This refined recipe for chocolate Basque cheesecake is SO SIMPLE with the most impressive results. Find a detailed step-by-step with tips and tricks below or skip right to the recipe and get baking! This cheesecake does not miss.
I’ve always felt like making a cheesecake, at home, from scratch was rather unreasonable. You mean to tell me I’m supposed to break the bank on dairy products and eggs, pour them all into a leaky bottom pan, cover than pan in foil that rips if a sharp word is spoken, AND THEN place that whole precarious operation in WATER and somehow get that into A HOT OVEN? Honestly? I’ve run the numbers (aka, tried to bake more than one cheesecake this way) and my stats aren’t great. I blame foil, and a general skepticism which is why this salted caramel cheesecake pie has been my go-to cheesecake until I discovered this Basque beauty.
Basque Cheesecake, as you might expect, come from a restaurant named La Vina in San Sebastian, Spain. Unlike it’s American cousin, Basque cheesecake is made without crust, without a fussy water bath, and at a high temperature to caramelize the top. It feels like a magic trick It’s truly so much more simple than it appears and I want it to make cheesecake bakers out of all of us – I promise.
Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this Chocolate Basque Cheesecake:
• cream cheese at room temperature
• unsweetened cocoa powder
• melted chocolate
• granulated sugar
• espresso powder
• heavy cream
• large eggs
• vanilla extract
• salt
• This cake is baked in ungreased parchment paper and 6-inch round 3-inch tall cake pan. The sides and size of the cake pan are important for the structure of the chocolate Basque cheesecake so there are no substitutes.
Start by beating softened cream cheese with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer with a paddle attachment in a large bowl. Just beat the cream cheese around to make sure it’s entirely softened and pliable.
Beat in the sugar, followed by cocoa powder and espresso (or coffee powder). It’s best to work any lumps out of the cocoa and espresso powder with the back of a spoon or by pressing the powders through a fine mesh strainer. Coffee and chocolate lumps are hard to work out of the batter once they’re in there.
Whip in the eggs, one at a time, until smooth and well combined.
Stir the melted chocolate into the batter mixture followed by heavy cream. The batter should feel entirely irresistible at this point.
Spoon the thick chocolate batter into an ungreased 6-inch pan lined with ungreased parchment paper. I like to crinkle the parchment paper so it fits into the edges of the pan better but you should do what you think is best.
What we do know is that this is a million times better than a springform pan.
The chocolate Basque cheesecake bakes at 450 degrees F for 25 minutes which feels like an insane thing to do to a cheesecake, but trust the process. The cake will bake to puffed and burnt across the top and maybe split across the side – that’s perfect. That’s beauty. But the cake isn’t done after it comes out of the oven. Time in the fridge is part of the baking process just as much as the oven, and we’re talking at least four hours in the refrigerator – hot from the oven, still in the pan and paper.
Once the cheesecake is baked and cool baked, shimmy out of the pan, peel the paper away and top with whipping cream whipped to soft peaks.
Because I can’t leave well enough alone and because fall fruit is GORGEOUS and doesn’t get enough credit, we’re really going for gemstone colored bounty once the cake is baked.
This is one of those cheesecake recipes you’ll have in your life forever, starting now. This is your dinner party trick – every time.
The texture is silky smooth, chilled, forkable chocolate mousse.
The creaminess is liable to bring a tear to your eye.
And I know – I KNOW it sounds like I’m overstating a lil 6-inch cheesecake but I trust you’ll make one for yourself to find out I’m not.
xo
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Mini Burnt Chocolate Basque Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the cheesecake:
- 2 blocks (16 ounces, 450 grams) full fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- 7 ounces (200 grams) 70% dark chocolate
- ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 heaping tablespoon (9 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted if clumpy
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder, sifted if clumpy
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup heavy cream
For the whipped cream:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Top with fresh fruit like figs, currants, pink-inside apples, persimmon slices, pomegranates – anything that feels lovely and autumnal.
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a 6-inch round cake pan with 3-inch tall sides with a piece of parchment baking paper. Press and fold the paper into the edges of the pan, leaving a few inches of paper to hang over the sides of the pan.
