Lemon Lavender Basque Cheesecake
The key is gently
A good Basque cheesecake has to be one of the easiest cheesecakes to make and one of the most surprising things to eat! The basic recipe has only 6 ingredients, you mix it by hand and it’s baked in 20 minutes. It’s ultra creamy, dense and rich but still feels pretty light because it has no crust. I made this Basque cheesecake with lemon and lavender, sending subtle floral notes all over your taste buds. It’s something totally beautiful and insanely good!
If you’re a total cheesecake lover you probably have heard of Basque Cheesecake by now. If you haven’t, word on the internet says it’s a dessert originated in the ’90's by chef Santiago Rivera from La Viña in San Sebastián for his restaurant Pintxos. The original recipe calls for Philadelphia cream cheese, heavy cream, sugar, eggs and a bit of flour to help the cheesecake set. Vanilla and lemon are more traditional flavorings, but of course, the internet went crazy with this recipe and there are many variations out there. If you think it, there is probably a recipe!
Even though I would love to let my imagination run and have a blast with all the combinations I can create with this recipe, I have to admit that I’m not a fan of messing much with custardy desserts, like cheesecakes are. Think flan, creme brûlée, pastel de nata, puddings and pot-de-cremes. For me, the beauty (and deliciousness!) of any custard recipe relies on how some few simple ingredients are allowed to shine through the baking process and the texture they yield; dense, rich, creamy and silky. Each bite is a great pleasure! When you start adding additional components or strong flavors you can mess up the caramely notes custards usually have and their particular texture. That’s why I wanted to keep this simple, adding just lavender and lemon for some subtle floral notes that are very much welcome anytime! These flavorings are totally optional of course, but they make this Basque cheesecake even more special!
The texture of this cheesecake is smoother on the center than it is on the edges, like if the center is under baked. Which kind of is and that’s the whole fun about this cheesecake! That’s why I baked this in a 6” pan, to control the time and texture. A bigger pan can create the problem of too burnt edges while trying to get the center cooked, or a dry center trying to get that beautiful burnt top. If you try to cut it right out the oven it will fall apart because the center will be very wobbly. But it will set after well chilled, so don’t worry about it. And it will still be very smooth on the inside.
Now, given that cheesecakes are basically a custard, means that you shouldn't incorporate too much air and never over mix. This particular cheesecake hates those things even more, that’s why it is better to mix the batter by hand. Always work GENTLY and trying to break as much lumps of cream cheese as possible. So yes, it is pretty simple, but also yes, it is a bit finicky. But follow my lead and no cheesecake will get hurt! I’ll walk you through the process and some tips to total Basque cheesecake success!
How to make the perfect Basque Cheesecake
Turn it on: preheating oven to 450° in the convection setting, if your oven has the feature. One of the keys to that evenly burnt top is having the hot air circulating during baking time. And you want a very hot oven! If you don’t have the feature, don’t worry. Just check it in the last 5 minutes and very carefully rotate it (remember the oven will be very hot)
Start your prep by zesting the lemon. If you want, you can juice the 2 tablespoons you’ll need for the cheesecake at this point as well.
If adding lavender, place half of the cream in a saucepan and leave the rest in the measuring cup (this can be eye balled). You will add ½ tablespoon of the lavender AND the lemon zest to the cream in the measuring cup. Simmer the cream in the saucepan and at the last minute you'll add 1 tablespoon of the lavender and cook a bit more. Pour the heated cream over the measuring cup cream and let it cool down to room temperature. Reserve the remaining ½ tablespoon of lavender for later. I explain more about infusions in my Lavender Flourless Chocolate Cake post.
He’s a softie: You need the cream cheese to be veeeeery soft. When the bricks are already a bit softened I like to make them flatter using a butter knife and then warming in the microwave 2 to 3 times in 15-second intervals on power 4 or 5. No hotter than that because you don’t want scorched or curdled cream cheese.
Line the pan with parchment paper and have sugar, eggs and the rest of the ingredients gathered.
Start making the batter by smothering the cream cheese as much as possible, this will help in preventing big lumps. Also remember to always mix gently to not incorporate too much air.
Add the sugar slowly and while you gently mix into the cream cheese. Gently mix in the lemon juice and vanilla.
I like to whisk my eggs and egg yolk throughly to break some of those thick parts egg whites sometimes have. Then transfer a few tablespoons of the batter to the egg yolks and mix well to emulsify it with the eggs. Repeat with a few tablespoons. Transfer to your batter bowl to mix. This is also another trick to prevent lumps.
At this point the heavy cream should be at room temperature. Add the remaining ½ tablespoon of lavender. Gently mix and wait about a minute. Pass about half of the cream through a sieve over batter and mix. Repeat with the rest of the cream.
Lastly (yes!!) sift over batter the flour and mix. You can divide the flour as you are going to do with the cream if you want to be extra neat.
