Basque Cheesecake For 1

So let’s talk Cheesecake, there are many types, this recipe has been one of my favorites for years but in 2020 it almost became Banana Bread 2.0, what do I mean by that? With everyone on lockdown, the recipe started trending and it made for a huge success as it was fuss free and used only a handful of ingredients. Cheesecake has been known to have a tough reputation, one which you needed a biscuit/sponge base, a water bath, low temperature, no cracking, no coloring, a fruit layer on top etc. This cheesecake defies all those odds and is indulgent to say the least. It makes for a great celebratory cake, just that you have made it to the end of the week as well. 

With little to no stress, you can make this cake using an electric beater but a bowl and a whisk will work just fine. As it needs a few ingredients there aren’t any substitutes, you need to follow the recipe as mentioned in order to achieve that silky smooth cheesecake and burnt exterior. You will need an oven to bake this and it cannot be steamed or baked over the stove if you wish you achieve the burnt exterior. The batter itself can be steamed but it will not look or taste like a burnt Basque cheesecake, it would taste like a steamed sponge cheesecake cake. Also, the cake doesn’t taste burnt, that’s a very common question I get asked about this recipe. It adds a tone of earthiness and caramel to the velvet smooth texture. From a flavor stand point, I like t use vanilla bean paste or extract but not essence. You could use lemon zest, orange zest or a little rum/brandy/Cointreau. If you don’t have corn flour you can leave it out while making the batter. Also if your egg is not large you would be better off using 2 small eggs or 1 medium egg and 1 egg yolk.