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Simple Vanilla Burnt Basque Cheesecake, just what the coming holiday week and month ahead needs most. This delicious cheesecake has a deep golden brown exterior, thus it is called a “Burnt” Basque Cheesecake. Inside you’ll find a creamy, rich, sweet filling. It’s really not like any other cheesecake you’ve had before. It’s the easiest to make and (almost) impossible to mess up.
Hey guys, one last dessert before Thanksgiving next week and it sure is a good one. To be honest, when it comes to cheesecake, it’s never been something I’ve had the desire to make or eat. It’s just never felt that special to me, but the Basque-style cheesecake is completely different.
It’s richer, creamier, and the easiest to make. No water underneath the cake and nothing fancy about it.
It’s the cheesecake that really embraces those cracks, and I love that!
I wanted to share a Thanksgiving dessert that wasn’t pie but also wasn’t a layer cake. Something easy and sweet, but still special enough for the holidays!
This Burnt Basque Cheesecake is perfect. The rich vanilla flavor really shines in this cake. And the warm hot cocoa sauce drizzled over top, well, it just sweetens the deal. The cocoa sauce is not needed, but then again it is, because it makes every bite perfection.
Details – start with the cake
What I love about this cake is truly just how easy it is. Start off by beating the cream cheese with sugar and real vanilla bean seeds. I love to use a vanilla bean pod with the seeds scraped out. Vanilla bean powder also works great too!
You’ll want to really beat in the cream cheese with the sugar and vanilla. This infuses the cake batter with a strong vanilla flavor.
Then just add eggs, cream, a touch of flour, and some salt. I also added hazelnut liquor for a special holiday touch that really compliments the vanilla.
It’s really, really simple, but yet still really, really delicious. Kind of sweet, kind of salty, and with a really great vanilla flavor.
The cake can be baked, then chilled and stored in the fridge for a few days. I like to bring the cake to room temperature before serving.
The hot cocoa drizzle
I felt like the cake needed something to compliment the rich vanilla flavor, an espresso chocolate sauce sounded perfect.
It’s a mix of chocolate, cream, vanilla, and espresso powder. Simply combine everything together until melty and warm.
Once the cake has cooled, just slice and serve with the warm sauce on top. Tis’ truly the most delicious.
The perfect way to end a nice Thanksgiving Day with family and friends. Note…this is also great with an espresso on the side!
Looking for other easy holiday desserts?? Here are my favorites:
White Chocolate Chai Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie Cupcakes with Butter Pecan Frosting
Lastly, if you make this Vanilla 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!
Vanilla Burnt Basque Cheesecake
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 468 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 granulated sugar
- 1 vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla bean powder
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon hazelnut liquor
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Hot Cocoa Drizzle
- 8 ounces semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
Instructions
- 1. Place a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Lightly butter a 8-9 inch spring-form pan and line with parchment paper going up the sides of the pan.2. Split the vanilla bean in half and use a sharp knife to scape out the seeds. 3. In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, 3/4 sugar, and vanilla beans 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 hazelnut liquor, beat until combined, about 30 seconds.4. Sift the flour and salt into the batter, then beat again to combine, about 30 seconds. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.5. 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. 6. Before serving, make the chocolate sauce. Combine chocolate and cream microwave-safe bowl and microwave, stirring every 45 seconds, until melted. Stir in the vanilla and coffee powder. 7. Slice into wedges and serve at room temperature or chilled, drizzled with warm chocolate sauce.
I want to make this for Thanksgiving but can’t find heavy cream anywhere. Is there a substitute you could suggest?
Heavy cream is just the american name for double cream!
Hi Victoria,
You could try using half and half or whole milk. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I just took my cheesecake out of the oven and it looks fantastic! I’m shocked because I have never made cheesecake before!
Hi there,
Thanks so very much for giving this recipe a go, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan
I’m making this recipe today and until I read the comments the use of the vanilla bean was really unclear. I thought it was telling me to put the whole bean in the cheese and toss the seeds. Thanks everyone for your comments! I also use a convection oven so I’m going to try it at 375.
I hope you love the recipe Cassie! You need to remove the seeds from the bean:)
Do you think you can sub GF flour or do you have an alternate sub for the flour?
Hi Renae,
Yes, you can use an equal amount of GF flour. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Hello Tieghan! I am very excited to make this recipe. Did you bake this on a convection setting or with the normal oven setting?
Hi Sophie,
I baked on a normal oven setting. I hope you love the recipe. Happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan
Hi! For the cream cheese are we using 8oz total or 24oz?
Hey Emma,
You will want to use 24 ounces. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
What are some other toppings you’d suggest apart from the Cocoa drizzle.
I want to offer some options for Thanksgiving. Strawberry sauce?
Hey Jessica,
Sure, strawberry sauce would be delicious here! Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Suggestions for bake time if I made this in individual cheesecake pans? Thanks.
Hey Jody,
It really depends on the size of the pans, I would start with 25 minutes. I hope you enjoy this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
what type or brand of hazelnut liqueur did you use?
thanks!
Hey Sasha,
I like to use Frangelico. I hope you enjoy this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Ok, so I’m going to attempt this…but, I don’t understand the placement of the parchment paper. And how do you get the cheesecake off of it? Does that make any sense? ?
Hey Lori,
You are just going to line the whole pan with parchment and then the cheesecake should very easily remove from the parchment and pan for you. This way you do not need to worry about anything sticking. I hope this helps! xTieghan
Do you do one big piece of parchment that you push down into the springform pan or separate pieces (i.e., a round for the bottom of the pan and a strip to go around the sides)?
I do one big piece, but whatever is easiest for you!
Hey you go! I had to do the homework for this too! Silly me this seemed so obvious once I watched it.
https://youtu.be/rkp7GVYcpEY
Amazing! Thanks for that link. Now it all seems so easy!
I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
OMG this cheese cake is heaven!!!!
Miki x
https://www.littletasteofbeauty.com/
Hey there,
I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have a great week! xTieghan
Do you have any recommendations for making this gluten free? Is 1:1 gf flour sufficient or should something else be subbed in?
Hey Megan,
You can use an equal amount of Gf flour. I hope the recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Thank you so much! I plan to make it for the holidays so I will report back 🙂
Mine curdled, so I’ll try again at a lower temp, but it still tastes so good! I can imagine if it were creamy that it would be amazing!
I’m not sure how to get it to brown so well while cooking on a lower temp, but the flavor is amazing, so I think it’s worth a shot!
Hey Kate,
I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! So sorry to hear about the curdling. Have a great week! xTieghan
Very delicious and worth the time spent. Made it today for a gathering and am making it for Thanksgiving dessert. Thank you.
Hey Marie,
Happy Sunday! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for trying it out! xTieghan
Hi Tiegan! Haven’t made this yet but I was wondering do you think a graham cracker crust would work to add this recipe?!
Hey Jesse,
Sure, I bet that would also be delicious! I hope you love the recipe, let me know how it turns out! xTieghan