Burnt Basque Cheesecake Recipe - Spanish Sabores (2024)

Published: May 26, 2020 · Modified: Feb 22, 2021 by Lauren Aloise · This post may contain affiliate links ·

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I first tasted burnt Basque cheesecake long before it became world-famous. Now it even has its own hashtag on Instagram! This easy burnt Basque cheesecake recipe is the authentic version based on the original Basque burnt cheesecake served at La Viña in San Sebastián.

Burnt Basque Cheesecake Recipe - Spanish Sabores (1)

About ten years ago I explored San Sebastían for the first time. I was armed with a handful of pintxos bars recommendations, but no one had mentioned anything about dessert!

When I passed by La Viña (which wasn't on my list) I was drawn in by the smell of baking, and when I saw the towers of freshly baked cheesecakes in front of me I knew it was something I had to try.

It was love at first bite, creamy, eggy... delicious! It was unlike any cheesecake I'd ever tried before.

Over the past ten years, the burnt Basque cheesecake has become a worldwide phenomenon and the La Viña cheesecake recipe has been republished many times. It's an easy (though decadent) recipe, well worth the time (and the calories)!

Burnt Basque Cheesecake Recipe - Spanish Sabores (2)

Key Ingredients

Burnt Basque Cheesecake Recipe - Spanish Sabores (4)

Key Ingredients: Eggs, sugar, cream cheese, heavy cream, and flour.

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

Cream cheese: La Viña uses the Philadelphia brand cream cheese and always has -- however, it's possible that the composition in Spain is different than in other countries. But this cake works with other creamy cheeses too, such as mascarpone.
Flour: If you prefer to leave out the flour, go ahead -- it will still set. The amount of flour is very small and just helps with the texture. But it's delicious without too!

Burnt Basque Cheesecake: Step by Step

There truly isn't an easier recipe out there! Simply mix all of the ingredients together in a large metal bowl (at La Viña they use a metal spoon to do this, but you can use a whisk or electric mixer -- whatever is easiest for you. Don't overmix, however!)

Once mixed, line a springform pan with parchment paper, pour in the batter, bake, and less than an hour later your cake is done!

Now comes the hard part -- waiting for it to cool. It's worth the wait, I promise!

Burnt Basque Cheesecake Recipe - Spanish Sabores (5)

Burnt Basque Cheesecake Recipe - Spanish Sabores (6)

Recipe Tips & FAQs

The baking time varies based on your preference. For a runny center, bake 35 minutes. For creamy, try 40. For fully baked through, cook for 50 minutes. (My cake in the photos was baked for 40 minutes).
Let the cake cool fully before taking it out of the springform pan. I recommend making this the day before you want to eat it, as it really benefits from a night in the refrigerator.
If the top isn't browned enough when the bake time is up, turn on the broiler (top heat) but keep a close eye on it -- it can burn in only a few seconds!

Serving Suggestions

The most popular pairing for this cake at La Viña is a glass of Pedro Ximenez sherry wine. This extremely sweet Spanish wine can hold its own against the cheesecake and is a match made in heaven! You could also serve this cheesecake with some fresh berries, which are always a welcome partner for a sweet cheesecake in my opinion.

Burnt Basque Cheesecake Recipe - Spanish Sabores (8)

More Spanish Cake Recipes

If you like this delicious Basque cheesecake recipe, you'll love these other Spanish cakes too!

Cantabrian Cheesecake Recipe: This delicious cake is called quesada pasiega and is another cheesecake worth trying.
Gateau Basque: The traditional Basque cake is filled with homemade pastry cream or cherry jam.
Tarta de Santiago: Spain's famous almond cake is easy to make and always a crowd-pleaser.
Lemon Olive Oil Cake: This light and delicious cake makes the perfect afternoon snack.

Hungry for more? Sign up for my free weekly newsletter and receive a new Spanish recipe once a week! Join today and get my FREE Spanish ingredient essentials guide!

Burnt Basque Cheesecake Recipe (La Viña Style)

This easy burnt Basque cheesecake recipe comes from the Devour Tours cookbook and is based on the original version served at La Viña in San Sebastián.

