A crustless, light cheesecake with a touch of “burnt” caramelized flavor – toasty on the outside, smooth and creamy on the inside. This Mini Basque Cheesecake recipe is so easy to make that it nearly foolproof!
DO SOME PREP.Heat oven to 400 F/ 205 C.Line a 6-inch springform pan with parchment paper, pleating and pressing the parchment into the bottom edges of pan so that it extends straight up a few inches above the pan.If it extends more than 2 inches, you may cut off some of the parchment paper. Don’t worry about the creases in the paper.Place the pan on a baking sheet and set aside.
MAKE THE CHEESECAKE BATTER.To make the batter, add the 400g cream cheese, 155g sugar, and zest of 1 /2 lemon (if using) in a stand mixer bowl fitted with paddle attachment. Beat for 1 minute on medium speed. Turn off mixer, scrape, and make sure they are incorporated. Turn on mixer again to medium high for 30 seconds or until it is very smooth with no lumps remaining. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.Turn mixer on medium low speed. Add the 3 eggs one at a time, making sure each egg is combined before adding in the next. Scrape the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the 200g heavy cream, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Mix on low speed until evenly combined. Stop the mixer to add the 15g flour by sifting it through a fine-mesh strainer to avoid lumps. Mix on low speed until evenly combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
BAKE.Pour the mixture into the parchment-lined pan and bake for 45 minutes, or until the top of the cheesecake has risen up high and the top has started to become golden brown. The center and sides of the cheesecake should still be slightly jiggly.
COOL.Place the pan on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Note that the cake will fall as it cools. Unlock the sides of the springform pan and remove. Carefully peel back the parchment paper away for the cheesecake before slicing.
Notes
Reduce baking time to 35 minutes if you want to go for a very custardy and soft center.
If the top of your cheesecake is far from toasted or "burnt", do not add more baking time as it will overcook your cheesecake. Broil it instead and very closely watch your cheesecake. It can burn very fast! A few cracks at the top may occur when your broil it but don't worry as the gaps will close once the cheesecake falls as it cools.
Keep in the fridge in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in plastic film. Best eaten within 3 days.