Pumpkin Basque cheesecake forever! I’ve been making this on repeat all season long.
Creamy basque cheesecake is my all time favorite dessert. I love the soft ooze of a runny Basque cheesecake. If you haven’t had one before, you must! I implore you, it is the ultimate manifestation of cheesecake: creamy, sweet, and pure cheesecake flavor with none of the distracting graham cracker crust. Come fall, all my cheesecakes take on an autumnal feel thanks to pumpkin.
Love it or hate it, pumpkin and pumpkin spice is here to stay and to me, nothing is more fall then the warm and cozy smells of pumpkin mixed together with cinnamon and sugar. If you love pumpkin pie and you love cheesecake, this is the pinnacle of fall desserts. It has the earthy sweetness of pumpkin without being too overwhelming and the tangy decadence of cheesecake.
What is Basque cheesecake?
Basque cheesecake was in San Sebastian in the 70s by a restaurant called La Vina. They did a bunch of experiments and the one cheesecake they kept coming back to was a crustless, burnished cake that was light yet dense and full of cream cheese flavor and a signature brown-black top.
The classic San Sebastián basque cheesecake is delicious, but I prefer the Japanese take: slightly oozy and loose in the middle, lightly sweet, with a good amount of cheesiness and just the right amount of dense.
Basque cheesecake is the best combination of taste and texture. The edges of the cheesecake are slightly firmer with a lingering tongue coating smoothness that gives way to a supple molten cream center that barely holds together. The contrast is what gets me every time – a soft and cake tender shell surrounding a velvety smoothness that barely holds its shape, like the most decadent slice of triple cream brie.
This particular recipe is a riff off my favorite basque cheesecake recipe with roasted, puréed kabocha folded in.
How to make pumpkin Basque cheesecake
- Cream. Cream together the cream cheese and sugar. It’s best if your cream cheese is ultra soft. I like to leave it out at room temp for as long as possible before creaming so it blends up completely lump free. If you have a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment and remember to scrape down the sides.
- Mix. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing in completely without adding too much air. If you’re using a stand mixer, add the eggs and beat with the paddle on low.
- Stir. Stir in the pumpkin/kabocha and spices, then slowly pour in the cream and mix until just combined.
- Bake. Pour the batter into a parchment paper lined pan and bake in a super hot oven so the top gets nice and burnt while the inside stays creamy.
Pumpkin Basque cheesecake ingredients
- Cream cheese. My favorite cream cheese is Philly cream cheese, of course. Make sure you temper it at room temp so it it silky smooth and creamy without any lumps
- Sugar. Not too much sugar, just enough so it’s lightly sweet and delicious. I’ve only ever used granulated sugar, but I think brown sugar would add a hint of depth and caramel flavor.
- Eggs. You’ll need 4 large eggs to stabilize and hold the cake together. Make sure you get some nice, high quality eggs.
- Heavy Cream. Heavy cream is what makes this cake SO smooth and rich. You might also know heavy cream as whipping cream. Either will work as long as it has over 36% milk fat.
- Pumpkin. You can use canned puréed pumpkin (I love Libby’s!) but since this is a super simple recipe, I decided to cube and roast kabocha (aka Japanese pumpkin) for an extra bit of a special touch.
- Spices. A simple mix of cinnamon, ground ginger, cloves, and nutmeg adds just the right amount of warm spice.
What is kabocha?
Kabocha is a winter squash that is often referred to as a Japanese pumpkin. They have a deep green, thick skin, and bright orange flesh. Just like pumpkins, they are found in both sweet and savory dishes. They have a distinctively sweeter flavor profile compared to pumpkin and cook up more dry and fluffy making them more intensely flavored. Roasted kabocha is smooth and fluffy, sweet and nutty. They taste like a mix of pumpkin and butternut/honeynut squash and sweet potatoes. They’re amazing!
How to cook kabocha for pie
- Prepare the kabocha: wash and dry the outside then place on a heavy cutting board and use a large knife to cut in half. Kabocha are notoriously hard, so be careful. Scoop out the seeds then cut into wedges/chunks.
- Wrap the wedges/chunks in foil and place on a baking sheet and roast in a 400°F oven until tender and cooked through, about 30-40 minutes. You should be able to easily pierce the flesh with a fork.
- Remove, let cool, and scoop the flesh from the skin.
- Blend or purée until smooth. If desired, push through a metal sieve then use as directed in your recipe.
Do I need a springform pan for cheesecake?
The best pan is one that has tall sides so your cheesecake can burnish and brown on the top with just the slightest bit of jiggle in the middle. I like to use 6 inch rounds that are at least 3 inches in height. I’ve also baked Basque cheesecake in loaf pans and they come out really nice when you slice it up. The best part about Basque cheesecake is that you don’t need to use a springform pan and you don’t need a finicky water bath. Take advantage of that and use any pan you have. The deeper and smaller the pan, the more likely you will have a jiggly ooze-y cheesecake. The larger and more shallow your pan, the more likely you’ll have a firm cheesecake.
How to line a pan for cheesecake
Measure out a piece of parchment paper larger than the cake pan, scrunch it up into a ball, then flatten it out. That will make it easier to line and push the parchment into the edges of the pan. Place the scrunched up and unfolded parchment paper into the pan, shaping, pushing, and pressing the paper into the edges and up the sides. If you’re worried, you can double line the pan.
How long to bake Basque cheesecake
This depends on how creamy and jiggly you want the middle of your cheesecake to be. For a runny, creamy, just set center bake for 20 minutes. For just a bit creamy, go for 25 minutes, and for set, 30 minutes.
Burnt top: To the the burnished top while still have a runny center, turn on the broiler and keep a close eye on it while it browns. It only takes a couple of seconds.
Do I need to chill cheesecake?
You don’t have to chill it until it’s fridge-cold, but it’s best to let it cool completely. The cheesecake will continue to set and bake after you take it out of the oven, so leave it in the pan and let it cool completely before removing and serving. If you like a cold cheesecake you can pop it into the fridge and serve it once it’s completely cold. For a still runny center, after it’s completely cool, remove from the pan and slice without placing in the fridge.
Happy pumpkin cheesecake making!
xoxo steph
PS – if you’re a pumpkin lover, please check out these other pumpkin recipes:
- pumpkin cheesecake bars
- chocolate chip pumpkin pancakes
- pumpkin ricotta pancakes
- pumpkin butter
Pumpkin Basque Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 16 oz cream cheese room temp (two 8oz bricks)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree or puréed kabocha
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
Instructions
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Heat the oven to 430°F. (If you have convection mode, set the oven to convection.)
Line a 6 inch round 3 inch tall cake pan with parchment paper with an overhang of 2 inches. I like to double line it just to make sure it pops out of the pan easily.
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In a stand mixer, or by hand, beat the cream cheese with the sugar until smooth, making sure the sugar is completely incorporated, and the mixture is light, fluffy, and lump free. Be sure to scrape the bowl down.
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Add the eggs, one at a time, making sure the batter is smooth and incorporated before adding another egg. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, as needed.
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Gently mix in the pumpkin and spices.
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Slowly pour in the cream, mixing until just combined.
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Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 25-30 minutes. The top should be a dark amber and the middle should still wobble and jiggle. If you want the top to be more caramelized, leave it a bit longer, but know that the center will not be as gooey.
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Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan on a wire rack at room temp until completely cool.
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Remove the cake from the tin and slice at room temperature for a gooey, lava-like cheesecake. If desired, place in the fridge to cool which will result in a soft and creamy cheesecake without the ooze. Enjoy!
Estimated Nutrition
Amount Per Serving
Calories from Fat 233
