My adaptation of La Viña’s famed burnt Basque cheesecake in San Sebastian.
Presenting the Burnt Basque cheesecake. If this is not the best way to make cheesecake, tell me what is? Literally, this method of “toasting” the top of the cheesecake invented by La Viña in San Sebastian, is my favourite way to make cheesecake. The burnt top oozes notes of caramelisation which when paired with the creamy inside, just leaves you simply gasping for more.
Granted, this is the first time I have made the Burnt Basque Cheesecake and I adapted the recipe from La Viña by reducing the sugar and enhancing it with vanilla bean and a hint of lemon juice. It was so good that I ate the entire cake within a day (yes, I do feel guilty but it was well worth it).
Tasting this cake makes me reminisce of my time in San Sebastian the summer of 2018. San Sebastian is so so beautiful that I would love to make it an annual or bi-annual affair. From the picturesque beaches to the fine dining establishments and the fun pintxos hopping in the old quarters of the town, there is so much on offer. I need to make sure I try Extebarri next time I go there (and of course, go back to Elkano again for their turbot). How I miss San Sebastian…
So I stumbled upon this beauty whilst pintxos hopping in the old quarters of San Sebastian (and was told by one of my best friends that I absolutely must try the La Viña cheesecake whilst there regardless of how full I am). Having gone to Azurmendi for lunch, I really did not feel like another fine dining meal for dinner (plus I was still stuffed). For those of you who are unaware, pintxos hopping is basically jumping from bar to bar and sampling a pintxos (like a tapas) at each one while getting a drink as well. La Viña is one of those small, unassuming bars and is well-renowned for serving the best, sweet pintxos which is their burnt basque cheesecake.
Any how, the traditional La Viña cheesecake doesn’t use any vanilla pods/essence or lemon juice (not that I know of). I simply added a hint into the batter for enhanced flavours. I also reduced the amount of sugar as I am cautious of my waistline and prefer desserts that aren’t too sweet. The cake is best left to rest for a few hours before eating so that the flavours can intensify (I particularly like it cold straight from the fridge). I really love how you can taste the caramel notes from the burnt exterior when devouring this cheesecake – it is what makes it so unique and will leave you wanting to eat the entire cake!
Ingredients
- 250g of cream cheese
- 60 gram caster sugar
- 120g of double cream or whipping (35% fat content)
- 1 egg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
- 8 g flour
Instructions
1. Preheat oven 200C
2. Beat cream cheese with sugar. Add the vanilla essence and lemon juice.
3. Add the egg and continue beating.
4. Add the double cream and beat.
5. Fold in sifted flour. Don't overmix.
6. Bake for 40 minutes. During the last 8 minutes, turn up the heat to 220C to get that nice, "burnt" look (keep an eye out for it as each oven is different).
7. Let the cake cool and then refrigerate for 4 hours or more.
Notes
The quantity above is for a 6 inch pan. To test 'doneness', you would want the cake to be a bit wobbly (namely the center 1-2 inches is still wobbly). This will continue to cook when you take it out to cool down.