San Sebastian cheesecake has a beautifully caramelized burnt crust with a smooth, rich and creamy center. This traditional Spanish Basque cheesecake is easy to make and creates a stunning and decadent dessert everyone will love.
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Why Should You Make This Recipe
I have a few cheesecake recipes on the blog that I absolutely adore. My Maple Mascarpone Cheesecake, Mini Oreo Cheesecakes and Chocolate Chip Cheesecake are all incredibly delicious cheesecake recipes. I know you’ll love this burnt cheesecake because:
- Super simple to make. From start to finish, you can prep this wonderfully easy Spanish cheesecake in about 20 minutes. All that’s left is to bake, cool and enjoy this stunning burnt Basque cheesecake.
- A creamy and decadent cheesecake made with simple ingredients. This San Sebastian dessert is made with simple ingredients like cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, heavy cream and eggs. This spanish style cheesecake makes the most stunning dessert.
Ingredients
This Sebastian cheesecake requires only a handful of ingredients to make and you probably already have them in your pantry and fridge! Here’s what you’ll need.
Ingredients: Gather cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, salt, cornstarch, heavy cream and eggs.
Substitutions
This San Sebastian cheesecake is meant to be enjoyed anytime the craving strikes. Here are my recommended substitutions if you need them.
- Cream Cheese: This caramelized cheesecake is made with full fat Philadelphia cream cheese. It is important to use full fat versus reduced fat for this cheesecake. I personally love using Philadelphia for all my cheesecake based recipes, but feel free to use any brand you like. Mascarpone cheese would be the easiest substitute for cream cheese.
- Granulated Sugar: For an easy refined sugar free option use maple sugar. I recommend pulsing the maple sugar in a food processor until it reaches a very fine consistency similar to caster or super fine sugar.
- Vanilla Extract: This provides a lovely background flavor for the cheesecake filling. Omit if needed or use vanilla bean paste.
- Cornstarch: Use an equal amount of all purpose flour.
- Heavy Cream: Heavy cream and heavy whipping cream are essentially the same thing. One has a slightly higher milk fat content than the other. The milk fat content should be at least 36%. However, a “light whipping cream” will have around 30% milkfat.
- Eggs: This recipe has not been tested without eggs or with egg substitutes.
How To Make
Learn how to make San Sebastian cheesecake in a few easy steps.
- Preheat the oven to 400 (204 C). Lightly grease bottom of a 9” springform pan. Measure out two large pieces of parchment paper. Press one large piece of parchment paper into the pan going side to side. Press the other parchment paper into the pan on top of the first piece, this time starting at the top of the pan to the bottom of the pan.
- In a mixing bowl beat the cream cheese on low until very smooth. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. On low, beat in the sugar until smooth and well combined. The cream cheese will look smooth and more glossy. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
- On low cream in the vanilla extract and cornstarch, followed by the heavy cream. Mix until smooth and well combined. The mixture should be very smooth with no lumps. On the lowest speed, mix in the eggs, one at a time until combined.
- Pour the creamy cheesecake filling into the prepared pan. Bake the basque cheesecake 55 - 65 minutes. The burnt cheesecake is done baking when the top is a deep caramelized color, the edges are set and puffed, while the center is jiggly like jello.
- Place the burnt Basque cheesecake cooling rack to cool at room temperature for 1 - 2 hours. Once cooled, cover the pan in plastic wrap and transfer the cheesecake to the fridge to chill for 4 - 6 hours or slice and serve at room temperature. Personally, I prefer the texture of this Sebastian cheesecake after chilling for a few hours. When it’s time to serve, remove the cheesecake from the pan, fold down the parchment paper and slice.
How To Store, Freeze and Thaw
- Store in the fridge: Keep this chocolate creamy burnt cheesecake wrapped in plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 5 days. To serve at room temperature, set the cheesecake out at room temperature for up to 2 hours.
- Freeze: Wrap the entire baked cheesecake in plastic wrap and foil. Store it in the freezer for up to 2 months. Alternatively, slice the cheesecake, wrap the slices in plastic wrap and store in a freezer safe container for up to 2 months.
- Thaw: Transfer the frozen cheesecake to the fridge to thaw overnight. Top with your desired toppings and serve.
M’s Expert Tips
- Bring cold ingredients to room temperature: This allows the ingredients to mix together more evenly.
- Go low and slow: Mix the ingredients at the lowest speed and just until they are mixed well. This is especially true after the eggs have been added to the cheesecake.
- Give the cheesecake time to cool down properly. This is the easiest way to ensure a perfect cheesecake.
- Chill the Sebastian cheesecake cake or not: For a more custard like consistency, serving this burnt cheesecake without chilling time, or with just 1 - 2 hours chilling time is best. For a more traditional texture, I recommend chilling the cheesecake for 4 - 6 hours.
FAQs
This wonderfully creamy, crustless cheesecake with it’s signature caramelized brunt top was first created in the town of San Sebastian. This town is located in the Basque region of Spain. For this reason, this burnt cheesecake also goes by Basque cheesecake or spanish cheesecake.
New York style cheesecake is a dense cheesecake with a very pronounced cream cheese taste. This type of cheesecake has a classic graham cracker crust. Basque cheesecake is lighter creamy interior, much like custard. The top of the Basque cheesecake is also deeply caramelized and there is no crust.
Other Cheesecake Recipes to Try
If you try this San Sebastian Cheesecake Recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking! Happy Baking! - M
San Sebastian Cheesecake Recipe
Equipment
- 1 9 -inch springform pan
- 1 parchment paper
- 1 stand mixer with paddle attachment or electric hand mixer with beaters
Ingredients
- 4 8 oz. blocks cream cheese, room temperature
- 1½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups (355 ml) heavy cream, room temperature
- 5 large eggs (US), room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 (204 C). Lightly grease bottom of a 9” springform pan.
- Measure out two large pieces of parchment paper. When pressed into the pan, the sides of the parchment should come up 3 - 4 inches (8 - 10 cm) from the pan. Press one large piece of parchment paper into the pan going side to side. Press the other parchment paper into the pan on top of the first piece, this time starting at the top of the pan to the bottom of the pan. For now, gently bend the excess parchment paper over the sides of the pan. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl cream the cream cheese on low until very smooth.This takes about 2 -3 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on slowly stream in the sugar. Mix on low until smooth and well combined. This takes about 2 minutes. The cream cheese will look smooth and more glossy. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.4 8 oz. blocks cream cheese, room temperature, 1½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- On low cream in the cornstarch, vanilla extract and salt followed by the heavy cream. Mix until smooth and well combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl as needed. The mixture should be very smooth with no lumps.3 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1½ cups (355 ml) heavy cream, room temperature
- On the lowest speed, mix in the eggs, one at a time until combined. Do not mix more than is needed to fully incorporate the eggs.5 large eggs (US), room temperature
- Pour the creamy cheesecake filling into the prepared pan. Bake the basque cheesecake 50 - 65 minutes. The burnt cheesecake is done baking when the top is a deep caramelized color, the edges are set and puffed, while the center is jiggly like jello. This basque cheesecake will be a bit more jiggly throughout than a traditional cheesecake.
- Place the burnt Basque cheesecake cooling rack to cool at room temperature for 1 - 2 hours. Once cooled, cover the pan in plastic wrap and transfer the cheesecake to the fridge to chill for 4 - 6 hours or slice and serve at room temperature. Personally, I prefer the texture of this Sebastian cheesecake after chilling for a few hours. When it’s time to serve, remove the cheesecake from the pan, fold down the parchment paper and slice.
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