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!
What size is a small loaf pan?
hi james,
it’s a mini loaf pan, the kind that fits 2 cups of batter – they usually come in 6×3 or 5.75×3 :)
Do you mean 35g for the heavy whipping cream? not 135g?
hi! you’re absolutely right. fixed! thank you!
How perfect.
Would LOVE to see some Mediterranean Diet recipes. (Though I love all your recipes.) Thanks for keeping us inspired with gorgeous photography and personable writing.
Thank you for all of your recipes! We are obsessed with your blog! My husband ate this one in one sitting.
hi milena,
thanks so much for the kind words :)
maybe it’s time to make a regular size basque cheesecake? ;)
Hi, what if I use 8×4 loaf pan. That’s the only one I have at home. How will I adjust the recipe?
hi dani,
if you want to bake in a 8×4, i’d recommend this recipe: The Easiest Cheesecake You’ll Ever Make: 5 Ingredient Burnt Basque Cheesecake Recipe
Thank you Stephanie! I tried it and it was sooooo good! And it gets better on the second day. :) I’m thinking to use it on an 8×8 pan, should your other recipe work or would I have to double it?
hi dani,
i think if you wanted to do it in an 8×8 i would double this recipe :)
I have tried this and auto success!!! Thankss so much! I will make it again in my loaf pan but double the recipe, coz mine a bit wider than yours -i guess.. btw im living in Genève, CH, so i have no clue at first time what is Heavy Cream in here, and turns out it’s Double-creme ?
yay so happy it turned out for you lydia :)
and thanks for letting me know about the double cream!
love all of your cheescake recipes, will try this next, love the serving size too, harder to get in trouble, at least in theory, and the “burning” tweak is a nice twist, thank you!
You don’t need cornstarch or flour in traditional basque cheesecake. It’s super creamy. Try it w/out. Stay well! Your photography is gorgeous!!
hi michelle! you read my mind, my next bbc will be without cornstarch or flour! thanks for the tip :)
I left the flour out by mistake and like it even better.
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. ❤
I found nice posts here. I adore your post. So perfect!
Thank you. I made these in cupcake mold and it turned out perfect! Since I’m on keto, I used stevia and a bit of xanthan gum. Tastes amazing!
Hi, can i use whipping cream if dont have heavy cream
hi fatimah,
yes, whipping cream works!
I tried out cake with the above recipe.The cake was very soft and tasty.Thank you.
Hello! Can i use this recipe for muffin size? Thank you in advance! ❤️
hi rachelle,
yes, bake them at the same temp and start checking if they’re done at around 12 minutes!
Hi can i check whether can i substitute sugar with honey?
hi shamala,
i haven’t tried with honey but i think it would work!
Hi dear, my friends comment the cheesecake hv no fragrant, can help to advise what brands of cream cheese shld i use or should i mix with some parmesan cheese.
hi liana,
i always use philadelphia cream cheese and if you like, you can add some vanilla :)
Hi, I am keen to try this in either chocolate or matcha flavour :) How much cocoa powder / matcha powder would you suggest I add without compromising on the cheesecake’s texture? Thanks!
hi!
hmm, i haven’t tried so i can’t say with confidence, but i think 1 tablespoon of matcha or cocoa would work!
Hi! Super easy and delicious recipe. Quick question, can I make this ahead of time and just keep it in the fridge like 1-2 days in advance? Will the flavor change at all/should I take it out a couple hours before serving?
you can make it ahead of time the flavor won’t change. i like eating it cold from the fridge but if you want it to have a softer texture, take it out a couple hours before serving :)
Just made this. So easy! I made it in a super small round tin I bought from Daiso. Besides adding a pinch of salt and baking in my ninja air fryer/oven at 400° I followed the recipe to a T. Air fryers are smaller and stronger than regular ovens so I usually adjust the temp. It was perfect.
i tried this today and its soo good. I found that it tastes best after sitting in the fridge for a bit.
I’m going to try this before baking the full size version! And eating the whole thing to test if it’s “good enough” for my friends ;)
Hi I found your recipe and wanted to make this can I use a glass ceramic bowl as a substitute to the mini loaf? The glass bowl is anchor brand 2cups / 472ml exactly Or would you advise to use a loaf pan ?
how many slices do you normally get out of the recipe? when you put in the number of people the recipe doesn’t change.
hi, i would say 4-6 small slices!