- In a small bowl, melt chocolate in the microwave in 20 second bursts, stirring in between, until melted and glossy. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using electric hand beaters, beat cream cheese until spread around the bowl and smooth. Beat in the sugar until well combined. Beat in the cocoa powder and espresso powder until smooth and free of lumps.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time until well combined. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the melted chocolate. Add the cream in two batches, beating to combine thoroughly.
- Pour the thick batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-28 minutes until burnt across the top, puffed up towards the edge of the pan, and just slightly wobbly. Turn off the oven. Open the oven door and wedge a wooden spoon in a kitchen towel into the door to prop the oven open and allow cake rest in the warm oven for 15 minutes.
- Remove cake from the oven and immediately transfer it to the refrigerator to chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
- To make the whipped cream, in a medium bowl with clean electric hand beaters, whip cream, sugar and vanilla extract to soft peaks. Transfer to a small bowl, cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve the cheesecake.
27 Responses
Hi, can you make this cheesecake with mascarpone rather than standard cream cheese like Philadelphia? If I added some Amaretto would it affect the texture in any way do you think?
Hi! Abby the editor here, you can use mascarpone and cream cheese interchangeably, but you will get some texture and flavor differences. Cream cheese tends to be more tangy in flavor. I’d suggest specifically looking up a recipe for mascarpone Basque cheesecake just to be on the safe side. I enjoy looking up multiple recipes and compiling things from there. I hope this is helpful for you! Happy baking, xo
Hi, when should we add the salt and vanilla extract to the batter? Thank you!
Amazing!!! Will definitely make this again. Thank you, Joy!
Joy, I made this cheesecake for our Christmas dinner. It was not only gorgeous, it was simply delicious! Everyone at the table raved about it. I have to say that a cheesecake without a crust is very civilized! It was very easy to make and such a crowd pleaser. Thank you! Wishing you a speedy recovery and an incredibly fabulous new year.
How many milliliters is a “cup” or cream please?
oh wow, I “knew” what this was but clearly didn’t! Had no idea that a basque cheesecake is made this way and with no crust, and yes easier to deal with than a water bath, etc, so thank you!
Wondering the same thing as Courtney. Adjusting by 1.5 the ingredients for a 9 inch pan and how would that affect the cooking time?
This looks fabulous, but I have a no-chocolate eater in my house. Coulds you use the same method to make other flavors of cheesecake? Any helpful tips? Thanks!
Hi Lynn. I think this would totally work if you changed flavors. I would replace the amount of cocoa powder with all-purpose four. I have a feeling matcha powder might be fun, too.
That’s a very interesting idea Joy! I would love to try the matcha powder! How about the melted chocolate? Should I just skip it or replace it with white chocolate instead?
That looks insanely gorgeous!
Yum! Looks fabulous. I only have 3” tall 9” cake pans – could I do a 1.5 recipe to make that pan size work? Possibly?
I haven’t tested the cake this way but I’ve compared it to similar cakes baked in larger pans. I think you’re spot on in making 1.5 times the recipe.
In terms of eggs,I would use 4 large eggs and 1 egg yolk. I can’t wait to heaer h
Thanks so much for your reply! I’m making this for my hubby’s bday!
Doubled for a 9×3 inch pan and yes I did do the math. It didn’t all fit and used two auxiliary custard dishes. It got scary high and I feel like I narrowly averted a disaster. That being said it, was very very good. Did it about 10 minutes longer. My next go attempt will be scaled to 1.5 times the recipe. But if you like living dangerously and having a little side treat go for it.
I doubled the recipe for a 9 inch springform pan. Baked for t0 min. Let it rest the 15 min in the off oven then Into the refrigerator. Turned out great! Made the recipe In the original form first.
Sorry, baked for 50min.
I just want to give a compliment to whomever it was that styled that cheesecake with the tiny cranberries sliced and placed like adorable, prefect, little buttons. Whoever did that has my heart.
My new photographer Karee of the blog Olive and Artisan shot this cheesecake and gah – that cranberry got me too!
All of these ingredients in a single serve ; ) dessert seems sinful. I want to try it but dont have a proper pan. Lucky for my hips.
How far in advance can I make this beauty?
I think you could make this cake up to three days before serving. Top with cream and fruit just before serving.
I am so making this for Christmas dinner!
You have to let me know if you love it!
And if I refrigerate overnight can I sneak a slice for breakfast!
Can’t wait to try! Thanks for the recipe?
Obviously yes!