On a recent trip to the Pay-Basque area, I was with a group of friends and traveled to San Sebastian to enjoy some tapas (when in Rome, do as Romans do....but in this case, Pay-Basque!). We visited one tapas place to another and had our fill of everything ranging from foie gras, pulpo, crevette, Iberico ham, sausage, boquerones...so many flavors, so little time!
One very memorable stop in San Sebastian was at La Viña -- this tiny, unpretentious jewel is world-famous for its cheesecake. When we arrived with our group of 10 people, we could barely fit in to place our order -- it was packed -- and for good reason!
Now mind you, we were absolutely stuffed having tapas -- but since we were in San Sebastian and a friend's daughter highly recommended La Viña, we could not pass up another taste treat. We had skeptics, it's true -- like, how mind-blowing can this cheesecake really be? We ordered 2 slices for the 10 of us, and by the time one of our friends came back with coffee, there was no mas - gone - zilch - plates wiped clean -- holy smokes, it really WAS that good and more!
If you are a fan of cheesecake, be prepared to have your...mind...blown! This is not your usual cheescake -- this Basque beauty is crustless (what!?). Instead of low and slow with traditional cheesecakes, this cheesecake is baked at a high temperature so the crust and sides transform into a caramelized crust adding to the umami of this dessert. The result is silky, fluffy like a cloud, and melts in your mouth it's so incredibly light (deceivingly light!).
I was instantly in love and knew I had to create this amazing dessert when I returned home. There are many recipes out there, and believe me, I tried several! But I think I've nailed it with this version. I hope you agree!
What you will need:
Unsalted butter (for springform pan)
2 lb. cream cheese (room temperature)
1 1/2 cups sugar
6 large eggs
2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup, plus 1 Tbl. Flour
10” Springform pan
Parchment paper
How to prepare:
Preheat oven to 400°, with rack in middle position.
Butter the springform pan, and line with parchment paper being sure to allow 2”-3” overlap over the edge (do not fold parchment paper over the edge of the springform pan, you need to allow the parchment paper to stand upright to create extra height beyond the springform pan as this cheesecake will rise while baking). Tip: you will need to pleat the parchment paper so that it fits snugly along the sides of the springform pan. This ensures your cheesecake will have a uniform burnt side crust and can be removed easily from the springform pan.
Place springform pan on a rimmed baking sheet.
With an electric mixer with paddle attachment, place sugar and cream cheese in bowl and beat on low-speed to incorporate the sugar and increase to medium-low speed until very smooth. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl so there are no lumps. This should take 2-3 minutes. A good way to test if sugar is dissolved is to rub a small amount of sugar/cream cheese mixture between your pointer and thumb – if you feel any grit, continue mixing until smooth.
Increase speed to medium and add eggs one at a time, beat each egg until it is fully incorporated, about 15 seconds.
Scrape down sides of bowl, to make sure cream cheese and eggs are all incorporated.
Reduce mixer medium-low speed. Add cream, salt, and vanilla extract and mix until combined, about 30 seconds.
Turn off mixer and sift flour evenly over cream cheese mixture. Beat on low speed until incorporated, about 15 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl and continue to beat until the batter is very smooth and silky, about 15 seconds.
Pour batter into prepared springform pan.
Bake cheesecake on middle rack until deeply golden brown on top and still very jigglyin the center, 60–65 minutes. This is not the kind of cake you test by piercing in the middle and having your knife come out clean – you should only bake for 60 minutes and no more than 65 minutes. The cheesecake will rise significantly (almost like a soufflé). If you desire an more burnt finish, you can turn the broiler on for just a minute or so until it gets to your desired burnt finish.
Place springform pan on a cooling rack and let cool to room temperature. The cheesecake will fall in height as it cools. If you try to unmold while it is still hot, the cheesecake will not hold its shape. To unmold, release the springform pan and gently peel away the parchment paper from the sides of cheesecake. You should have a wonderful brown/burnt finish to the sides as well!
Slice into wedges and serve, ideally at room temperature.
You can make this cheesecake a day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. To serve, let cheesecake sit for several hours to reach room temperature before serving. To complete your Basque experience, pair with a glass of Pedro Ximinez sherry or Jerez.
When you have floated back to earth after tasting this cheesecake, let me know what you think!
Commentaires