I’ve always been a big fan of the combination of beetroot and white cheese like chevre, feta or cream cheese. There’s something about the sweet, earthy flavor of a roasted beet that goes really well (almost). suspiciously good) with creamy and slightly spicy cheese. So the other day, as I was thinking about cheesecake (how to make it), and I realized that I hadn’t made one for the blog in the literal sense yearsthe idea of a burnt Basque cheesecake with beetroot popped into my head and I knew I had to follow that red thread, get some pots and pans going and bring it into earthly form.
So if you’re wondering “what the hell is a Basque cheesecake and why is it burnt?”, take a seat and let me tell you. Although the name conjures up visions of a pastoral countryside deep in the Basque region between Spain and France, in a time before modern ovens where a cheesecake was prepared in a wood-fired hearth resulting in a burnt crust, in reality it doesn’t even come close remotely from the real story. THE True The history of burnt Basque cheesecake is that it was invented in 1990 by Spanish chef Santiago Riviera in San Sebastien, Spain (which is actually in the Basque region, so it’s accurate in that regard). But basically, it’s a very creamy cheesecake with an almost burnt crust that has fantastic caramelized flavor notes and a nice creamy center. So hats off to chef Riviera.
When it comes to making sure the cheesecake doesn’t stick to the sides of the hinged pan, I really like doing the double parchment paper method. This involves placing a round of parchment paper in the bottom of the springform pan, then cutting another strip of parchment paper into a long rectangle and placing it upright around the walls of the springform pan. This way, both the sides and bottom of the pan will be well covered with parchment and the risk of the cheesecake sticking to the sides of the pan will be incredibly low. However, I still recommend you grease the pan too, to be even safer!
The beets are roasted separately in a mini steam bath. Basically, you roast the beets with their skins in a container with a little water and a lid, so that as the beets roast in the container, they also vaporize in the evaporating water. And this serves two purposes: 1) it makes the sugar in the beets caramelize, making them even more flavorful, and 2) it makes the skin of the beets really soft, so you can just peel it off with your hands once the beets are cooked and cooled to the point that they are still hot but you can touch them without burning yourself. Then they’re blended with a little cream and an egg to make a silky-smooth beetroot cream, which you can then fold into your cheesecake batter.
Once everything is mixed and baked, the texture of this cheesecake is incredibly creamy and results in a delicious salmon-red hue within the cake. Each bite is slightly tangy thanks to the cheese, with a wonderful, subtle sweetness from the beets (and of course the sugar). This is not a low-calorie dessert, my friends, so know that it is RICH. But if you’re looking for something to make for a special occasion, it’s a really great treat. Have fun!
Basque burnt beetroot cheesecake
-
1
pound
beets -
1
table spoon
olive oil -
6
egg
room temperature -
2
cups
heavy cream
room temperature -
2
lb
cheese cream
room temperature -
1 1/3
cups
sugar -
1 1/2
teaspoons
vanilla extract -
1
teaspoon
kosher salt -
1/3
cup
all-purpose flour or brown rice flour
-
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Trim any greens from the tops of the beets, but leave a 1/4-inch amount at the top so the beets don’t dry out too much during cooking. Rub the outside of the beets with the olive oil. Add 1/2 inch of water to the bottom of a small saucepan, add the beets, cover the pan with a lid or foil, and roast in the oven until tender when pierced with a fork (the exact cooking time will vary depending on the size of beets, for small beets it will be around 40 minutes, for large ones it might be closer to an hour).
-
Let the beets cool until they are still very hot but safe enough to touch without burning you. The skin will peel off when you rub the beets with your fingers (you can wear food-safe gloves if you don’t want your hands to get stained deep pink). Remove the peel and cut the beets into eighths.
-
Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 10-inch springform pan and line it with parchment paper on the bottom and sides.
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Place peeled roasted beets in blender with 1 egg and 1/2 cup cream and blend on high speed until silky smooth, about 2 minutes.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese and sugar on medium-low speed until smooth and smooth. Increase the speed to medium and add the remaining eggs, one at a time, waiting for each egg to be incorporated before adding the next. Add the beet mixture, then add the remaining 1 1/2 cups cream, vanilla, and salt and beat until *just* combined. Sift the flour into the bowl and mix on low speed until just incorporated, about 20 seconds.
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Place the greased and lined springform pan on a rimmed baking tray. Pour the cheesecake mixture into the greased and lined 10-inch springform pan and place in the oven.
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Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit until slightly charred looking around the edges, but still slightly jiggly in the center, about 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes.
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Allow the cheesecake to cool in the pan for 30 minutes (it will sag dramatically as it cools, and that’s OK!), then remove the side supports of the springform pan and let cool completely. Then carefully peel the baking paper off the side of the cheesecake. Slice it and serve it, or you can store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container and enjoy it for up to 1 week.
