Photography: Rochelle Eagle / Styling: Lee Blaylock
Basque cheesecake is a delicious, silky smooth baked cheesecake with a ‘burnt’ top originating from Spain and we’re in love with this version from chef Darren Purchese, one of the judges on The Great Australian Bake Off. With only eight ingredients, it’s also a cinch to whip up. The heroes of the dessert are cream cheese, mascarpone cheese and cream, making for a very rich, dense filling. Best served on the day it is made, it will also last four days in the fridge (if you can resist eating it for that long!)
For more cheesecake recipes, try espresso martini cheesecake, baked ricotta passionfruit cheesecake or eton mess cheesecake. For more coffee dessert recipes, make your way through our coffee dessert collection.
Ingredients
Method
Pour the egg into a blender and blend on medium speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add the cream cheese and blend again for about a minute. Scrape down the side of the blender with a spatula and mix again for 30 seconds or until smooth. Add the sugar and mix again for 1 minute. Scrape down the side and add the mascarpone, cream, vanilla seeds and salt. Mix again until light and smooth. Finally, add the flour and mix again for 1 minute.
Lightly spray an 18cm-diameter springform tin with canola spray and push a 30cm x 30cm sheet of baking paper into the ring (scrunch the paper into a ball first). Push to the edges – you want the paper crinkled, not neat. Lightly spray the inside of the paper with canola spray.
Pour the cheesecake mixture into the prepared tin, then refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 220°C (200°C fan-forced). Place cake in the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 210°C (190°C fan-forced). Bake for 50 minutes.
Cool in the tin for 40 minutes. The cheesecake will drop as it cools, creating a dip in the surface.
Refrigerate for 1 hour, then remove from the tin by releasing the spring and lifting off the ring. Gently pull the paper away from the sides of the cheesecake, being careful not to damage the cake. Lay a large plate over the cheesecake, then invert it and hold the cake in one hand while releasing the base of the tin with the other. Gently remove the entire sheet of paper from the cheesecake and then lay a serving plate on the base of the cake. In one motion, invert the cake once more and remove the first plate. The cheesecake is ready to serve.
To cut, use a sharp non-serrated knife dipped in hot water. Dry the blade with a clean cloth before cutting, and clean, reheat and dry the blade before each cut. Serve each slice on its own, or with lemon curd, fruit compote and pouring cream.
Tip
“I personally love the cheesecake in all of its stages, but it’s best on the day of baking with limited refrigeration. The cheesecake will last up to four days in the fridge, becoming denser as the days progress. Wrap cheesecake in foil rather than plastic wrap for storage in the fridge” – Darren Purchese
This is an edited extract from The Baker’s Book edited by Ruby Goss, with photography by Rochelle Eagle and illustrations by Beci Orpin, published by Murdoch Books, $45.
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