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The prettiest simple Blueberry Basque Cheesecake. Just what your Tuesday needs. Inspired by the Basque region of France, this cheesecake has a flaky puff pastry crust surrounding the creamy cheesecake filling. Its deep brown top has cracks all around for an old-world look. Sprinkle fresh summer blueberries over top to complete. It’s really not like any other cheesecake you’ve had before. It’s flaky on the outside, but creamy, rich, and bursting with sweet blueberries inside. Bonus? This is the easiest cheesecake to make and (almost) impossible to mess up.
Hey, hi and hello! I’m here to sweeten up your Tuesday and help everyone have fun along the way!
The cheesiest line, but so true. As I often say, Tuesdays can tend to be a bit boring. I always find it nice to share a recipe that can make a Tuesday afternoon/night just a little more special.
Enter this cheesecake.
It’s not traditional by any means. But it’s deeply inspired by the Basque Burnt Cheesecake that I’ve seen all over Instagram this past year. It’s certainly the “trendy” cheesecake of the moment, and with good reason. It’s easy, pretty dang hard to mess up, and beyond delicious.
A little back story on the Basque Burnt Cheesecake. It originated in French Basque Country. It’s traditionally a crustless cheesecake made with a whole lot of cream cheese and eggs. The real difference is that it’s baked at a higher temperature than a more traditional cheesecake. This helps it to get a deep dark brown “burnt” exterior, while still maintaining a super creamy, almost custard-like interior.
I think what everyone loves most about this style of cheesecake is that it’s no fuss. Meaning, it’s OK that is looks burnt, and it’s OK that the top has cracks throughout. The more imperfect looking the better.
Kind of nice, right?
(berries sitting on top of batter before baking)
(cake in pan after baking)
So there’s your backstory, now onto this cheesecake. It’s similar but different, and again, not a classic Basque Burnt Cheesecake. It’s more of a cross between a flaky custard-like, creamy cheesecake, and a berry-filled cheesecake. Really, it’s just kind of all things delicious.
But yet still simple and easy.
And yes, I did have a very hard time naming this recipe. But in the end, I kept it short and sweet, which is unlike me, but I was at a loss…
I went back and forth between cheesecake and custard cake, but cheesecake seemed more fitting.
Serious question, after reading the recipe and my description, what would you call this cake?
The details.
The first step is the puff pastry. I’m not sure what inspired me to incorporate this, but I’m so glad I did. The pastry adds a flaky layer that’s a really nice offset to all the creaminess going on inside the cake.
Just line a springform pan with the puff pastry and that’s that. No need to pre-bake or do anything fancy.
And now that cheesecake filling. I kept this pretty similar to the Basque Cheesecake, using cream cheese, sugar, eggs, and cream. I like to add vanilla for flavor, and a touch of salt to help balance the richness from the cream cheese. It’s really, really simple and basic, but yet still really, really delicious.
Kind of sweet, kind of salty.
Once the cheesecake filling has been poured into the crust, sprinkle on all the fresh blueberries. I’m talking about an entire two cups. You want this cake bursting with blueberries. It’s what makes the cake extra delicious…at least it does for me.
All that’s left is to finish with a light sprinkle of sugar and bake.
Honestly, the baking is the hardest step. You have to wait an entire hour…which yes, means your oven is on for an entire hour. I’m kind of sorry, but kind of not. Honestly, it’s worth the extra heat in the kitchen, and the smells are simply amazing!
Once the cake has cooled, you can slice and serve dusted with a little powdered sugar. This is best to serve at room temperature. You can store any leftovers in the fridge for up to a few days.
And that’s it. Every bite is a little flaky, has creamy cheesecake, and is bursting with fresh blueberries. This simple Blueberry Basque Cheesecake is every bit as delicious as it sounds.
A great Tuesday night baking project, don’t you think?
Yes, please!
If you make this simple blueberry 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!
Watch The How To Video:
Simple Blueberry Basque Cheesecake
Servings: 8 makes 1 (10 inch) cake
Calories Per Serving: 464 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
- 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
- granulated sugar and confectionerś sugar, for dusting (optional)
Instructions
- 1. Place a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch spring-form pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. 2. Gently roll the puff pastry out on a clean surface to 1/4 inch thickness. Press the pastry inside the pan and up the sides of the pan. It is OK if the pastry does not go all the way up the pan (see above photos). Transfer to the fridge and chill while you prepare the batter. 3. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and sugar 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 cream, vanilla, and salt, and beat until combined, about 30 seconds. 3. Sift the flour into the batter, then beat again to combine, about 30 seconds. Pour the batter into the prepared pastry-lined pan. Gently sprinkle the blueberries over the batter, some will sink. Gently fold the corners the pastry over the berries. Sprinkle the top of the cake with 1-2 tablespoons granulated sugar.4. Transfer to the oven and bake for 55-65 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.
