
Likely causes
- Under-baked
- Sliced while hot
- Hydration too high for the flour
What to do
- Bake to 93–96 °C inside (cakes: clean skewer)
- Cool completely on a rack before slicing
- Reduce water by 3–5% or use a stronger flour
Collapsed or sunken middle
Likely causes
- Oven door opened too early
- Too much leavening or sugar
- Under-baked centre
- Over-proofed yeast dough
What to do
- Don't open the oven for the first two-thirds of baking
- Measure leaveners exactly with spoons, levelled
- Test the centre before removing
- Proof less
Pale crust
Likely causes
- Oven too cool
- Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
- Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)
What to do
- Check the oven with a thermometer
- Brush with egg wash or milk
- Shorten the fermentation
Burnt bottom
Likely causes
- Tray too close to the heat
- Dark tray absorbs more heat
- Too much sugar in the dough
What to do
- Bake on the middle shelf
- Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
- Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
Cracked or domed top
Likely causes
- Oven too hot (crust sets before the centre rises)
- Too much leavening
- Overmixed batter
What to do
- Lower the oven 10–15 °C
- Use the exact leavening amount
- Fold just until combined
Big holes or tunnels
Likely causes
- Overmixed batter (cakes, muffins)
- Air trapped while shaping bread
- Uneven proof
What to do
- Mix quick breads only until no dry flour shows
- Degas gently and shape tightly
- Proof covered in an even, warm place
Dry or crumbly
Likely causes
- Too much flour (scooped, not weighed)
- Over-baked
- Too little fat or sugar
What to do
- Weigh flour, or spoon it into the cup and level
- Check 5 minutes early
- Don't cut fat or sugar by more than a quarter without another moisture source
Reviews & corrections
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