5 from 460 votes

Print (images optional) Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Spanish

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 8 slices

Author: Lauren Aloise

Ingredients
US Customary - Metric

▢ 2.2 lbs Philadelphia cream cheese 1 kg. Note: you can also sub any other cream cheese, such as mascarpone. Works best at room temperature.
▢ 7 eggs
▢ 2 cups sugar 400g. Note: for a slightly less sweet cheesecake use only 1.5 to 1.75 cups (300-350g)
▢ 1 tablespoon of flour
▢ 6.5 fl oz heavy cream 200ml or ⅘ of a cup.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 410°F (210°C).
Using an electric mixer, whisk, or a metal spoon (the classic La Viña way!) combine all the ingredients in a large bowl until smooth and creamy.
Line a 10 inch (25 cm) springform pan or round baking pan with enough wax or parchment paper that it extends past the edges of the pan. This will help you remove the cheesecake from the pan later on, and will prevent it from sticking. You can use a smaller pan for a higher cheesecake but may need to bake longer so that the center isn't too runny.
Bake on the center rack for 35-50 minutes. The cake will rise quite a bit but don't worry -- it will settle when it’s out of the oven. I like my cheesecake just cooked through, so I generally bake 40 minutes and if it isn't quite burnt enough on top I turn the heat up for another minute or two, being careful it doesn't burn too much! If you like the center very runny, remove at 35 minutes.
When the cake is brown and almost burnt looking, turn the oven off. The center shouldn’t be completely set. It will wiggle a lot when you move the pan (like Jello!)
Let it start to cool gradually by leaving it out on the counter. After an hour or so, move the cake to the fridge to cool completely.
After a few hours in the refrigerator (overnight is even better), your cheesecake should be chilled enough to cut. Don’t remove the cake from the parchment paper until it’s ready to be cut, plated, and devoured (as it can start to lose its shape).
See Also
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Enjoy with a sweet glass of Pedro Jimenez sherry -- just like at La Viña!

Did you make this recipe?Tag @spanishsabores on IG and hashtag it #spanishsabores!

Update note: This recipe was originally published on May 26, 2020, and was updated with new photos and information on January 21, 2021. Watch the web story of this recipe!

Have you been to San Sebastian to try burnt Basque cheesecake? How did this recipe compare?

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Reader Interactions

Comments

Angie
March 17, 2021 at 9:36 pm
Hi - I am going to be trying your recipe but have a question. It defaults to 8 servings and says cream cheese required is 2.2 lbs. Phily cream cheese comes in 8 oz blocks. So is that 4 blocks + a bit more? If I look at 7 servings and 9 servings, it just says 2 lbs which is 4 - 8 ozs. Thank you!
Reply
- Lauren Aloise
  March 22, 2021 at 9:13 am
  Hi there Angie -- I actually didn't know that the recipe plugin did that! I will write to the developer and let him know about the issue -- it should not say to use less cream cheese! The original recipe is by weight (1 kg) so therefore the 2.2 lbs translation. That would be 35.2 oz so if buying 8oz blocks you are correct that it would be four and a bit more. If you have an ingredients scale you can get the exact amount, but don't worry too much -- eyeballing it should be fine!
  Reply
Melissa A Payne
March 09, 2021 at 5:05 pm
This looks really delicious! Do you think the recipe works if you cut all the ingredients in half to make a smaller version? It's only my husband and myself so I wouldn't want to make a huge cake as a I rarely eat sweets. Would the cooking time be in half too? I'm not a baker and I'm scared of messing it up lol.
Reply
- Lauren Aloise
  March 15, 2021 at 10:00 am
  Hi Melissa, you can definitely try cutting the ingredients in half and making a smaller version. You wouldn't cut the bake time in half, but I would have a look after about 30 minutes. You want to remove the cake while still jiggly, but not too wet.
  Reply
BONNY TIMBLIN
February 25, 2021 at 6:12 am

JUST MADE THIS AND ITS REALLY GOOD, BUT I LOVE CHERRY SO I MADE SOME HOME MADE CHERRY TOPPING WHICH WAS DELICIOUS.
Reply
terry cunard
February 20, 2021 at 1:11 am
I have seen this amazing Basque Burnt Cheesecake made in a silicone cake tin with a ceramic base. Any idea where I could find one online please?
Reply
marchella
February 19, 2021 at 9:09 pm
second time making this cheesecake, absolutely incredible!
Reply
Cris
February 11, 2021 at 6:05 pm
Would this recipe work in a 9×13 pan, or is a springform absolutely necessary?
Reply
- Lauren Aloise
  February 14, 2021 at 12:43 pm
  See Also
  Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash - The Recipe Critic
  The pan makes it easy to unmold and serve -- and it looks great -- but it's not strictly necessary! It will still taste great. You might have to change cook time slightly though.
  Reply
Michele
February 01, 2021 at 8:04 pm

