Mini Basque Cheesecake

5 from 5 votes

This easy 6-inch mini burnt basque cheesecake recipe has a burnished caramelized top and a gooey, creamy interior inspired by the original at La Viña.

Prep Time20

Cook Time15

Chilling Time3

Total Time3 35

Servings: servings

Calories: 414kcal

Author: Karishma Pradhan

Equipment

Ingredients

8 ounces Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese softened to room temperature
100 grams granulated white sugar
2 large eggs room temperature
½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt use half the amount if using Morton Kosher Salt, sea salt, or table salt
80 grams heavy cream
½ teaspoon vanilla paste or vanilla extract
9 grams cornstarch

For baking:

10 grams heavy cream

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prep the oven: Set one rack in the top-third of the oven and one rack in the middle of the oven.
Preheat oven to 500°F/232°C for at least 30 minutes.
Spray a 6-inch cake pan with nonstick spray (or grease with butter). Line the bottom and sides with a 12-inch square of parchment, leaving at least 2 inches of overhang.
Note: When the cheesecake bakes, it will rise, so the extra parchment paper will prevent any overflow. It will not sit perfectly flush in the pan and will appear creased and uneven; this is by design.
Beat the cream cheese and sugar: To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using an electric hand mixer), add 8 ounces Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese.
Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, until smooth and creamy.
Add 100 grams granulated white sugar, then beat on medium speed for 3 minutes until light, fluffy, and doubled in size.
Stop the mixer, scrape down the bowl, then beat for 10 – 15 seconds until homogeneous.
Switch to hand mixing: Remove the bowl from the mixer and switch to hand mixing to prevent overbeating.
Add 2 large eggs, and whisk until combined. Whisk in ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt, 80 grams heavy cream, and ½ teaspoon vanilla paste.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a flexible spatula, then whisk until smooth and creamy.
Add the cornstarch: In a small bowl, whisk 9 grams cornstarch and ¼ cup of the batter until completely smooth -- there should not be any clumps.
Whisk the cornstarch mixture back into the batter for about 1 minute until incorporated, scraping down the bowl as needed.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Use a spoon to drizzle 10 grams heavy cream all over the top of the batter. Pop any large bubbles with a chopstick or toothpick.
Bake the cheesecake: Transfer the cheesecake to the top rack of the oven. Bake for 15–20 minutes, until the top is deeply browned, the edges are set, and the center is still jiggly. A thermometer inserted into the center of the cheesecake should register 145°F - 150°F.
Broiler (optional, if needed): If your cheesecake is cooked through, but the top isn’t brown enough, you can put it under the broiler for a minute (this only works if you have a top broiler element).
First, remove the cheesecake from the oven. If you have any tall pieces of parchment sticking up over the cake, trim them with scissors to prevent them from burning or catching fire from the broiler.
Switch the oven to ‘BROILER’ on HI. Once you see the broiler element is on, place the cheesecake on the middle rack. Broil in 30-second increments up to 2 minutes until nicely browned. Uneven browned spots are fine!
Cool: Remove the cheesecake from the oven and set on a wire cooling rack. Cool for 1 hour, or until the pan is at room temperature.
Transfer to the fridge. Chill for at least 3 hours, uncovered, before slicing and serving.
Serve: Remove from the fridge and let sit for 30 minutes before serving.
To serve, enjoy directly from the pan and scoop bites of cheesecake with a couple of spoons. Or, remove the cheesecake from the pan by carefully lifting up the parchment from the pan.
Transfer to a serving plate, slice, and serve.

Notes

Tips:

For the most accurate results, use a kitchen scale.
Use room temperature ingredients: The cream cheese and eggs really need to be at room temperature or you will get lumps in the batter.
Remove any lumps: For the smoothest texture, you will want to remove any lumps in the batter. Make sure to frequently scrape down the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl to incorporate any streaks of cream cheese.
Don't overbeat the batter: Over mixing the batter can cause the cheesecake to crack!
Get to know your oven: This is the most important rule for basque cheesecakes. All of our ovens behave differently, especially if your oven runs hot or cold. Visual cues and a thermometer will help you adjust the temperature or position of your cheesecake as needed to ensure a perfect result.
Storage: Leftover cheesecake keeps, covered, in the refrigerator for up to four days.

Nutrition