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Christmas is approaching, and if you are looking for the perfect, stress-free dessert, this is it! Today, I’m demonstrating the most beloved recipe from our cookbook, “French Cooking Academy: 100 Essential Recipes for the Home Cook.”
This is the Artisan Crustless Cheesecake (often known as a Basque or San Sebastian cheesecake). It requires only 5 supermarket ingredients, 5 minutes of preparation, and zero fancy equipment. No crust, no water bath, just pure creamy perfection with that signature caramelized top.
In this video, I’ll show you exactly how the book works: you get what you see. We’ll mix, bake, and slice this incredible dessert to prove that anyone can make this cake at home.
Timestamps:
0:00 – Intro & Cookbook Preview
2:09 – Preparing the Pan (Crucial Tip!)
3:36 – The 5 Ingredients
4:16 – Making the Batter (Food Processor Method)
6:20 – Baking Instructions
7:05 – The Cooling Process
8:37 – Unmolding & Slicing
10:14 – Taste Test
——————————————————————–
THE RECIPE
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Chill time: Overnight (recommended)
Equipment Needed:
7-inch (17-18cm) Springform Pan (Note: Using a larger pan will alter the cooking time and texture)
Food processor or immersion blender
Parchment paper
Ingredients:
Cream Cheese: 500g (Full fat)
Eggs: 4 whole eggs (beaten lightly like an omelet)
Sugar: 200g (White sugar)
Cream: ~150ml Pure Cream (Liquid whipping cream, approx. 35% fat content)
Flour: 2 Tbsp (All-purpose plain flour or Gluten-Free flour)
Butter: Small amount for greasing the pan
Instructions:
1. Prepare the Pan:
Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F). Grease the inside of your 7-inch springform pan generously with butter. Place a sheet of parchment paper inside, pressing it down so the bottom is perfectly flat and smooth (try to avoid creases on the bottom). The paper should come up the sides of the pan.
2. Soften the Cheese:
Place all the cream cheese into a food processor. Pulse a few times just to soften the cheese.
3. Add Eggs:
Beat your 4 eggs in a separate bowl briefly, then pour them into the food processor. Mix for about 20 seconds.
4. Scrape and Smooth:
Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the processor to ensure no cheese is stuck. Mix for another 20 seconds until the mixture is completely smooth and lump-free.
5. Add Remaining Ingredients:
Add the sugar, the cream, and the 2 tablespoons of flour to the mixture. Blend for 1 to 2 minutes until you have a very smooth, liquid batter.
6. Bake:
Pour the batter into the lined pan. Bake on the middle rack of the oven at 200°C (400°F) for 40 minutes. Do not cover the cake.
7. Cool and Set:
When you take it out, the cake will be puffed up and dark on top. Do not open the springform pan yet. Let it cool completely at room temperature. It will deflate and cave in slightly—this is normal!
8. Refrigerate:
Once cool, place the cake (still in the mold) into the fridge until it is cold and set (ideally overnight).
9. Serve:
Remove the cake from the fridge 15–30 minutes before serving to take the chill off. Unmold, peel back the paper, slice, and enjoy, it’s pure joy!
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22 Comments
Check out our online courses & gift cards: https://www.thefrenchcookingacademy.com/giftcards
Grab your copy of the cookbook here (affiliate link) https://amzn.to/48nIOOr
I have your book. It’s absolutely fantastic. I absolutely love the page size. I love the recipes I love that every recipe has a picture.
What I love the most about it is that if you spill something on it, it makes a great recovery.
Thanks for the recipe. So simple. But can I use the usual hand held cake beater instead of blender?
Thank you
Nice recipe, great result. I would be tempted to add vanilla, and maybe some alcohol… 😱
that looks like a NY cheesecake !
French is my favorite country because the culinary.French is literally amazing they make some good technique of cooking and make a variety of food like my country Indonesia.Hope i can make some French dishes from your recipe 🙂
I was surprised that there is no flavouring added. Is it not rather dull?
"Nice and burnt" ?
I've always been told we shouldn't eat anything that's burnt because it's carcinogenic. And I don't like a burnt taste anyway.
But to each his own.
hello can you please say what kind of cream cheese do you use? I never know what to buy in Europe
Thank you
Wonderful! 💚 Can I make this with philadelphia „joghurt“ or „balance“?
Bought the book. After having been scared off French cooking by too early an introduction to 'Escoffier', I want to thank you for making things easy and clear- bravo!😊
Bravo. Basque cheesecake is heavenly. Totally agree with you about the burned taste. Even better with a little raspberry coulis.
Thank you! Perfect to serve or bring to a dinner party. I just now bought the book because I love HOME cooking:. Question: no vanilla in this cheese cake or embellishments such as a raspberry compote?
Just got your book based off a few of your videos. Funny that my order ships from the US to Europe.. 🙂
Wow! An amazingly easy cheese cake recipe. Fantastic my friend. Dress this with a sprig of mint and a raspberry or two on the plate to enhance the presentation. This will be a hit this Christmas thank you.
✝️🇺🇲🙏
This IS my favorite style cheesecake. Dense and ultra creamy but the best part is the burnt crust. It adds a great flavor and makes all the difference. However, my preference is to add 1/2 tsp. of HIGH QUALITY (don’t go cheap) vanilla extract. So, damn, good!
Not quite the interior texture of the original Basque cheesecake from La Viña in Donostia-San Sebastian, which has an oozy, custardy center, like a ripe cheese, maybe shorten the cooking time a bit. But I'm sure it is very tasty, and certainly easy. I'm sure some people will be tempted to put all the ingredients in a blender, but you want to minimize incorporating air to get that dense texture (some people let the batter sit overnight).
Stephen, can you add a flavoring such as vanilla or something like bourbon or brandy. What flavorings would you recommend
I bought the book and use it all the time. It's a great book, the recipes are simple and delicious! I highly recommend this cookbook!!!!!
Don’t mean to give away their “secret”, but my local bakery makes this with a crust and the burnt crust is actually the best part 😜
In the rolling hills of the Basque Country lies the quaint village of Philadelphia. Does anyone know any interesting, less industrial cheese that could be used to make a nice cheesecake? I've tried some kind of cheesecake once at a French restaurant, it was from a specific part of France, it was made with a funkier cheese from the same region. It was really good, but I don't remember the name.
Fun fact, your can omit the flour entirely but it does make the bake timing more finicky. I strongly prefer baking at a higher temperature, 500f, and for only about 25 minutes. You need a thermometer though, aiming for 185 about 1 inch in and 1 inch down from the edge. If you nail it you get a smooth, almost custard like center.