When people think about Spanish cuisine, the first things that probably come to their minds are Paella, Tapas, and maybe Churros… but there is much more, of course! If you’re a fan of cheesecakes you will most definitely know about the Basque Cheesecake aka. San Sebastián Cheesecake. This super delicious and creamy cheesecake, with its very special dark (and partially burnt) crust, which also gives the cake its third name: Basque Burnt Cheesecake! My Basque Cheesecake with Blueberries & Raspberries didn’t turn out quite as »burnt«, but instead, the delicious berries bring it to a whole other level ;P
San Sebastián cheesecake aka. »Tarta de queso de San Sebastián« (the fourth name of the cake if you will) is a traditional pastry from the northern Spanish/Basque city of San Sebastián (Donostia). It is said that the cake was first baked and served in the 1980s by Basque pastry chef Santiago Rivera at Café La Viña. Since then, the cheesecake has become a regional specialty and is served in many cafés and restaurants in the city and its surroundings. Since then the delicious cheesecake has found many fans all over the world ;P
You probably know that there are many different cheesecakes out there, but the Basque cheesecake is really special. Not only the »burnt« top of the cake is unique – the texture of the cake is also one of a kind ;) Even though the cake is called »burnt cheesecake« it actually does not taste burnt. The sugar in the cake is just » extremely caramelized«… unless it has some really black spots – those are actually burnt ;P
Anyway. My cheesecake here is not quite as dark as other San Sebastián cheesecakes. I would have been ok if it got a bit more color tbh. but my new oven is not 100% predictable yet, temperature-wise… I probably should have put it a bit closer to the top heating element, so the top gets more heat. I am pretty sure the oven did not get the 390°F I wanted quite right or could not hold it all throughout the baking time ;P
Basque cheesecakes now come in many versions. Preparing the cake is actually quite simple because you just have to prepare the filling – no crust or anything else. This means it’s great if you want to experiment a bit or try something different. The colorful berries look quite nice here – don’t you think? I really love the additional sweetness and flavors of the different berries. If that’s not your »cuppa tea« you can do the cake without them, of course. Works just as well.
By the way, this is not my first Basque Cheesecake here on the blog. Since the cake is so easy to prepare, one of them ends up in my oven quite often tbh ;P Sometimes »naked«, sometimes with berries or cherries, and sometimes even with a good amount of chocolate. That one is also very good!
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
32 oz. (900g) cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup (100g) sugar
6 large eggs
14 oz. (400g) heavy cream
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. orange zest (from organic orange)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup (40g) cake flour
5.3 oz. (150g) fresh blueberries & raspberries
some extra berries for decorations
900g Frischkäse, Zimmertemperatur
100g Zucker
6 Eier (L)
400g Sahne, Zimmertemperatur
2 TL Vanille Extrakt
1 EL Abrieb von Bio-Orange
1/4 TL Salz
40g Mehl (Type 405), gesiebt
150g frische Blaubeeren & Himbeeren
frische Beeren als Dekoration
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C). Lightly grease and line a 9 inches (23cm) springform tin with baking parchment – one piece of baking parchment for the bottom and one or two pieces for the sides. You want the baking parchment to overlap the sides of the tin at least 2 inches… just in case the cake rises more than expected ;) Place the prepared springform tin on a baking sheet and set aside.
2. Add the cream cheese and sugar to a large bowl and mix (with a whisk) until well combined. Add the eggs one after another and mix well after each addition. Next, add heavy cream, vanilla extract, orange zest, and salt and mix until well combined. Sift the flour in several batches into the bowl and mix each time until well combined. Let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes, then mix again briefly. Pour the cream cheese mixture into the prepared springform tin and sprinkle with the berries. Place in the lower third of the oven and bake for about 60 minutes. The edges of the cheesecake should have set and browned nicely. The center of the cake should still wobble a bit if you move the tin. This will give you the perfect texture when the cake has cooled down completely. Take the cake out of the oven and let cool down for some time in the tin. You can loosen the cake from the baking parchment with a sharp knife to make sure the top does not get cracks when everything is cooling down. Remove the cooled cheesecake from the tin and let cool down completely before serving. Decorate with some more fresh berries if you like. Store leftover cake in the fridge.
