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Simple Lemon Sugar Burnt Basque Cheesecake…just what your weekend needs. This cheesecake has a crinkly, flaky, sweet top with a creamy lemony cheesecake filling. Its deep brown top has cracks all around for a rustic, but pretty, and very unique look. It’s really not like any other cheesecake you’ve had before. It’s flaky on the outside, but the inside is creamy, rich, and bursting with notes of springy lemon flavor. Bonus? This is the easiest cheesecake to make and (almost) impossible to mess up.
Well look at that, not one, but two non-chocolate desserts this week. Between Tuesday’s crème brûlée and today’s cheesecake, I am really on a vanilla-themed dessert kick. I wasn’t planning to share this cheesecake today, but after I gave a little preview on Instagram the other day, it was clear that everyone seemed to want this recipe now.
With Easter rapidly approaching, I definitely have spring-themed desserts on my mind. In the past, I’ve share shared mostly chocolate Easter desserts, but this year I’m embracing more of the classics. But classics with a twist…of course.
Enter this burnt Basque cheesecake. I made a blueberry Basque cheesecake a few summers ago. But today I wanted to share a more traditional take with the addition of sweet lemon. It’s truly the simplest cheesecake you’ll ever make and possibly the most delicious too.
This one is pretty hard to beat.
The background on the Burnt Basque Cheesecake
A little back story on the Basque Burnt Cheesecake. It originated in San Sebastian, Spain in 1990 and was created by chef Santiago Rivera of La Viña. It’s traditionally a crustless cheesecake made with a lot of cream cheese and plenty of eggs. The biggest difference between a Basque cheesecake and a more traditional American cheesecake is that the Basque cheesecake is baked at a higher temperature. The high heat creates a deep dark brown “burnt” exterior, while still maintaining a super creamy and almost custard-like interior.
Personally, what I love the most about the Basque-style cheesecake is that it’s no-fuss, no-stress, and absolutely nothing too fancy. It’s OK that it looks burnt, and it’s OK that the top has crinkly cracks throughout. In fact, the more imperfect-looking it is the better.
I’m all about that imperfect, but perfect look.
Making the Basque cheesecake is easy, here is how…
Traditionally, this cake is made very, very simply with just cream cheese, sugar, heavy cream, and flour. A splash of vanilla is also added and a pinch of salt too. This helps to lighten up and balance out the rather rich cheesecake.
I kept my changes pretty simple, but I think they make a big difference.
I added in fresh lemon zest, doubled up on the vanilla, and used a smidge smaller amount of eggs for an even creamier and sweeter cheesecake.
But it’s the lemon sugar that’s the star here. It adds just the right amount of lightness to this rich cheesecake.
Start with the your ingredients. Everything should be at room temperature, but especially the creamy cheese and eggs. You’ll want the cream cheese to be able to easily be whipped together with the sugar and lemon zest. It turns extra light and fluffy, which creates the perfect texture for the cheesecake.
I like to cream the cream cheese with sugar and lemon to really infuse the lemon zest into the cream cheese and create an even more flavorful outcome.
My grocery store had the pretties pink lemons so I used those, but Meyer or regular lemons both work wonderfully within this cake.
Once the cream cheese is light and fluffy, simply beat in the eggs, then the cream. Once the batter is smooth, sift over a bit of flour and a pinch of salt. The sifting is key and ensures you’ll end up with a light creamy cheese cheesecake with no clumps of flour.
And now you bake.
Pour the batter into a parchment-lined cake pan, then sprinkle with a little lemon sugar. And that’s it, one of the simplest cake batters.
As I mentioned above, you’ll bake this cheesecake a high heat…400° F, for about an hour. As the cheesecake bakes, it rises tall in the oven and turns a deep, deep golden brown with burnt patches all around. The sugar on top is not traditional, but so delish. It ends up caramelizing and creates a flaky, crackly top…which I adore.
It’s very unique and at the same time, so pretty.
I let the cake cool in the pan. I then remove it from the pan and carefully pull away the sides of parchment paper. You’ll want to be careful when removing the parchment paper. If you pull too fast, you’ll end up tearing into the cake, as the cake does like to stick to the parchment around the sides.
Once the cake has cooled, you can slice, sprinkle with a little more lemon sugar, and serve. Unlike an American cheesecake, this is best served at room temperature. Though you can certainly chill it if you prefer.
And that’s it. Every bite is a little flaky with the creamiest cheesecake center that’s bursting with sweet vanilla and lemony flavors. This simple lemon sugar burnt Basque cheesecake is every bit as delicious as it sounds.
Perfect for a bit of very early spring weekend baking…
Looking for other springy lemon desserts? Here are a few to try:
Earl Grey Blueberry Lemon Cake
Bursting Blueberry Lemon Layer Cake
Lemon Coconut Naked Cake with Whipped Vanilla Buttercream
Lastly, if you make this Simple Lemon Sugar Burnt Basque Cheesecake be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Simple Lemon Sugar Burnt Basque Cheesecake
Servings: 10
Calories Per Serving: 210 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- 1. Place a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Lightly butter a 9-inch spring-form pan and line with parchment paper going up the sides of the pan. 2. In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, 3/4 sugar, and 1 tablespoon lemon zest on medium speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl until very smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time until the eggs are fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then reduce the mixer speed to medium-low. Add the cream and vanilla, beat until combined, about 30 seconds.3. Sift the flour and salt into the batter, then beat again to combine, about 30 seconds. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.4. In a bowl, mix 3 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon lemon zest. Sprinkle the top of the cake with half of the lemon sugar, reserving the remaining sugar for serving.5. Transfer to the oven and bake for 50-55 minutes, until deeply golden brown on top and still very jiggly in the center. Let the cake cool 5 minutes, then unmold. Let cool completely. Slice into wedges and serve at room temperature or chilled. I like room temp best.
