I have a confession to make. I have eaten 3 whole cheesecakes in the last two weeks alone. Granted, they were all small batch cheesecakes, but really, it essentially amounts to me eating one cheesecake, all by myself. I know we’re in the middle of summer and everyone is trying to work off their quarantine 15 but here I am, still soft and plump and not quite ready to stop stress eating sweets.
Okay, I lie. I am totally ready to stop stress eating sweets. In fact, I have been looking into the Mediterranean diet. It sounds good! It sounds more sane than keto (which I flirt with still, on occasion) because you can eat loads of vegetables and whole grains. I’m thinking of experimenting with some Mediterranean diet recipes on the blog so if you’re into that, please leave a comment below. Or tell me what your favorite recipes are – I’m excited to learn.
But you’re not here for the diet recipes so let’s talk about this Basque burnt cheesecake. I love it because it’s made in a mini loaf pan so you can take slices off of it like a loaf cake. It makes it feel like less of a dessert and more like one of those morning cakes that masquerade as “bread”. You know, lemon loaf and banana bread and the like. Which, let’s face it, are kind of just lemon cake and banana cake but in a different form factor.
I love the loaf form factor so it’s no surprise that I love this small batch Basque cheesecake. It’s just a tiny bit different than the other Basque cheesecake recipe on the blog. I wanted to play around with the proportions and bit and try using cornstarch instead of flour for a completely gluten-free cheesecake.
This lil cheesecake loaf was sweet and creamy with a hint of burnt caramel from the burnished top. I loved it and now it’s a part of me forever :)
PS – If you haven’t heard of Basque cheesecake, please read my original post here!
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese 1 package, 226 grams, very soft
- 60 grams sugar 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 35 grams heavy cream 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons
Instructions
- Line a small loaf pan (6×3 inches or a pan that fits 2 cups liquid) with baking paper. Heat the oven to 450°F.
- Beat together the cream cheese and sugar until very smooth and fluffy, making sure all the sugar is dissolved. If you’re super particular, melt the cream cheese along with the sugar in a bowl over a double boiler. Add the egg and beat until smooth.
- In another bowl, add the cornstarch and tiny bit of cream, whisking until smooth, ensuring that the cornstarch doesn’t lump up. Slowly stream in the remaining cream, whisking until very smooth.
- Slowly pour the cream and cornstarch mix into the cheese mix. Mix well to ensure everything is combined.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until the top is very dark and charred but the middle still has a bit of a jiggle. Broil for a couple of minutes to get extra char if desired. Let cool on a wire rack until room temperature. Remove from the tin, slice, and enjoy!
I just saw this on Insta and really need to make this!
Would love Mediterranean Diet recipes. That way of eating just feels right to me.
Hi. Is there any problem if I do this with a cupcake molder and not with a Pan? Thanks! Would love to try these.
hi cel,
you can absolutely do them in a cupcake mold. it will probably need a bit less time so start checking at 12 minutes :)
Can I use 8.8 x 4.4? Or do I have to double the recipe?
Thank you
hi laine,
i would double the recipe :)
can i use a cupcake tin ?
hi andrea,
yes you can definitely, you will probably need to adjust the bake time, start checking at 12 minutes :)
Sorry but is it 35g cream or 135? I got confused with the comments lol! And would love to try this! :)
hi shiela,
it’s 35 grams of cream!
Hi there, I tried with 80g of cream. Turned out ok. But the egg I used is smaller. Gonna try flavoring it with matcha powder next. A good, versatile recipe!
Hi, can I use All Purpose Cream or Cooking Cream as substitute for heavy cream?
hi robina,
i did a quick google search and it looks like it will work. basically look for the cream with the highest fat percentage, heavy whipping cream has 35-36%
Have been hesitant to try making this until I came across your blog which makes it so easy. So happy with how it turned out and the family gave the 2 thumbs up. Thank you!
hi pam, so happy your family loved it :)
I made this amazing cheesecake a few days ago. It was delicious. The filling was firm but soft. I served it with fresh strawberries. The second time I made it, I omitted the cornstarch and baked it in a 5″ round springform pan in my new air fryer. The cheesecake was soft and jiggly in the middle. It was wonderful. I ate the whole thing!
What temp and for how long in the airfryer please?
Hi! Tried making this and it was delicious, but some friends said it tasted more like an eggpie. Is there a way to adjust the recipe (less egg? More cream?) and still make it stable? Thank you!
hi mary,
i haven’t tried egg pie before so i’m not sure what flavor profile it has, but if you add an extra tablespoon of sugar it might help!
Thank you for the reply. To be honest, the recipe tasted great already as it is but I’m working around my family’s preference. So I tried adding 1/4 tsp vanilla and 1/4 tsp lemon juice. It surprisingly enhanced the flavor and lessened the eggy taste.
Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Hi! I ran out of cornstarch and only have flour (all purpose and cake flour). Which can I safely use to substitute cornstarch and by how much? Thank you!
hi mary, you can use all purpose, just the same amount :)
Thank you! Can’t wait to try the 6in round cake. ❤
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