La Vina basque cheesecake

Last year, I went to the Basque region of Spain and France – purely to eat. In San Sebastián, Spain, I tried La Viña’s burnt Basque cheesecake – the one that put Basque cheesecake on the map and is world famous. It was incredible and one of the best desserts I’ve ever had. While tarta de queso translates to and is similar to American cheesecake, it has a very different taste and texture.

It’s also the easiest dessert to make. Five ingredients go into a blender, are poured into a springform pan lined with parchment, and then baked. It takes minimal effort, yet people think you’re God’s gift to earth when they try it. There are many variations of the recipe online, but this is the original. Enjoy!

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La Viña’s Basque Cheesecake Recipe

La Vina basque cheesecake

Ingredients

  • 1 kg Philadelphia cream cheese (room temperature)

  • 500 ml heavy cream (room temperature)

  • 7 large eggs (room temperature)

  • 400 grams sugar

  • 1 tablespoon flour

Directions

  1. Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature so they blend evenly and smoothly.
  2. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F (30 minutes beforehand is best practice for baking!).
  3. Line a 9 inch springform pan with parchment paper, making sure the parchment rises about 2 inches above the top of the pan to hold the cheesecake in as it rises in the oven.
  4. Put all your ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
  5. Pour it into the parchment-lined springform pan and bake for 35-50 minutes. If you want a runny center (like they do at La Viña in the picture above), check it around 35 minutes. If you want it a bit more cooked through in the center, 40-45 minutes is the sweet spot.
    • When it’s done, the cheesecake should look set on top but jiggle like jello when you move the pan (it will firm up as it cools in the fridge). It should also be caramelized on top and burnt looking around the edges. If you’re not sure, bake longer in 5 minute increments. It’s better it be creamier than dried out from overcooking.
  6. Take the cheesecake out of the oven and leave it at room temperature for about an hour. Then, move it to the fridge to cool for several hours, preferably overnight. Once it’s cooled completely, you can unmold the cheesecake from the pan and plate it.
  7. Remove the cheesecake from the fridge about 30 minutes before serving, and enjoy!

Note: This recipe requires a kitchen scale. If you don’t have one and like to bake, trust me that it is so worth the $10-15 investment. This is the one I use and it comes in fun colors!