Vanilla Basque cheesecake with berries
It is light even airy by the outer edge, yet so creamy and dense in the middle. One of the most famous cheesecakes in the world, and the pride and joy of Basque Country. Of course, you can serve it plain but berries on top make the cake much lighter bringing a nice balance between sweetenss and freshness.
950 g cream cheese, room temperature
pinch of sea salt
1 vanilla pod, seeds only
200 g golden caster sugar
5 medium eggs, room temperature
1 egg yolk, room temperature
3 tbsp all-purpose wheat flour
500 g whipping cream
decorate:
berries
peppermint
flowers
Place a rack in the middle of oven and heat the oven to 210°. Layer a 23 cm cake pan with 2 sheets of baking paper, making sure the parchment reaches 10 cm above the top of the pan on all sides. You will need to fold in the paper in some areas to fit in the pan – that’s ok.
Beat the cream cheese, salt, vanilla, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium-low speed (with the paddle attachment), scraping down the sides of the bowl until smooth with no lumps and the sugar has dissolved – about 3-4 mins. Increase speed to medium, add the eggs one at a time, beating each egg until incorporated (not more) before adding the next. Scrape down the sides of the bowl after beating in each egg.
Mix flour with cream, adding a tiny bit first to avoid lumps. When all is mixed, reduce mixer speed to medium-low, add the cream mixture, and beat until combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue to beat until the batter is smooth and silky, about 10-20 seconds. Pour into the prepared pan and bake until deeply golden brown on top and still very jiggly in the center, about 40–45 minutes*. Take out and let cool, wrap in film, and place in the fridge for 6-12 hours.
When ready to serve, carefully peel away the paper, place it on a cake stand, and decorate it with berries, peppermint, flowers, and some olive tree leaves.
* if by any chance your pan is larger, which means the level of batter is lower, bake it less.