Air fryer Basque cheesecake

You can now bake your favourite Basque cheesecake in an air fryer! It’s a great alternative to traditional oven baking: the cheesecake is creamy and delicate, with its characteristic deeply caramelised top. The mixture takes just a few minutes to prepare, and the cheesecake bakes quickly without the need to preheat the oven.

I made this air fryer Basque cheesecake using half the original quantities and a smaller tin. It’s important to place the tin on the air fryer rack and leave enough space around the sides for the hot air to circulate freely. The cheesecake doesn’t rise very much in the air fryer, but the top develops a beautiful, deeply browned crust – which is hardly surprising, given how close it is to the heating element. Without a bottom heating, the cheesecake stays very creamy underneath. The final texture and how well the cheesecake is baked will depend on the baking time, the size and type of tin, and your particular air fryer model. I have to admit that getting the timing just right can be tricky on your first attempt, but once you’ve tried it, it’s much easier to adjust the time to suit your appliance and personal preference. If you love Basque cheesecake, you really must try this version!

Ingredients for the air fryer Basque cheesecake:

• 450 g cream cheese, such as Philadelphia (or a 50:50 mixture of cream cheese and curd cheese)*
• 150 g caster sugar
• seeds from ½ vanilla pod or ½ tsp vanilla paste
• 3 large eggs
• 250 ml double cream
• a pinch of salt
• 25 g plain flour

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

Line an 18 cm springform tin thoroughly with baking paper, covering both the base and the sides. Allow the paper to extend slightly above the rim of the tin (the cheesecake doesn’t rise as much as oven-baked).

Place the cream cheese and sugar in a bowl. Mix with a balloon whisk until thoroughly combined. Add the vanilla, whole eggs and salt, then whisk until smooth. Add the double cream and mix until combined. Sift the flour directly into the cheesecake mixture and whisk again. You should have a smooth, fairly runny mixture. Pour it into the prepared tin.

Place the tin with the cheesecake on the rack in a cold air fryer and bake at 190°C for approximately 35–38 minutes (I bake mine for 38 minutes, but the time may vary). Once baked, remove the cheesecake from the air fryer and leave to cool to room temperature. The top should be deeply browned, with some slightly burnt patches, while the centre of the hot cheesecake should wobble noticeably when you gently move the tin.

Refrigerate for 8 hours. The cheesecake will only reach the right consistency for slicing once it has chilled completely.

Basque cheesecake is best stored in the fridge.

Enjoy!