All-Time Favorite: Cheesecake
A couple of weeks back, I saw a buzz of 
"Burnt what???"
Why would you want to burn a cheesecake? I wondered. Considering that cheesecakes are my ultimate favorite (carrot cakes come second only), it really tickled my fancy so I tried to search what a burnt basque cheesecake is.
Burnt Basque Cheesecake is originally created by a chef named Santiago Rivera in Spain [1]. Checking the recipe, I found that it is very easy because all you have do to is mix all of the ingredients then bake it at a very high temperature. It is also unlike the traditional American cheesecake that has a crust. The cake will be burnt on the outside, which gives it a "caramelized" texture, while the inside will be jiggly and custardy.
The main ingredients of the Burnt Basque Cheesecake
The five main ingredients of the burnt basque cheesecake are:
- cream cheese - 1 cup
- heavy cream - 1 cup
- sugar - 1/2 cup
- eggs - 2 pcs
- flour - 1 tbsp
Tools and materials
- blender
- round cake pan
- parchment paper
Making the Burnt Basque Cheesecake
Cream cheese, being the main ingredient of this cake, is a bit pricey for me especially that you will need a big volume to create a decent-sized cake. But that does not pose a problem for me anymore -- I make my own cream cheese!
How?
I simply strain the whey off full cream yogurt (for a day or longer). After a day, the yogurt will be labneh. I add a dash of salt at this time and then strain one more time. The result will be a firm block of cream cheese already. Tip! Do not throw the whey (the liquid that will be strained). It has many uses, especially in baking. It can be used as a substitute for water or milk when baking, or you can even drink it directly. It has lots of good bacteria that is beneficial for gut health. If you wish to learn more about this process, I suggest you go to "Youtube Academy" which will present you with a selection of related content.
Okay, let's get on with it! Let's make the cheesecake already!
It's as easy as one, two, three!
- Preheat the oven for a long time to make it really HOT (around 250 C (480 F)).
- Mix all the ingredients in a blender.
- Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for around 30 minutes.
That's it! We're done! Just let it cool to room temperature then chill in the refrigerator to firm.
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Because it is cheesecake, I did not stop my urge to make blueberry compote. To make this, just add icing sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice to fresh blueberries, then cook over low fire.
Some Points to Consider
To avoid lumps in the batter, make sure to add the ingredients one at a time. Spinning the ingredients in the blender will somehow make the batter airy so it is best to let it sit for a few minutes and let the air escape first before popping it in the oven. This is what I failed to do in mine, so it does not look smooth.
Use less flour for a more custardy texture. I read that cake flour is better. I may try that next time, but for this one, I used all-purpose flour.
Since I used yogurt cream cheese, it is a sour cream cheese so I had to add a bit more sugar (I used icing sugar). I also added vanilla for extra flavor.
The baking part is tricky because you have to achieve a burnt texture outside while keeping the inside jiggly so setting the oven to a very high temperature is crucial. The cake will firm up as you chill it in the fridge.
Also, it is normal that the cake will sink once you take it out of the oven and cools down because the air created by the steam during the baking process will escape and because the center is a bit undercooked.
Taking out the blueberry compote, this cake can be made in a low-carb option - just replace the sugar with your sweetener of choice.
Add this to the long list of successful experiments.
This is in no way the original version of the Burnt Basque Cheesecake. I have made based on the ingredients available to me, especially the cream cheese, which is the main component of this dessert.
If you've been following along, you'd know that I normally just eyeball my ingredients (after all the readings and the recipes that I research) and modify them as per my family's taste and preference. So far, this recipe has been a success and a hit to my family so it will not be the last time I will make it.
With that, the quest never ends. I will, for sure be on the lookout for more interesting dishes to make. The kitchen experiments shall continue!
