Basque cheesecake is one of the simplest and best that can be made. You do not need a base of crushed cookies, or jams, or flavorings. It's cheese, cream, eggs and unhurried baking. You don't even need to beat the dough too much before baking.
INGREDIENTS
- 500 grams (1.1 lbs) of cream cheese
- 250 ml (1 cup and a quarter) of liquid whipping cream (35 or better 38% fat)
- 170 grams (6 oz) of white granulated sugar (normal)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
First we beat the cheese with the rods so that it is homogeneous.
Then add the sugar and beat well to dissolve.
Once the sugar has dissolved, we add the eggs one by one, not incorporating the next until the previous one has not been well integrated.
Finally add the cream and the tablespoon of cornstarch, beating again until a homogeneous mass remains.
To bake the cake we must use a 22 cm (9 inches) mold with a removable base, since it is not possible to unmold the cake due to its relative fragility.
We cover the inside of the mold with baking paper, which is well attached to the walls, and then we pour the dough. When baked it will rise but since it does not have yeast, it will go back down as soon as it cools. This sometimes causes the center of the cake to sit lower than the edges.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees (392 F) and introduce the cake for 45 minutes. If we see that the surface is getting too dark, we cover it with aluminum foil.
Once the time has elapsed, turn off the oven and leave the door slightly ajar. We must make the cake cool inside the oven, no less than 4 hours.
Once cold, it is extracted and taken to the refrigerator where it must remain for 24 hours, not only to consolidate but also to take on a better flavor.
It is served as is, without jam or other decoration. And it tastes like glory.