This post was originally published on March 12, 2021
So light and creamy. Love the lemony flavor. Easy to make. Will definitely serve this again! ?✨
Hey Liz,
I am absolutely delighted that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks for making it! Have the best week☀️ xTieghan
Was wonderful seeing you do this cake in your stories? Is it posted somewhere for reference?
Thanks Sara! Sorry I did not have this video. I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
I forgot to set the eggs out to get to room temperature, but it still turned out great!! Loved the lemon sugar!
Hey Sara,
I am absolutely delighted that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks for making it! Have the best week☀️ xTieghan
Thank yo so much for this recipe!!!!!
I had printed out a similar recipe for the Basque Cheesecake a few weeks ago and sent it to my friend who is living in France this year. I challenged her to a “bake-of”…one that we could do on faceTime. It looked wonderful but richer than yours, 5 eggs, 4 pounds of cream cheese etc. BUT yours included lemon zest, one of my favorite ingredients and it make perfect sense.
SO I sent her your blog recipe and that was the one we made together (I live in California, she in Montpellier).
WELL, the cakes we made were “out of this world” good, and got rave reviews and indeed, half of the cake was eaten the first day, with only me and my husband in our covid lockdown. YOU HAVE a REAL WINNER with this recipe.
Now I am seeing the recipe, in many versions, all over the internet, but yours will always be my favorite. THANK YOU!!!!
Hey Judith,
I am absolutely delighted that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks for making it! Have the best week☀️ xTieghan
Can you add a crust to this like a typical american cheese cake?? Love this idea but I think i still need a grahm cracker or wafer crust 🙂
Hey Elle,
I haven’t tested this, but I am sure a crust would work just fine for you. I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
I made this last night and it was SO simple and delicious. I was worried about how dark mine coloured up but it gave it a really nice burnt sugar flavour. Perfect for a chilly Autumn night in Australia
Hey Lauren,
Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed. Happy Sunday! xTieghan
Hey Tieghan!
So happy to be commenting again (been reading for a while but stopped commenting -> sorry love!).
This cheesecake is so beautiful!! Love the addition of lemon sugar on top with the burnt flavors of the cheesecake. So excited to make this. Lol my roommate is commissioning me for a lavender cheesecake. Do you think fresh (food grade) lavender could be added to this? If so, should I steep it in the cream (then get to room temp) first or just add crushed buds? Hahah Thanks for the help Tieghan! I hope you’re enjoying Easter prep! 🙂
Best,
Kristin
Hi Kristen!! Nice to hear from you again! I would beat 1-3 teaspoons dried lavender in with the sugar and lemon, I actually think that will be so delicious! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
could one substitute lemoncello for the vanilla for a more lemony cheesecake?
Hey Michelle,
I’ve never tried this, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work for you! I hope you enjoy the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This recipe looks amazing! Do you think I could add some blueberries on top before baking (kind of like a mashup of the two recipes), or do you think it would throw off the final product?
Hey there,
I think the blueberries could work well for you. I hope you love the cheesecake, let me know how it turns out! xTieghan
I made this tonight and it stuck horribly to the parchment paper. It literally fell apart when i took it out of the pan and all the crust stuck.
Are you supposed to butter the pan and butter the paper?
Hey Lauren,
So sorry to hear this, are you sure you used parchment paper and not wax paper? Parchment paper is considered not stick, so you never have to worry about anything sticking. Let me know! xTieghan
This looks absolutely delicious!! Am I able to use a muffin pan instead of a cake pan, to make small individual cheesecakes? Would that be ideal? Thank you for this recipe, I will definitely make it!
Hey Mazie,
I’ve not tested that with this recipe, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work for you! I would just reduce your baking time accordingly. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know how they turn out! xTieghan
LOVE this recipe and I’m not a big fan of cheesecakes. This was pretty simple to make although I made a special trip for lemons as I didn’t have those on hand. Served this to dinner guests last night and got rave reviews. It looked so beautiful and tasted even better. Everyone ate every crumb!
Hey Kathryn,
Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed. Happy Sunday! xTieghan
Tastes delicious, the lemon is such a nice touch.
Was just wandering if you have any tips or tricks to avoid the cake collapsing? Thanks!
Hey there,
Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed. Sorry I don’t, that is just the nature of the cheesecake. Happy Sunday! xTieghan
Hi,
What other pan can I use if I don’t have a springform pan.
Thanks for the recipe
Hey Ivonne,
You could use a cake pan, you just might not need all of the batter. I hope you love the cheesecake, let me know how it turns out! xTieghan
I made this yesterday for my husband and me to share with another couple. I will admit it, I thought there is no way this is ready to come out of the oven after 50 minutes – way too jiggly – so I baked it 5 minutes longer and it didn’t need it. 50 minutes in an oven that reads 400 will be my next go at it. I made a note on the recipe to amp up the lemon flavor so I will be adding more zest next time and probably a touch of lemon extract, purely personal preference as it is delicious the way it is. This was so pretty and I might add, all gone!
Hey Amy,
Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed. Happy Sunday! xTieghan