Description
This creamy, 5-ingredient sourdough Basque cheesecake recipe is made with cream cheese, sugar, eggs, heavy cream and sourdough discard (or active sourdough starter if you prefer). It’s baked without a crust in an 8-inch springform pan. Baking at a high temperature of 425 F is the Basque cheesecake’s signature move: it creates a golden brown top, a mousse-like texture around the edges, and a light and creamy center. No water bath required.
For timing, you can bake the cheesecake on the same day, chilling it until ready to serve. Or, start the day before and ferment the batter overnight in the fridge. In both cases, please make sure to use room temperature batter appx. 69-72 F, which is ideal for best texture. This recipe was adapted with changes from the lovely Nagi of Recipe Tin Eats.
Notes & Tips:
- Weigh your ingredients for precise results. I’m using a new digital scale!
- If you don’t have an 8-inch springform pan, use a deep, high-sided 8-inch pan instead. It needs to be at least 3 inches high otherwise the batter will spill out. A normal cake pan won’t work.
- A digital thermometer is not required. However, it’s extremely helpful. For example, when doing the overnight fermentation option, cold cheesecake batter will be approximately 36-37 F after sitting in the fridge overnight. It needs to reach at least 69 F before baking, which will take several hours at a moderate room temperature of 69-72 F.
Ingredients
- 678 g (24 oz) block cream cheese, at room temperature
- 220 g (appx. 1 cup) granulated sugar
- 220 g eggs (cracked weight w/o the shell), about 4- 5 large eggs
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp heavy whipping cream
- 60 g sourdough discard or active sourdough starter
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 F (skip this step if doing an overnight ferment).
- Lightly coat the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Line the pan (horizontally) with 1 sheet of non-stick parchment paper. Place a second sheet of parchment paper on top (vertically) to create an X. Smooth out the bottom and sides to fit the pan- it won’t look perfect. Tip: I scrunch up my parchment paper first, which seems to fit better.
- Add the softened cream cheese and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix until smooth and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes on medium speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
- With the machine on low, add the eggs one at a time.
- Combine the heavy cream and sourdough starter in a separate bowl. Mix with a fork to dissolve the starter (just like you would do when making sourdough bread dough). It’s easier to incorporate into the batter this way.
- With the machine on low, gradually pour the the heavy cream mixture into the stand mixer bowl. When finished, turn off the machine. Gently mix the batter with a rubber spatula to ensure the texture is cohesive (check the very bottom of the bowl- sometimes a bit of cream cheese will get stuck down there!).
- Pour the batter into your lined pan. Note: at this point, if you are fermenting the batter overnight, cover the pan with an inverted dinner plate and place it into the fridge. In the morning, let it sit at room temperature until the cheesecake batter reaches 69-72 F before baking. This will take several hours. Use a digital thermometer to check.
- Place the cheesecake pan onto a baking sheet. Bake on the center rack for approximately 43-45 minutes. The cheesecake is done when it puffs up like a soufflé, is golden brown on the surface, and has a very wobbly center. There will be cracks on the surface too.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Cool the cheesecake at room temperate for 2 hours. Transfer to the fridge to cool for another 2-3 hours (for a creamy, pudding like consistency) or 6 hrs-overnight (for a firm, creamy and fluffy consistency). Note: If opting for a longer chill time, I do recommend letting the cheesecake sit out at room temperate for at least 1 hour, or until a digital thermometer reads 55-60 F before serving.