1. Den Ofen auf 200°C (390°F) Ober-/Unterhitze vorheizen. Eine 23cm (9 inches) Springform leicht einfetten und mit einem Stück Backpapier den Boden auslegen und auch an den Seiten mit einem bzw. zwei längeren Stück(en) Backpapier einen Rand hochziehen, der mindestens 5 cm (2 inches) über den Rand der Form übersteht. Auf ein Backblech setzen und zur Seite stellen.
2. Frischkäse und Zucker in einer großen Schüssel mit einem Schneebesen verrühren. Die Eier einzeln dazugeben und jeweils gut unterrühren. Sahne, Vanille Extrakt, Orangenabrieb und Salz dazugeben und gut unterrühren. Das Mehl in mehreren Portionen in die Schüssel sieben und unterrühren. Den Teig etwa 5 Minuten stehen lassen, dann noch einmal durchrühren und anschließend in die vorbereitete Form füllen. Die Beeren gleichmäßig auf der Masse verteilen. Die Form mitsamt Backblech in den Ofen schieben (unteres Drittel) und etwa 60 Minuten backen – der Rand des Kuchens sollte fest geworden sein und ordentlich Farbe bekommen haben. Die Mitte des Kuchens sollte noch wackeln, wenn man an der Form rüttelt – nur dann ist der Kuchen nach dem Abkühlen schön cremig. Aus dem Ofen holen und einige Zeit in der Form abkühlen lassen. Man kann hier auch schon einmal mit einem Messer den Kuchen vom Backpapier lösen, damit er sich, ohne Risse zu bilden, zusammenziehen kann. Den abgekühlten Kuchen aus der Form lösen und komplett abkühlen lassen. Nach Belieben vor dem Servieren noch mit ein paar frischen Beeren dekorieren. Reste im Kühlschrank aufbewahren.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
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Blueberry & Raspberry Burnt Cheesecake
- Prep Time: 00:15
- Cook Time: 01:00
- Total Time: 03:00
- Yield: 1 1x
- Category: Cheesecakes
- Cuisine: Spain
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Super easy to prepare and so delicious – a version of a classic San Sebastián Cheesecake: Blueberry & Raspberry Burnt Cheesecake. So good!
Ingredients
32 oz. (900g) cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup (100g) sugar
6 large eggs
14 oz. (400g) heavy cream
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. orange zest (from organic orange)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup (40g) cake flour
5.3 oz. (150g) fresh blueberries & raspberries
some extra berries for decorations
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C). Lightly grease and line a 9 inches (23cm) springform tin with baking parchment – one piece of baking parchment for the bottom and one or two pieces for the sides. You want the baking parchment to overlap the sides of the tin at least 2 inches… just in case the cake rises more than expected ;) Place the prepared springform tin on a baking sheet and set aside.
2. Add the cream cheese and sugar to a large bowl and mix (with a whisk) until well combined. Add the eggs one after another and mix well after each addition. Next, add heavy cream, vanilla extract, orange zest, and salt and mix until well combined. Sift the flour in several batches into the bowl and mix each time until well combined. Let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes, then mix again briefly. Pour the cream cheese mixture into the prepared springform tin and sprinkle with the berries. Place in the lower third of the oven and bake for about 60 minutes. The edges of the cheesecake should have set and browned nicely. The center of the cake should still wobble a bit if you move the tin. This will give you the perfect texture when the cake has cooled down completely. Take the cake out of the oven and let cool down for some time in the tin. You can loosen the cake from the baking parchment with a sharp knife to make sure the top does not get cracks when everything is cooling down. Remove the cooled cheesecake from the tin and let cool down completely before serving. Decorate with some more fresh berries if you like. Store leftover cake in the fridge.
Notes
Enjoy baking!
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I love my job, but in between I love to bake and try new things in the kitchen. A lot of my friends and colleagues encourage me to bake - for a very simple reason: they get the leftovers - and it seems they like it most of the time ;) 
