Basque Burnt Cheesecake

Beat cream cheese with sugar and salt in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed — or with a hand mixer — until the mixture is completely smooth, fluffy, and light, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl twice. No lumps are acceptable here — cold cream cheese leaves clumps that never fully dissolve in the oven.

Add eggs one at a time on low speed, mixing until just incorporated before adding the next. Add vanilla with the final egg. Do not rush this step — adding eggs too quickly causes the emulsion to break. Scrape the bowl after each addition.

Sift flour directly into the batter. Add heavy cream. Whisk gently by hand until everything is incorporated — do not use the electric mixer at this stage. The batter should be thin, pourable, and completely smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a jug for easy pouring.

Preheat oven to 230 C (450 F) conventional, or 210 C (410 F) fan. Line a 20 cm (8 inch) springform pan with two sheets of parchment, pushing them up the sides — the paper will ruffle and buckle and that is perfectly traditional. Pour in the batter. Bake for 28–32 minutes, until the top is deeply scorched — nearly burnt — with a dark mahogany center and the entire interior wobbles dramatically when the pan is nudged.

Cool the cheesecake in the pan at room temperature for at least 1 hour — it will deflate dramatically as it cools, developing the characteristic sunken center. Refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours (overnight is ideal) to allow the custard to fully set. Serve at room temperature for the most custardy texture: remove from fridge 30 minutes before slicing.