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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
This looks amazing!!!! Could frozen wild blueberries be used in its place?
Hey Bernadette,
Yes, those will work just fine! I hope you enjoy the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
So easy and so so good!
Thanks so much Elizabeth! xTieghan
Hi! Could this recipe be made in a muffin tin for individual sized portions? Would the batter to puff pastry ratio still bake okay, and if so how would you adjust the baking time?
Thanks!!
Hey Mary,
Sure, I think that would work well here. I haven’t tested making them smaller, but I would definitely reduce your baking time. I would start checking for doneness at 25 minutes. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I was just about to make this but then realized the recipe calls for fresh blueberries. I only have frozen. Can I use them? Thanks so much for all the great recipes!
Hey Kelly,
Yes, frozen blueberries will work just fine. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I have a couple of rookie questions; do I have to use a springform pan? And, I live in New England, it’s currently winter, can I substitute frozen blueberries for fresh?
Hey Tiffany,
You can use a cake pan in place of a springform pan and yes frozen blueberries will work just fine. I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
Mine collapsed! So upset. Do you think I didn’t cook it long enough?
Hey Natalia,
So sorry! Was there anything you adjusted in the recipe? Please let me know how I can help! Happy New Year! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan, Merry Christmas! This is the second time I’ve made this recipe. It’s great! One question – the top of mine always turns out brown (the cheesecake part in addition to the puff pastry). Your images show a white cheesecake filling. How did you accomplish this? I followed the recipe exactly both times.
I appreciate any tips!
Thank you,
Tania
Hey Tania,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, next time try covering in foil for a bit so the top does not brown as much. I hope this helps! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Absolutely amazing and foolproof! My family and bf’ family loves this cheesecake so much. I use frozen berries, which work fine for me. I like having a more even distribution of blueberries, so I sometimes alternate the layers of cheesecake + berries. Personally, I think this cheesecake tastes the best after being chilled, so I usually serve it the day after making it!
I am so happy this turned out so well for you Jacq! Thank you so much for trying this! xTieghan
Perfection ?
Thank you Kathryn! xTieghan
Hello!
Can you make this cheesecake without any fruit it in and just put a raspberry sauce on top? Or are the berries needed to hold it together in any way?
Lindsey
Hey Lindsey,
That would be fine to do! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This was super easy to make. I loved the addition of the puff pastry. I added cardamom, saffron and orange blossom water to the batter as those flavours pair nicely with the blueberries. I just taste tested a small slice after it seemed like forever for it cool. Amazing flavours and texture. Definitely will make this one again and will experiment with different fruits. As always a great recipe that you have shared.
Thank you so much for trying this recipe, Vickie! I am really happy it turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Ummm A-FREAKING-MAZING! This is the lightest and fluffiest cheesecake I have ever had! I love the “imperfections are perfect” concept with this rustic dish. It’s super well balanced with the sweetness from the cheesecake and light and buttery crust. I think I’m
Going to be making cheesecakes like this from now
On. I can’t wait to bring this into work tomorrow!
Yes!! I am so happy you have been loving this one, Veronica! I hope your co workers love it as well! xTieghan
Amazing made it 3 times already and it’s my new go to!!
Thank you so much LeeAnn! xTieghan
I absolutely love this recipe! I’ve made it a few times, however I find once it starts cooling the edge of the puff pastry and the cheesecake filling separate quite a lot from each other and it looks a bit funny. Any thoughts on what I might be doing wrong? Thanks so much!
Hey Kathryn,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try. Are you adjusting the recipe at all? The cheesecake does sink in the middle a little after sitting. Please let me know if this helps! xTieghan
Hello, that’s a great idea but far from being Gateau Basque in any way. The original is so beautiful with its custard filling though not at all a cheesecake it’s still very decedent; I would recommend giving it a try sometime.
Thank you so much! I am so happy this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan