San Sebastian Cheesecake

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San Sebastian cheesecake is a famous cheesecake from Spain (Also known as Basque burnt cheesecake). It’s a delicious relevation with a burnt top and a rich, creamy interior. It’s crustless and SO easy! No water bath needed.

What is a San Sebastian Cheesecake?

Also known as a Basque cheesecake, this cheesecake is characterized by a burnt top that’s achieved by baking at a high temperature. This effectively caramelizes the top while keeping the inside creamy and custardy.

It’s said to have originated in the 1990’s in La Vina, a famous restaurant in the Basque region. People pack the place to get a slice of this cheesecake- which is almost a mix of flan and cheesecake. Now you can recreate it at home!

Why should you make this San Sebastian Cheesecake?

It’s DELICIOUS. It’s actually a revelation. Once you’ve had burnt cheesecake, you won’t be able to remember your life before it.

It’s so easy! The fact that it’s crustless eliminates a step, and it doesn’t need to be baked in a water bath. You don’t need to worry about cracking!

All you do is mix together the ingredients and pour into the cake pan and you’re set.

It tastes great even a few days after making, and it freezes very well.

What ingredients do you need to make Basque cheesecake?

Cream cheese– softened so that it incorporates better

Eggs– a lot of eggs, because this is almost a custard like dish. I like to have my eggs at room temperature so they mix well.

Vanilla extract– not all recipes call for this, but I feel it helps temper any eggy flavor

Heavy cream– this is essential for the richness of the cheesecake

A pinch of salt

Sugar- regular white sugar. This recipe is the perfect amount of sweet to my palette!

Flour– Sift this on top of the batter so that you don’t get lumps.

How do I make Basque cheesecake gluten free?

There’s so little flour in the recipe that it’s easily substituted for gluten free options. Try cornstarch, or gluten free all purpose flour.

How do I prepare the pan for San Sebastian cheesecake?

To give the cheesecake it’s signature rustic look, you need to layer a springform pan with parchment paper that is sort of ruffled and folded to give the cheesecake dimpled edges.

It’s easy to do. You need to lightly butter your spring form pan, then cut two sheets of parchment paper out, enough that when you press the parchment paper into the pan, you’ll have at least 2 inches extended above the rim of the pan. You’ll press the first piece of paper into the pan, butter this paper lightly, then the second overlapping on top. You can see how I do this in the video under the nutritional info.

This is because the cheesecake will rise quite a lot while baking (then fall), so you don’t want overflow. The parchment paper serves to catch the batter.

Method for making San Sebastian:

First step, preheat the oven. You want the oven very hot when you place the cheesecake in it, so you get the burnt top.

Next, prepare your pan as described above.

In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment (whisk beaters are fine if you don’t have paddles), cream together the softened cream cheese with the sugar.

Then, add the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla and salt.

Next, you sift in the flour, and fold until combined. Pour the batter in the pan and bake!

After baking, let the cheesecake cool completely on the counter. Traditionally, it’s eaten at room temperature, but I like to chill it after it’s come to room temperature for several hours, and eat it cold like a traditional cheesecake.

How do you bake a San Sebastian cheesecake?

As stated above, make sure that the oven is on a very high heat. Bake for 60-65 minutes. You’ll know the cheesecake is done when the top has burnt (it’s a dark brown, almost black in some places), and the edges have puffed up and set, but the center is still jiggly if you shake the pan.

If you over bake, you risk the eggs curdling and the cheesecake having a scrambled egg texture in some places. Under bake, and it might be too wet and unset in the center.

Make sure that your oven is at the correct temperature, and use the 1 hour bake time as a guideline, and you should have a perfectly baked cheesecake that’s burnt on top and set, but still creamy on the inside.

Tips for Burnt Cheesecake Success:

Make sure your oven is preheated before starting to mix. Don’t be scared of the burnt top. It won’t taste burnt, it’ll taste caramelized and delicious, similar to creme brûlée!

Make sure the cream cheese and eggs are at room temperature. Take them out of the fridge 45 minutes or so before starting the recipe.

Don’t over bake or under bake. After an hour of baking, for a burnt top, set edges, and a center that still jiggles. It’ll set further as it cools down.

How to store leftover cheesecake:

Leftover cheesecake will last up to 5 days in the fridge.

This also freezes beautifully. I suggest slicing the remaining cheesecake before freezing, so that when you thaw, you can thaw out individual slices at a time. Frozen cheesecake slices thaw quickly in the fridge.

San Sebastián Cheesecake by everylittlecrumb on Jumprope.

If you liked this recipe, you might like:

Lotus Cheesecake

Easy Tiramisu

Creme Brûlée Bread Pudding

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