A rich, creamy, and tart sourdough Basque-style cheesecake with tons of rustic charm.
Cheesecake cravings are real, and, often, intense. Whenever I see Blanche, Rose, Dorthy, and Sophia (aka the Golden Girls) decompressing over a slice, I can’t help but want one too. The only problem? Having to make one—or settle for whatever the grocery store is hocking (which is honestly fine sometimes).
But ever since I made a Basque cheesecake for my husbands birthday last year, the game has changed. With no hassling over a graham cracker crust, no sloshing around a hot water bath, and no needing to worry about cracking or burning, this cheesecake is a pleasure to make. In fact, darker is better for this style of cheesecake, which is baked on high heat to obtain a deeply caramelized, nearly burnished crust. And a rough, bubbly top, with golden, cracked and craggy sides is also part of this rustic package. Essentially, it’s fool-proof…or at least hard to mess up.
The interior is just as rich and creamy as any cheesecake you can imagine (I’m looking at you Cheesecake Factory). But for this sourdough Basque cheesecake, the addition of sourdough discard boosts the inherent tart, malty flavors, to create an even more intense and satisfying experience.
This recipe also includes an optional matcha add-in if you want to make it bright and vegetal, with a creamy green hue.
Enjoy a slice over a gab with your gal pals, or just on the couch watching your favorite 80’s sitcom. Either way, you will be able to go about your day with your cheese craving quenched.
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Adding sourdough to cake is truly one of my favorite things to do. The extra flavor-boost can really take a cake to the next level. And it’s also a great way to get rid of some discard. What’s not to love? Check out my collection of sourdough cakes here.
Learn more about the origins of Basque cheesecake in this article from Cook’s Country.
Sourdough Basque Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 24 oz (1½ lbs) cream cheese room temperature
- Butter for pan
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 302 grams (1⅓ cup) heavy cream
- 4 grams (⅔ tsp) fine salt
- 4 grams (1 tsp) vanilla
- 100 grams (⅓ cup + 1 tbsp) sourdough discard 100% hydration
- 198 grams (1 cup) sugar
- 12 grams (2 tbsp) matcha powder Optional
Instructions
- Pull out cream cheese and allow to come to room temperature (about 30 minutes).
- Preheat oven to 400° with a rack in the center. Butter an 8-inch springform pan. Line with two sheets of overlapping parchment paper. This cake is meant to have rough edges, so don't worry too much about smoothing out the sides.
- In a medium bowl combine eggs, egg yolks, heavy cream, salt, vanilla, and sourdough discard. Whisk until smooth.
- In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine cream cheese, sugar, and matcha powder (if using). Beat together on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Gradually add sourdough mixture to cream cheese mixture on medium speed until combined. Scrape down the side of the bowl. Mix again just until smooth and evenly combined.
- Pour batter into prepared springform pan. Place springform pan on a sheet pan. Bake on the middle rack of oven until deeply browned on top, about 60-70 minutes. Cake will still be very wobbly in the middle. Allow to cool for 10 minutes then unmold and transfer to a wire rack (leaving it on the base of the springform pan is fine). Cool completely (at least 1 hour) before removing parchment. Serve cool or at room temperature.
