This Pumpkin Basque Cheesecake is creamy, spiced and decadent. It’s a fabulous dessert for fall and winter. I love roasting my own pumpkins (you’ll be shocked at how easy it is) because the flavor just can’t be beat!
Basque cheesecake with its mahogany-colored top and super-rich custardy interior is one of my all-time favorite desserts. I was inspired by the season to add roasted pumpkin and spices to the cheesecake base and it may not be traditional, but it’s a delicious spin on pumpkin cheesecake.
What is Basque Cheesecake?
Basque cheesecake has a beautiful browned exterior. Some people called it burnt cheesecake, but the outer browning really just gives an extra layer of texture and flavor. Don’t worry, you didn’t actually burn your cheesecake! You still get the beautiful creamy interior of a classic cheesecake.
So what’s the difference between Basque cheesecake and regular cheesecake? It really is the beautifully browned exterior that adds just a little extra to every bite. You also don’t need to worry about a water bath for this cheesecake recipe!
Tips and Tricks for a Smooth Basque Cheesecake
- Make sure to use room temperature cream cheese (and sour cream) in your batter so it all blends smoothly together. The trick to cheesecake is to make sure you don’t have any lumps in the batter or you’ll end up with little white lumps in your cheesecake.
- Use a beater blade with a rubber edge on it. Scraping down the bowl when you’re baking is possibly the most important thing and if your machine will do it for you, let it. Even though I have an attachment with a rubber blade, I still get in there and scrape down the bowl often with a rubber spatula to make sure the cheesecake will be perfectly smooth. Especially at the bottom of the bowl where it likes to cling.
- Once you add the granulated sugar to your batter, it will liquefy the cheese, making it much harder to smooth out any cream cheese lumps. So take your time and get your cream cheese perfectly smooth before moving on with the recipe.
- I exclusively use Philadelphia cream cheese because it gives me the best results and doesn’t contain any weird gums or anything, which can affect the end result of your recipe. Never ever use low fat cream cheese! Full fat is, hands down, the only way to go.
- Mixer Speed: There are very few recipes where I use my mixer on high. With cheesecake I typically mix everything very slowly because I want a dense cheesecake. With a Basque cheesecake, you could mix on medium speed because that will add more air to the batter and contribute to the soufflé effect.
- Eggs + egg whites: I use three whole eggs and three yolks because I want the protein to set the cake, but I also want all the fat of the yolks to make the cheesecake rich and dense and delicious. Add one egg at a time and mix until smooth and incorporated because it will be easier to emulsify. If you put all the eggs in at once it can start to look curdled and it’s because the mixture can’t emulsify if you put too much liquid in at once.
- All-Purpose Flour or Corn Starch: I use a bit of flour or corn starch (for a gluten-free recipe) in this recipe because you want something in there that will help absorb some of the moisture from the cake, so it’s not just liquid once baked. In order to make sure I don’t have any lumps, I mix the flour or corn starch with the spices and salt and then add a small amount of batter and whisk it together. This way, I can work out any lumps from the flour before adding it all into the smooth cheesecake batter.
More Favorite Cheesecake Recipes
If you love cheesecake as much as I do, be sure to check out my cheesecake guide! I also have a LOT of cheesecake recipes because it’s one of my favorite desserts.
If you try this recipe, please leave a rating/review! It helps other people find my recipes. Enjoy!
Video
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds / 680g cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 cup / 200g granulated sugar
- 1 cup / 244g pumpkin puree roasted or canned
- 3/4 cup / 180g sour cream at room temperature
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 3 eggs at room temperature
- 3 yolks at room temperature
- 3 Tbsp / 25g all-purpose flour or corn starch
- 2 tsp pumpkin spice 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/8 tsp cloves
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 475℉ and line a greased 8-inch x 3-inch tall springform pan with parchment paper.The easiest way to ensure the batter doesn’t get under the paper is to start with a rectangular piece of parchment and just push it down into the pan, smoothing some of the creases up the sides of the pan. Then, spray the inside of the parchment with cooking spray and place another piece of parchment going the other direction to ensure all sides of the pan are fully covered in parchment so the batter doesn’t get under the paper. Spray again and you’re ready to add the batter to the pan.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the cream cheese on medium speed for about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and mix for another 30 seconds. Add the sugar and mix for about 1 minute, scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix in the pumpkin, sour cream and vanilla on medium speed until evenly mixed. Add the eggs and yolks one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each. Mix for 30 seconds.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, spices and salt. Add about 1 cup of the cream cheese mixture to the flour and whisk until smooth. Add back into the bowl of cream cheese and mix until uniformly blended.
- Pour the cheesecake batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes. The center will still be quite wobbly, but not quite like liquid. If you over bake the cheesecake, it will lose its creamy texture, but still taste great. If the top isn’t quite dark enough, switch the oven to convection heat and bake for an additional 2-5 minutes.
- Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least several hours, but overnight is best.
- Slice with a thin bladed knife dipped in hot water and wiped clean after each slice.
Is there a way to make these as personal size cheesecakes?