Easy Gluten-Free Basque Cheesecake

It's always been my tradition to make some sort of cheesecake for Easter dessert, which is oftentimes the only time of year I make it. This year I hadn't decided which recipe I was going to make yet. I called my sister Paula to talk about some of the other items on our dinner menu and she asked if I could make this gluten-free cheesecake. I had never heard of Basque cheesecake before so naturally I started looking up recipes and learning about it. It looked easy and it intrigued me so I decided to make it.

Basque cheesecake originated at La Viña in San Sebastián, Spain in 1990 and has apparently become wildly popular. It is recommended to enjoy it with a glass of Pedro Ximénez, which is a sweet sherry wine.

This cheesecake has no crust, which makes it super easy to make. You line a springform pan with parchment paper and then put the batter right in it. It helps to put the springform pan on a large baking sheet to make it easier to get in and out of the oven. Let it cool down completely before refrigerating for a few hours, or even better - overnight.

Most of the recipes for this type of cheesecake use flour - this one uses cornstarch instead, which makes it gluten-free. It is recommended that you sift whichever one you use.

As with any cheesecake recipe, make sure you let your ingredients come to room temperature before mixing them - not just the cream cheese, but the eggs and whipping cream as well. Also, remember not to over-mix the batter - too much air mixed into the batter can cause cheesecake to crack or sink. It doesn't matter as much for this recipe, as it is supposed to look pretty rustic in appearance, and the top burns and caramelizes anyway since it is baked at a higher temperature than cheesecake normally is, but it will make a difference in the overall texture of the cheesecake.

This cheesecake was very easy to make. I baked it for about 58 minutes and it only started to brown on top in the last 20 minutes or so.

Easy Gluten-Free Basque Cheesecake

Recipe courtesy Cooking with Manuela Blog

 

The easiest cheesecake you will ever bake, impossible to mess up, with a rustic, lightly burned top, cracked middle, and the same dense and velvety consistency as the classic cheesecake. And it’s gluten-free!

 

24 oz (3 8-oz packages) regular cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Pinch of salt

¼ cup cornstarch (or all-purpose flour or all-purpose GF flour), sifted

 

 

Preheat oven to 400˚. Line an 8″ or 9″ springform pan with two sheets of overlapping parchment paper, pleated and creased to fit the pan.

 

In a large mixing bowl, add the cream cheese and sugar, and beat with a handheld mixer (or stand mixer) until smooth and creamy. Add the large eggs, one at a time, while beating after each egg, until combined. Add the vanilla and heavy cream and mix to combine. Add salt and cornstarch and mix until combined.

 

Pour the cheesecake mixture into the prepared pan. Level and bake in the lower third of the oven for 50 to 60 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the edges are set. The middle might still be slightly jiggly, but that’s okay; it will set completely when cooling. If you notice the top is darkening too soon, cover it loosely with aluminum foil.

 

Remove from the oven and let it cool completely at room temperature. The top will deflate and sink in, and that’s okay. Transfer the cheesecake to the refrigerator and let it chill for at least 2 hours. Let sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh berries or your favorite chocolate, fruit, or caramel sauce.