It was my full intention to post this recipe in time for New Year's Eve. And here we are already one week into the New Year ruining your dieting plans. Oh well!
Basque Cheesecake has been a big trend on dessert menus in recent years. And frankly, I understand the allure. The cheesecake itself is thick and fluffy - similar in texture to a New York Style Cheesecake in my opinion. And interestingly enough, this cheesecake is crustless. It's simply baked for so long at such a high temperature that it creates its own crust around the edges of the cake. The gluten-free baker in me is one-hundred percent onboard with this approach!
Now, while it is a delicious bite of cheesecake, I find it a bit plain-Jane without a fun garnish and slathering of sauce. Which is where the "berry" in this Berry Basque Cheecake comes into play.
As the cheesecake bakes, it puffs tremendously. But after cooling, the cheesecake sinks leaving a rather dramatic cavern in the center of your cheesecake. All as intended. However, I think this screams for heaps and heaps of fresh berries. I stuck with red berries - raspberries and strawberries - for a festive Christmas flare. Of course, you could go with more of a Cool Blue vibe and top with blueberries and blackberries, or hell a combination of all of the above.
In addition to piling on fresh berries, I opted to serve the cheesecake with a choice of sauces - Berry or Chocolate. Both very quick to whip up and can be prepared in advance making for easy entertaining. Leftover sauce is also delightful drizzled over ice cream, pound cake or pancakes, so you can't have too much!
Berry Basque Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the cheesecake
· 1.5lbs cream cheese, at room temperature
· 1 cup sugar
· 4 large eggs
· 1 ½ cups heavy cream
· ¾ tsp salt
· 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
· 2 tbsp flour
For the berry sauce
· 6oz fresh raspberries
· ½ cup sugar
· ¼ cup water
· ½ cup strawberry jam
· ½ cup seedless raspberry jam
For the chocolate sauce
· 8oz semi sweet chocolate chips
· ½ cup half & half
· 1 tsp vanilla extract
· ¼ tsp espresso powder
· Pinch of salt
For the garnish
· 1lb fresh strawberries
· 6oz fresh raspberries
· Powdered sugar
· Whipped cream
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 9 to 10 inch springform pan with two overlapping sheets of parchment paper. The paper should come at least 2 inches above the top of the pan.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese. Cream together the sugar and cream cheese. Beat until very smooth, about 2 minutes.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix in the eggs one at a time until the batter is smooth.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the cream, salt, vanilla bean paste, and flour. Beat until smooth and combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about 65 to 70 minutes until the top is dark golden brown and the center is still jiggly. The cheesecake will appear extremely puffed, but will fall drastically as it cools.
Allow the cheesecake to cool to room temperature. Chill until ready to serve.
For the berry sauce… combine the fresh raspberries, sugar and water in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer over low heat. Continue to cook for another 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the jams. If a smooth sauce is desired, puree the mixture in a food processor or blend and then pour the sauce through a sieve to remove any seeds. Otherwise, chill the sauce until ready to serve.
For the chocolate sauce… combine all of the ingredients in a microwave safe bowl or measuring cup. Microwave the chocolate in 30 second increments, stirring after each time, until completely melted and smooth. Keep at room temperature until ready to serve. If the sauce begins to thicken, simply microwave again for another few seconds to loosen the sauce.
Allow the cheesecake to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving. Fill the cavity of the cheesecake with the fresh strawberries and raspberries. Dust with powdered sugar for a dramatic finish.
Slice the cheesecake with a thin, non-serrated knife that has been dipped in hot water. Wipe dry after each cut. Serve slices of the cheesecake with chilled raspberry sauce, chocolate sauce or a dollop of whipped cream.
Serves 12
Notes
The cheesecake on its own is a little plain-Jane, so I would recommend preparing at least one of the sauces – berry or chocolate – and serving with fresh berries. Of course, a little drizzle of each is delicious as well!
GF Friendly
Gluten Free Friendly!
Simply swap the flour for your favorite measure-for-measure GF flour. I used Cup4Cup.
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