Name: Basque Cheesecake for Two
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Cuisine: Spanish & Portuguese
Ingredients: 4 large eggs , room temperature; 1 cup (7 ounces) sugar; 1 pound cream cheese , room temperature; 1⁄2 cup heavy cream , room temperature; 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Why This Recipe Works

The recipe is a mini version of the original, which was adapted from the celebrated recipe developed more than 30 years ago by Santiago Rivera at the La Viña bar and restaurant in Donostia–San Sebastián, Basque Country, Spain. This cheesecake is baked in a hot oven without a water bath, yielding a cake with a caramelized exterior and ultracreamy interior. The milky, sweet, and slightly tangy interior is beautifully complemented by the added complex notes from the caramelized top. We recommend keeping a close eye on the internal temperature by sticking the thermometer exactly in the center of the cake to prevent an interior that’s too loose or overbaked. Moistening crumpled parch- ment for lining the pan makes the paper supple and easy to work with.

Before You Begin

You will need a 6-inch springform pan. for this recipe. Do not use cream cheese spread, whipped or low-fat cream cheese, or Neufchâtel in this recipe. If baking the cheesecake in a toaster oven, decrease the baking time by about 5 minutes. To bake this cake in your air fryer: Place pan in air-fryer basket. Place basket in air fryer, set temperature to 300 degrees, and bake for 1¼ hours. This recipe is from the cookbook Baking for Two, which includes more than 200 small-batch recipes.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Spray or lightly sprinkle 1 approximately 16 by 12-inch piece of parchment paper evenly with cold water. Crumple parchment into ball, then gently uncrumple. Press parchment onto bottom and sides of 6-inch springform pan. Fold overhanging parchment outward, over edge of pan. Using kitchen shears, trim overhanging parchment to about 1 inch past edge of pan.

Process eggs and sugar in food processor until mixture is frothy and pale yellow, about 1 minute. Add cream cheese, heavy cream, and flour and pulse until cream cheese is bro- ken into large, even pieces, about 6 pulses. Process until mixture is completely smooth, about 1 minute.

Transfer batter to prepared pan and place pan on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until top of cheesecake is deeply browned, edges are set, and center of cheesecake registers 155 degrees, about 50 minutes (center will be jiggly). Remove cheesecake from oven and transfer to wire rack. Let cheesecake cool in pan for 2 hours.

Remove side of pan. Gently peel parchment away from sides of cheesecake until parchment is flush with counter. To slice, dip sharp knife in very hot water and wipe dry after each cut. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.