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Tarta de Queso - Basque baked cheesecake also known as Cheesecake San Sebastian, is a soft crustless cheesecake made famous by restaurante La Viña. It has a caramelized, nearly burnt exterior with a creamy, eggy, custard-like texture inside achieved by baking at a high temperature. It is also very easy to make and virtually fool proof for even novice home cooks. |
This recipe is based on that of Chef Santiago Rivera, chef and owner of the famous La Viña Restaurante in San Sabastian, Spain. Watch Chef explain his recipe and technique in this link
Ingredients
750 gm cream cheese
200ml liquid heavy cream
5 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp table salt
1.5 cups granulated white sugar
1 tablespoon plain flour
Method
Ensure all ingredients are softened at or near room temperature.
Heat oven to 200 C.
Line 20cm cake tin or springform pan with baking paper (this helps lift the soft tarte).
Using either a food processor or hand-held mixer, wizz the cream cheese together (or just use a large metal spoon in La Viña style!) Add the sugar, vanilla and flour and continue to combine. In a separate bowl, crack the eggs and hand-whisk them together until combined. Add eggs to cream cheese and combine. Add runny cream and combine.
Pour batter into lined cake tin, place on the middle rack, and cook around 50 minutes. Start checking it at around the 25 minute mark, and every 5 minutes thereafter. The tarte should be a wobbly in the middle when cooked. If the top starts to brown too much, cover with a piece of folded baking paper (folded provides weight that allows it to sit on top of the cake tin and can be re-used afterwards for other baking).
To serve
Best served the next day in narrow slices at room temperature with a little sifted icing sugar to decorate and a light sorbet or gelato of vanilla or lemon and garnished with seasonal berries.