A slice of burnt Basque cheesecake with pomegranate, ready to be enjoyed.

5 / 4 votes

Basque Cheesecake with Pomegranate Molasses

This burnt Basque cheesecake knocks it out of the park with the addition of pomegranate molasses. The classic caramelized top and a melt-in-your-mouth creamy center are there, but the pomegranate molasses adds a distinctive fruity tang.

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Cool Time2

Total Time3

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Spanish

Servings: slices

Calories: 568

Equipment

14-cup food processor
9-inch springform pan Fat Daddio's has high sides and a wide bottom

Ingredients

▢ 8 large eggs, room temperature
▢ 2 cups granulated sugar
▢ 2 ¼ pounds (36 ozs) Philadelphia brand cream cheese, room temperature, cut into 2-inch chunks
▢ 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
▢ good pinch salt
▢ 1 cup heavy cream, room temperature
▢ ⅓ to ½ cup pomegranate molasses, if you like a wallop of citrus flavor opt for the ½ cup

US - Metric

Instructions

Place a rack in the middle position of the oven and crank the heat to 425°F (218°C).
Crumple a 15-by-15-inch piece of parchment paper into a loose ball, then run it under water to make it more pliable. Shake off the excess water.
Press the parchment into a 9-inch springform pan, letting the edges stick up over the sides. Set the pan on a baking sheet.
☞ TESTER TIP: The baking sheet helps prevent the bottom from burning due to the extra sugar in the pomegranate molasses.

If you like, you can trim the parchment an inch or two above the rim of the pan.
Dump the 8 large eggs, 2 cups granulated sugar, 2 ¼ pounds (36 ozs) Philadelphia brand cream cheese chunks, 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, and a good pinch salt in the bowl of a large (14-cup) food processor.
Blitz the mixture until perfectly smooth, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping a few times to scrape down the bowl.
Drizzle in the 1 cup heavy cream and ⅓ to ½ cup pomegranate molasses, and whir it until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds.
Pour the batter into the parchment-lined springform pan.
Slide the baking sheet with the pan into the oven and bake until the top is beautifully browned and the internal temperature registers 150°F (65°C) on an instant-read thermometer, 40 to 50 minutes.
The cheesecake will be crazy jiggly in the center. As long as it hits the correct temperature, you're golden.
☞ TESTER TIP: If the top of the cake isn't as caramelized as you'd like, you can run it under the broiler for 30 seconds at a time. But whatever you do, DO NOT step away. It can go from a beautiful mahogany to bitter black in seconds.
Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack, about 2 hours. It'll collapse slightly as it cools—that's as it should be.
To serve, gingerly pull the parchment from the sides of the cheesecake. Dip a sharp knife in hot water, dry it, and cut the cake into slices. Dunk and dry the dry before each slice.
To store, cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and slip it into the fridge for up to 5 days. Yank it from the fridge 2 hours before serving.

Notes

Parchment hack—I use Kirkland's parchment because it's 15-inches wide. If your parchment is narrower, use two overlapping sheets. Just make sure you have a 15-by-15-inch square.
Ingredients—Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature for a smooth batter. Sit them out 2 hours before baking.
Don't skimp—Speaking of ingredients, use only 100% real, full-fat cream cheese. I use only Philadephia Cream Cheese for this recipe.
Chill out—Let the cheesecake cool completely before serving for the best texture.
Gluten-Free—Omit the 3 tablespoons of flour from the batter to make the cake gluten-free.

Nutrition