I only had an 8 inch pan so cooked at 210 for 55 mins, turned the oven off and left it in there for an hour, then refrigerated when cold overnight .... perfect.
Reply
Killian
January 16, 2021 at 12:37 am
Cooked cake and let cool. First slice little runny so put pan clip ring back around it. Hoping it will firm more overnight in fridge
Reply
A
December 13, 2020 at 7:05 pm
Do you bake it with the fan option?
Reply
- Lauren Aloise
  December 14, 2020 at 8:56 pm
  Just normal top and bottom heat!
  Reply
Bill Woodhouse
November 16, 2020 at 1:10 am
The "burnt" part is obviously an imitation translation of "Crème brûlée."
Reply
Dave
October 14, 2020 at 7:22 pm

For the ultimate in velvety custard and if you have the time, bake it at 200°F for five hours then finish the top in a 450°F oven taking care to not over brown. Follow the rest of the instructions for cooling and plating.
Reply
Joanna
August 30, 2020 at 5:13 pm

I think Rosey needs to calm down and eat some cheesecake.
Anyway, due to COVID we've only had one San Seb trip this year, in Feb, and I've been craving this cheesecake like crazy.
But, sadly, my oven has been on the fritz. So I took a punt and made this in slow cooker and amazingly enough, it worked beautifully! Just gave it two hours on medium, let sit for an hour, et voilà. Not suggesting this will work for everyone, and you don't get quite the same caramelisation, but it's as close as I was going to get right now and it was absolutely delicious.
Thanks for the recipe - I'll keep dreaming of my next trip to La Vina when we can get back to Spain, and make this in the mean time!
Reply
David Hawthorn
August 28, 2020 at 7:21 am

I tried this amazingly easy recipe yesterday and it worked brilliantly! After 50 minutes it didn’t seem quite ‘burnt’ enough so I gave it 10 more minutes and it turned out just fine. Do you think it would freeze?
Reply
- Lauren Aloise
  September 09, 2020 at 3:33 pm
  It definitely does! So glad it worked out!
  Reply
Rosey
August 10, 2020 at 10:16 am

Why do you call it Burnt Basque Cheesecake...That's not what they call it in San Sebastian. It isn't burnt it's caramelised.. I'm feeling quite upset about this. I've been to San Sebastian, had the cheesecake, as well as making it many times.
Reply
- Lauren Aloise
  August 13, 2020 at 11:00 am
  That's true! Normally they just call it La Viña style cheesecake. I'm not sure who coined the term "burnt" but that's how it's found in English these days! Some of my Basque friends do burn it, however! I definitely prefer it perfectly caramelized though.
  Reply
  - Elaine Beirne
    September 22, 2020 at 10:19 am
    
    Super easy to make and really delicious! I did not have double cream, so just used UHT whipping cream and it worked brilliantly.
    Reply
Julie
July 30, 2020 at 1:27 am
Made my first one & it was out of this world fantastic! I used my large cast iron skillet and it looked perfect. My recipe call for a pinch of salt. Delicious!
Reply
- Lauren Aloise
  September 17, 2020 at 9:13 am
  Yum! Never tried in a cast iron!
  Reply
Jacky
July 08, 2020 at 1:00 pm
In my part of Spain it’s really hard to get hold of fresh cream. What type of boxed cream (uht) could you use please?
Reply
- Lauren Aloise
  July 09, 2020 at 11:55 am
  I made this with UHT - fresh is impossible haha! Just make sure it's the Nata para Repostería (the blue one usually) and not the Nata para Cocinar (the red one). The fat content is different.
  Reply
Donna Schakelaar
June 25, 2020 at 12:56 pm
This worked a treat. Absolutely delish!
Reply
Hannah
June 06, 2020 at 11:53 am
What kind of flour do you use?
Reply
- Lauren Aloise
  June 11, 2020 at 4:35 pm
  All purpose - but you can sub anything really. It's such a small amount.
  Reply
Miki
June 01, 2020 at 9:44 am

Success! Made the cheesecake the afternoon/day before serving. I set it out from the refrigerator the next day and served it at room temperature. It was amazing!! Different delightful textures, middle more creamy, edges more dense, the sides had nice brown burnt areas. Thank you for sharing the recipe !
Reply
- Raheej khan
  December 11, 2022 at 11:07 am
  Hi! I want to make this cheesecake today. I have a fan assisted oven- should I reduce the baking temperature to 190 degrees Celsius? Xx
  Reply
PETE
May 27, 2020 at 10:51 pm

hola ! thank you so much for this reciper. Although i'm just a novice home cook, i'll have a go at this over the next few days here in the UK !
wish me lucK !!!
hasta luego
Reply

