Burnt Basque Cheesecake at La Viña

Basking in the glory of San Sebastián is the burnt basque cheesecake, and La Viña, the restaurant that invented it. It might have taken several forms and flavours across the world, but in Spain’s culinary capital, La Viña serves it with absolutely no frills.

A buzzing establishment located in San Sebastián's Old Town, La Viña greeted us with my favourite fragrance of all time: bakery smell! The aroma of fresh dough and sugar wafting its way to us, the sound of light conversation and glasses of Txakoli clinking, and arrays of cheesecakes in springform tins lining the counters: the atmosphere can only be described as deliciously comforting.

La Viña opened its doors in 1959; but it was only in the late 1980s that this cheesecake, while not even native to the Basque Region, became synonymous with San Sebastián. Santiago Rivera, chef and part of the second-generation at the family-owned La Viña, started experimenting with recipes in the late 1980s. Amongst these recipes was the cheesecake. Customers started asking for it more and more, and soon, it became a staple at the restaurant. Today, it’s a common sight to see throngs of people lining up outside to taste this famed cheesecake; in fact, we had it for breakfast, just to skip the long queues that form later in the day.

Quite the rage a few years ago, the burnt basque cheesecake is proof that the simplest ingredients often come together to form deliciously complex flavours. Made with just cream, eggs, sugar, cream cheese, and some flour, it’s baked at a higher temperature than most other cheesecakes. The result is a caramelised, almost burnt top that gives it both its name and its unmistakable character: burnt, because the top is literally scorched, and Basque, because it hails from the Basque Country.

In my opinion, it’s the texture that makes this cheesecake so irresistible; the caramelised top and edges pair excellently with the soft, custardy centre. Each mouthful strikes the perfect balance: rich but not heavy, smooth without being gelatinous. So…was the burnt basque cheesecake worth the hype? Absolutely! We went back for seconds the very same day. San Sebastián had long been a fixture on my travel bucket list, but now that I’ve ticked it off, I’m sure I’ll be back again!

If you’re tempted to bake it yourself, this recipe is based on the original from La Viña. Personally, when the cravings hit, I turn to Pasteleria Basque in New Delhi.

Sources

National Geographic

The Baking Wizard