#QuarantineCookbook: Basque Burnt Cheesecake Cups

One of the food items that trended during quarantine is the Basque Burnt Cheesecake.

An adaptation of tarta de queso which was popularized by the cafe La Viña located in San Sebastian in the Basque region of northern Spain, it is characterized by its parchment paper wrapping, scorched top that dips into a gooey, almost molten-like, center.

I had my first taste of Burnt Basque Cheesecake last year during lunch with my officemates at Sourdough Cafe and again this year when I had a whole cake delivered to my home from Sweet Samthings for my birthday celebration.

What I love about it is the buttery caramel-like taste of the top layer that gives way to the rich tanginess of the cheesecake filling.

This decadent dessert makes use of easily accessible ingredients: cream cheese (of course!), sugar, eggs, flour and cream.

I’m considering giving some away as gifts to family and friends so I decided to try making this dessert as mini cups.

I also used fresh cage-free eggs for this recipe. This type of eggs are grown in farms that provides environments that allow egg-laying hens to exhibit their natural behaviors unlike those with battery-cage systems which provide no space for the hens to stretch their wings, perch, or forage. Cage-free eggs have been found to be of higher quality and have a healthier nutritional profile than other eggs such as less saturated fat and cholesterol, higher levels of protein, vitamins and omega fatty acids. You can read more about the virtues of cage-free eggs here.

Ingredients:

• Two 225g bars of cream cheese
• One cup granulated sugar
• Three cage-free eggs
• Two-and-half tablespoons all purpose flour
• One-eight teaspoon of salt
• One cup whipping cream
• One-fourth teaspoon melted butter

Procedure:

Preheat the oven to 250 deg C.

Using a mixer on medium speed, soften the cream cheese for three minutes then add the sugar until well combined.

Add in the eggs one at a time and beat for a minute until the mixture is smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the salt and continue to beat for another minute until the ingredients are well incorporated into the mixture. Set aside.

Place the flour in a separate bowl and whisk in the whipping cream a little at a time, making sure that there are no flour lumps.

Pour the cream mixture into the cheese mixture while mixing at slow speed.

Line the cups of two muffin pans with cupcake liners (or you can use two square pieces of parchment papers placed on top of each other such that the corners alternate with each other). Brush the liners with a bit of melted butter.

Fill the cups two-thirds of the way, then bake for thirteen to fifteen minutes until the tops are slightly scorched (I prefer that over totally burnt) and the centers are still wobbly.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool up to ten minutes to allow the cakes to set.

Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

I was able to make twenty-four mini cakes and one (thin!) cake in an eight-inch round tin.

These cakes have my kiddos seal of approval, and my mom’s as well, as I sent the tin cake over to her as a present.

So if you’re on the lookout for something new to bring to your Noche Buena table, or to give away as gifts to your nears-and-dears, do give this recipe a try.

Looking for other easy-to-cook dishes to try out while in quarantine? Check out my other kitchen adventures:

• Calamansi Muffins
• Lemon Square Siksik sa Sarap Recipes
• Easy Creamy Pesto Chicken
• Banana Loaf Three Ways
• Sausage Pasta with Creamy Sundried Tomatoes
• Homemade Avocado Ice Cream Cake
• Slow Cooker Pork Roast
• Easy Shepherd’s Pie
• Homemade Mango Ice Cream
• Baked Salmon
• Kare-Kare
• Thai Peanut Sauce
• Oatmeal Peanut Butter Breakfast Balls
• Red Velvet Cupcakes
• Five-Minute Lava Cake
• Carrot Cupcakes
• Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
• Mini-Blueberry Cheesecakes
• Frozen Mocha Cheesecake
• Chocolate Chip Cookies