Burnt Basque cheesecake with sangria compote
Serves: 12
Prep time: 20 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Martin Poole
Burnt Basque cheesecake with sangria compote
The burnt Basque cheesecake first originated in San Sebastián, Spain, around 30 years ago. It gets its name from its characteristically caramelised crust, the result of a higher cooking temperature than is usual for baked cheesecakes. We’ve served ours with a sangria compote, but fresh fruit would work, too
Serves: 12
Prep time: 20 minsTotal time: 
See more recipes
Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
408Kcal
Fat
28gr
Saturates
17gr
Carbs
29gr
Sugars
27gr
Fibre
1gr
Protein
7gr
Salt
0.6gr
Sarah Akhurst
Our Food Director Sarah is a food obsessive, and spends most of her time scoping out the latest food trends, experimenting in her own kitchen, or making her family wait to eat while she photographs every dinner she makes for the 'gram! A complete Middle Eastern food junkie, she is never far from a good shawarma marinade, a pinch of Aleppo chilli or a sprig of dill
See more of Sarah Akhurst’s recipes
Sarah Akhurst
Our Food Director Sarah is a food obsessive, and spends most of her time scoping out the latest food trends, experimenting in her own kitchen, or making her family wait to eat while she photographs every dinner she makes for the 'gram! A complete Middle Eastern food junkie, she is never far from a good shawarma marinade, a pinch of Aleppo chilli or a sprig of dill
See more of Sarah Akhurst’s recipes
Ingredients
- oil, to grease
- 680g full-fat soft cheese, at room temperature
- 200g caster sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 300ml double cream
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 25g plain flour
For the sangria compote
- 200ml red wine
- 75g caster sugar
- zest of 1 orange
- 300g frozen summer fruits
- 1 tsp cornflour
Step by step
Get ahead
The cheesecake and compote keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before eating.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6 and lightly grease a 20cm springform tin. Cut two lengths of baking paper, each slightly wider than the tin and long enough to line across the base and sides of the tin, plus an overhang of at least 5cm. Place the first piece in the tin, pressing the excess up against the sides of the tin, then place the next piece in crossways. Don’t try and get the paper to sit smoothly against the sides of the tin, the folds are part of the charm of this style of cheesecake.
- Beat the soft cheese and sugar together in a free-standing mixer for around 3-4 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved into the soft cheese and the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition. Keeping the beater on, slowly drizzle in the cream and the vanilla and continue to beat until everything is well incorporated. Lastly, sprinkle over the flour plus a pinch of salt and beat for another minute until you have a smooth, silky mixture.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 1 hour, or until a deep golden brown on top with a slight wobble in the middle. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely in the tin.
- For the compote, put the red wine, sugar and orange zest in a pan over a low heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved then bring to a simmer and cook for 10-12 minutes, or until reduced and syrupy. Add the summer fruits and cook for a further 2 minutes. Mix the cornflour to a paste with a little cold water in a small bowl, then add this to the pan. Simmer for a further 2 minutes until thick and syrupy, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool to room temperature. Serve the cheesecake at room temperature, with some of the compote on the side.