Newer Comments »

Burnt Basque Cheesecake Recipe - Spanish Sabores (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between basque cheesecake and regular cheesecake? ›

Whats the difference between basque cheesecake and regular cheesecake. Firstly, there is zero crust, zero water bath. And it has its notably burnt exterior that is 100% planned and intentional. I like to think that its interior is more custard-like versus a fluffy cream cream cheese-type texture.

Explore More ›

Why is my basque cheesecake not smooth? ›

One of the key factors is the perfect baking temperature and time, or rather, insufficient baking. The Basque Cheesecake should be taken out of the oven when it is not yet it is not completely set inside to ensure a smooth texture that can even be almost liquid.

Keep Reading ›

Why does my basque cheesecake taste eggy? ›

Classic New York cheesecake is smooth and dense, whereas Burnt Basque Cheesecake is baked at a very high temperature resulting in a caramelized top with a rich and custardy interior. Why does my Basque Cheesecake taste eggy? The cheesecake will become eggy and dense if baked too long or too many eggs are used.

Read On ›

What country is Basque Burnt cheesecake from? ›

Caramelised on top, jiggly in the centre, served with no garnish, tossed across the bar with nothing more than a fork — the five-ingredient cheesecake from La Viña in San Sebastián, Spain, has managed to captivate chefs and diners across the world, under the name Basque burnt cheesecake.

Tell Me More ›

What is special about Basque cheesecake? ›

It's main difference from a New York Style Cheesecake is that it is crustless, and has a golden, beautiful caramelized exterior. It also has a much lighter texture and flavor. The cheesecake is baked at a high temperature in order to get that burnt exterior and super creamy interior.

Why does my cheesecake taste like scrambled eggs? ›

Baked cheesecakes need to contain some egg as the egg thickens the cheesecake mixture as it bakes, in a similar way to a baked custard, so it is possible that you are more sensitive to the egg flavours within the cheesecake or maybe did not add quite enough flavouring (such as vanilla).

What is the real name for Basque cheesecake? ›

Chefs, journalists, and bloggers around the world have celebrated, imitated, and reinterpreted La Viña's cheesecake to the delight of their diners, readers, and followers. To some, the La Viña–style cheesecake has come to be known simply as “Basque cheesecake” or “Basque burnt cheesecake.”

Read The Full Story ›

Why is my burnt cheesecake not burnt? ›

Why is my Basque cheesecake not burnt? Check that the oven temperature is set correctly. Using a separate oven thermometer is always a good idea, as the ovens vary greatly, depending on the make and model. If the top looks under-baked or not browned enough, place the cheesecake under the grill/ broiler for few minutes.

Find Out More ›

What does Basque burnt mean? ›

Burnt Basque cheesecake is the antithesis of American-style or New York cheesecakes. It wants to cook at a high temperature without the protection of a water bath. It wants to get browned and crack, to soufflé high and then deflate. It eschews a crust, instead forming its own where heat and surface area meet.

Find Out More ›

What are the two main types of cheesecake? ›

Cheesecake is a classic dessert that can be served for any occasion. There is even a Greek cheesecake recipe that dates all the way back to 5th Century BCE! While there are an endless amount of cheesecake recipes available today, they can be sorted into two easy categories - baked and unbaked cheesecakes.

Learn More Now ›

What is the most popular type of cheesecake? ›

New York-style cheesecake:

Undoubtedly the most popular type of cheesecake in the United States, New York-style cheesecake is rich and dense with a cream cheese base. It is usually baked in a springform pan.

Read The Full Story ›

What is the difference between Italian cheesecake and regular cheesecake? ›

The main difference between what we would consider typical New York American cheesecake and Italian cheesecake is that in Italy, cheesecake is made with ricotta rather than cream cheese. It is also a bit lighter and dryer, more cakelike and less cloying.

Discover More ›

What is the most common type of cheesecake? ›

Since it's probably the most popular and beloved kind of cheesecake (at least by name), let's start with New York cheesecake. In general, New York cheesecake is ultra-dense and rich, firm yet creamy, and relies on lots of cream cheese for tang and texture, bolstered by heavy cream, eggs, and sugar.