Notes
*Cheesecake base adapted from Bon Appétit.
This post was originally published on July 30, 2019
I have made this a couple of times and we love it…I was wondering if you could use frozen berries and have you tried other berries, like blackberries? I have even made this with gluten free puff pastry…
Hey Kathryn,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try! Yes frozen berries are fine to use and then another berry that you enjoy would work! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Love this cake! Made it multiple times now and I just keep coming back for more ❤️
Thank you so much Simeen! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
It has to be ok the fridge ?
Hey Sara,
Yes you can store this in the fridge. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Made this last night for my brother’s gf birthday and it was a hit! This was almost too easy! Only thing I did different was add some lemon zest from 2 lemons and coated one cup of the blueberries with a dusting of flour so wouldn’t all sink to the bottom. Served with homemade vanilla whipped cream. My dad said it was “restaurant quality”!
Thank you so much! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan! This recipe was a hit. So easy to make and so delicious! I love the puff pastry crust, the flakiness is a nice compliment to the creaminess of the cake. I’m thinking of making it again in a cupcake/muffin style in order to be pandemic-friendly. Would you recommend cooking for the same amount of time or altering the baking instructions?
Thank you so much! Love your blog <3
Hey Kelly,
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe! I haven’t tested this in small muffin tins, but I would probably reduce the baking time by about 5-8 minutes. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I’ve only just discovered you and your fabulous recipes! I’m curious do you think this cheesecake would work well with black berries in place of blueberries!? And maybe a little bit of lime zest? Let me know your thoughts! I just tried your bursting blueberry cardamom buckle and it’s sooooo tasty. Thanks for sharing such great recipes.
Hey Monika,
Sure that would be delicious! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hey there! Would phyllo pastry work in place of puff pastry?
Hey Sara,
The phyllo pastry will give you a completely different crust than the puff pastry, but you could certainly give it a try! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hello, I was wondering if I could use thawed blueberries in place of fresh blueberries, or should I just add the blueberries frozen? Thanks!
Hey Victoria,
You can just use frozen blueberries! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi Tiegen! I am looking to make this recipe today for an event but realized I only have one package of cream cheese. Is there anything I can do to substitute or make this work with one package? Thanks so much!
Absolutely delicious and delightful recipe! Thank you for sharing , I made two! I did post on Facebook with pictures #halfbakedharvest , I added lemon zest which really popped with the blueberries. First time using puff pastry for crust and I’m hooked!
I am really happy to hear that, Gloria!! Thank you for trying this recipe!! xTieghan
If I wanted to make this with a simple graham cracker crust instead, would there need to be any modifications made to the recipe?
Hey Ally,
I would follow the recipe as is while substituting for a graham cracker crust. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I love this recipe! Is it possible to make this into little individual size cheesecakes in a muffin tin? Thanks so much in advanced!
Hey Jiselle,
I haven’t tested this, but I am sure it would work well, you will just need to reduce your baking time. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hello Tieghan! I’m a big fan of your baked goods! This cake looks amazing. I only have a 8″ or 9″ square pan at home and was wanting to try this. Would you recommend halving the recipe? I saw in one of the comments that it rises a lot, so I don’t know if I would still run in to an overflow issue even if I halve it. I may just bake it on a bake sheet for spill protection. Please let me know your thoughts! Thanks, Kelly
Hey Kelly,
I would use the 9 inch square pan. You may not need to use all of the batter, but you could use the leftover to make mini cheesecake cups in a muffin tin. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I’ve made this cheesecake a few times before and LOVE. I’m making it again this week for a dinner and am wondering if I can prep the batter in the afternoon and store it (how?) until later in the evening when I’m ready to actually bake the cake? Let me know 🙂 thanks!
Hey Clare,
Yes that would be okay to do, I would keep covered in the fridge and then bring back to room temp before baking. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I made this for the family and it is a winner!! Then I made a strawberry one for my dad because he can not eat blueberries and once again a winner
Love that!! Thank you so much Maryjane! xTieghan