Basque tiramisu cheesecake

Basque tiramisu cheesecake is a coffee-infused Basque cheesecake topped with a blanket of mascarpone cream and dusted with cocoa. An utterly heavenly flavour – though that hardly does it justice… Although you won’t find the sponge fingers so characteristic of the famous Italian dessert, the cheesecake’s creamy texture and flavour, combined with a cloud of cream, will make you feel as though you’re tasting a true tiramisu. It will definitely be one of my favourite Basque cheesecakes!

Ingredients for the Basque tiramisu cheesecake:

• 900 g full-fat cream cheese (Philadelphia-style)
• 300 g caster sugar
• seeds from 1 vanilla pod or 2 teaspoons vanilla paste
• 6 large eggs
• 500 ml double cream
• 1 tablespoon instant coffee + 1 tablespoon boiling water
• 2 tablespoons amaretto liqueur
• a pinch of salt
• 50 g plain flour

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

Line a 25 cm springform tin (or a tall 23 cm tin) with baking parchment as follows: secure the tin and grease it with butter. Line it with parchment so that the sides extend at least 5 cm above the rim of the tin.

Place the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a mixer. Beat until fully combined and the sugar has dissolved. Add the vanilla, whole eggs and salt. Beat until smooth. Add the double cream, the instant coffee dissolved in boiling water, and the amaretto. Mix until combined. Sift the plain flour directly into the mixture and mix just until incorporated. The batter should be smooth and fairly loose, not thick. Pour the cheesecake mixture into the prepared tin.

Bake at 200°C for approximately 50-60 minutes.* After baking, remove from the oven and leave to cool. The surface (or at least the edges) should be deeply browned, and the centre of the cheesecake should wobble when the tin is gently shaken. The cheesecake will rise significantly and then sink slightly, leaving higher edges.

Chill in the fridge for 8 hours – only then will it reach the proper consistency and be ready for slicing.

Additionally:

• cocoa powder, for dusting

Ingredients for the Mascarpone Cream:

• 250 g mascarpone, chilled
• 300 ml double cream
• 1½ tablespoons icing sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste

Place the mascarpone, double cream, icing sugar and vanilla in the bowl of a mixer and whip until thick and smooth. Spread the cream over the chilled cheesecake and dust with cocoa powder. Slice and serve.

Basque cheesecake can be stored at room temperature, but for longer storage or during hot weather it is best kept in the fridge.

*NOTE: Some sources suggest baking this cheesecake for only 40 minutes for a creamier centre, turning off the oven when the middle wobbles significantly. The shorter the baking time, the creamier the cheesecake. In the original version, the very centre has an almost custard-like consistency, making it difficult to slice neatly. Be careful not to underbake it so much that it remains runny after cooling – that’s not the intended result. A shorter baking time will also mean less browning on top, but you can place it under the grill for 30-60 seconds, watching closely, or switch to fan mode towards the end of baking. I must admit, I could bake this cheesecake slightly less – but this is how we like it.

Enjoy!