Transfer batter to the prepared pan and bake 20 minutes. The cheesecake will still be wobbly, but the edges should look firm. Not stiff but they shouldn't dance as much as the center of the cheesecake. Chill for a 4 to 6 hours, ideally overnight.
You can serve it plain, maybe with whipped cream, caramel or chocolate sauce. But if you know me, you know I’ll top any cheesecake with a good pile of meringue!!
This recipe is truly a love letter to whomever you make it to. Your family, your mother, your siblings, or most importantly, to yourself! Maybe a symbolism of how kindness and gentleness always lead to marvelous things. Would you be giving this cheesecake a try? Let me know!
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Lemon Lavender Basque Cheesecake
Ingredients
Lemon Lavender Basque Cheesecake
◯ Heavy cream - 1 cup + 2 TBSP
◯ Dried edible lavender buds or flowers - 2 TBSP, to be added in parts
◯ Lemon zest - Zest from 1 large lemon
◯ Cream cheese, very soft - 2 boxes
◯ Natural granulated sugar - ¾ cup
◯ Freshly squeezed lemon juice - 2 TBSP
◯ Vanilla extract - 1 Tsp
◯ Vanilla bean - 1 (if you don’t have just use 2 Tsp of vanilla extract)
◯ Whole eggs - 2
◯ Egg yolk - 1 (save egg white for Italian meringue)
◯ Unbleached all-purpose flour - 1 TBSP (use cornstarch for a gluten-free version)
Italian Meringue
◯ Egg whites, at room temperature – 2
◯ Freshly squeezed lemon juice (you may substitute with cream of tartar) – ¼ Tsp
◯ Water – ¼ cup
◯ Raw sugar – ½ cup
◯ Half of a lemon to rub the bowl and attachment
Note: If only using the leftover egg white from the cheesecake, cut the other ingredients and whipping time by half.
Details
Yield:
a 6” springform cake pan
Total time:
50 minutes + chilling time for the cheesecake, 10 minutes for the meringue.
Prep time:
30 minutes for the cheesecake, 10 minutes for the meringue
Baking time:
20 minutes
Equipment:
6” springform pan and parchment paper for the cheesecake, candy thermometer and stand mixer or electric hand mixer for the meringue.
Steps
To make the Basque cheesecake:
Grease the inside of a springform pan with a bit of butter to act as a glue. Line the bottom and inside walls of a 6” springform pan, making sure the paper overlaps in any gaps.
Place half of the heavy cream in a small saucepan. Let the remaining cream in the measuring cup and combine it with 1 tablespoon of the lavender. Simmer cream in the saucepan until it starts to gently bubble, 4 to 5 minutes. Add ½ tablespoon of the lavender and stir. Simmer for 45 seconds to 1 minute. Pour over the cold cream. Add the lemon zest and stir. Let it cool down a bit to loose the heat before chilling in the fridge. Reserve the remaining ½ tablespoon of lavender.
In a large bowl beat the 2 bricks of cream cheese with a wooden spoon or large silicon spatula to smoother it out as much as possible. Add half of the ¾ cup of sugar and gently mix until incorporated. Add the remaining sugar and repeat. Use a large hand whisk and whisk very slowly, pressing towards the bowl walls, to break any large lumps of cream cheese. Add the 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, the teaspoon of vanilla extract and the vanilla bean seeds. Gently mix until incorporated.
In a small bowl whisk throughly the 2 eggs and the egg yolk to break small ligaments. Add about 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture and mix. Repeat this 5 to 6 times. Slowly pour egg mixture over cream cheese mixture while stirring to incorporate, pressing a few times towards the wall of the bowls to smoother the mixture as much as possible.
Using a sieve, dust the tablespoon of flour over the batter. Mix gently, remember you don’t want to incorporate too much air in the batter.
Pour heavy cream-lavender mixture through a sieve over the batter. Gently mix until batter looks smooth and homogeneous.
Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, 20 to 22 minutes for a firmer center. Let it cool down before chilling in the fridge. Smear Italian meringue on top if desired. You can also serve with whipped cream, chocolate caramel sauce and fresh fruits.
To make the Italian meringue:
Make sure your bowl and whisk attachment is well cleaned and not greasy. Any grease will prevent egg whites from rising.
Rub the bottom and walls of your bowl and whisk attachment with half a lemon. Put the 2 egg whites and the ¼ teaspoon of lemon juice in the bowl. Whisk in low speed for 30 seconds to distribute it and then increase the speed to medium (#4 in the Kitchen Aid), until soft peaks form.
In the meantime, combine ¼ cup of water and the ½ of sugar in a small saucepan. Heat over high heat and cook until a candy thermometer reaches 240°, about three to four minutes.
With the mixer running, pour over the syrup in a thin stream without pausing. Whisk until the meringue reaches room temperature, 3 to 5 minutes. As soon as the bowl feels cool on the outside the meringue is ready to go.
