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If you love cheesecake but you want to change it up a bit, you have to try my Burnt Basque Corn Cheesecake recipe, yes…you heard me right! This cheesecake is so creamy and soft. The corn adds a warm earthy sweetness that’s delicious, just trust me!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love Burnt Basque Corn Cheesecake
Burnt Basque is my favorite way to make cheesecakes and I love a good corn dessert, so I combined the two and the outcome was amazing! The burnt top gives you that caramelized, toasty notes while the corn gives a really nice subtle sweetness. To finish it off you top it with an amazing Salted Honey Corn Caramel and you have yourself the most amazing unique dessert!
How To Prepare
Prep Like a Pro
Before diving in, make sure everything is at room temperature – especially your eggs and cream cheese. This will help you blend beautifully with no lumps! Make sure you let your oven preheat for 30-45 minutes beforehand. This is key to that perfectly caramelized top that you are looking for in the burnt Basque cheesecake. Prep your corn, remove the kernels, blend until smooth, strain into a saucepan and let it simmer into a pudding-like consistency and let it cool. Now that this is all prepped you’ll have smooth sailing with the rest of it!
Mixing
You’ll be mixing in stages. First your diary and sugar, then your eggs, one at a time, and lastly your dry ingredients and cream. Be gently while mixing – over-mixing is the enemy of that signature jiggly center we all want!
Prep your Pan
Prepare your springform pan by greasing it well and then lining it with two pieces of crumbled parchment paper that extends up over the rim. This will give you cheesecake the dramatic rustic Basque edges. Pour your batter inside.
Bake and Cool
Bake at 420℉ for 45-60 minutes, but check it at the 40 minute mark because every oven is different. Once it is baked, it needs to cool completely in the fridge to set for AT LEAST 4 hours but preferably overnight. Right before serving, spoon over the amazing sweet and salty corn caramel for the ultimate finish.
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🔥Chef Nadia’s Tip🔥
- Layer 2 sheets of parchment paper for maximum coverage.
- Preheating your oven for 30-45 minutes beforehand works wonders. Check at the 40 minute mark, every oven is different.
Substitutions and Variations
- Substitutions
- You can use frozen corn instead of fresh if it isn’t available, just make sure to thaw completely beforehand.
- Swap your sour cream with full fat greek yogurt for a tangy zip.
- Variations
- Lemon Corn Cheesecake Variation: Add lemon zest to the batter and a lemony glaze instead of corn caramel for a summer vibe.
- Coconut Corn Cheesecake Variation: Fold in a little coconut milk instead of the cream and finish with toasted coconut flakes on top.
The Perfect Pairings
🍹 Drink: Sweet and heat, a Spicy Margarita would balance nicely with this Burnt Basque Cheesecake recipe.
🥗 Main and Sides: In sticking with the corn theme, I have amazing Buffalo Corn Ribs that would be great to come ahead of this dessert. My Fall Off the Bone Ribs pair with that great and a fresh Arugula Apple Salad is always a nice choice for this curated menu.
Burnt Basque Corn Cheesecake: Questions Answered
It is the Chef’n Cob Corn Stripper and I got it on Amazon.
Yes, you can use frozen sweet corn if fresh isn’t available. Just thaw it out completely beforehand. Keep in mind that fresh will give you a more vibrant taste so it is preferable.
It may be over-baked. Make sure you check it at the 40 minute mark. When you take it out of the oven to check it, you do want the top to be browned but you still want it to jiggle. You can see what you want it to look like near the end of my Burnt Basque Corn Cheesecake Video.
This cheesecake originates from a region in Spain called Basque Country. It’s crustless with a burnt top giving it an amazing caramelized taste and a creamy, custard-like interior. It’s my favorite way to eat cheesecake!
Burnt Basque Corn Cheesecake
Equipment
- Corn Stripper or knife
- spring form pan 9 inch
- handheld electric mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment
- parchment paper
Ingredients
Burnt Basque Corn Cheesecake
- 6 ears sweet corn, It will become about 1 ¼ cup corn puree
- 1 ½ lb cream cheese, room temp
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 ½ cup cane sugar
- 7 eggs, + 1 yolk
- 3 tbsp flour
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- pinch of kosher salt
- butter or cooking spray, for greasing your pan
Salted Honey Corn Caramel
- 2 ears sweet corn, it will become about ⅓ cup corn puree
- 3 tbsp honey, adjust to taste
- ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp butter
Instructions
Burnt Basque Corn Cheesecake
- Preheat your oven to 420℉. Letting the oven heat for 30-40 minutes beforehand is key to the most amazing Burnt Basque crust!
- Remove the corn from the ears and blend until smooth. Strain into a sauce pan and let it thicken until pudding consistency. Let it cool.
- Beat the cream cheese, sour cream, corn and sugar for 1-3 minutes until very smooth using a handheld electric mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment.
- Beat in eggs one at a time, until really creamy and smooth.
- Sift in flour while beating it.
- Add salt and heavy cream. Mix with a spatula making sure to not over-mix.
- Butter your 9 inch spring form pan or do cooking spray.
- Crinkle the parchment paper and place one sheet on top of the other, place inside the pan making sure you have 2-3 inch overhang.
- Add the cheesecake batter to your spring form pan and bake (ideally convection oven) for 45-60 minutes. You want it golden brown on top and jiggly in the middle. Rustic looking cheesecake is the whole point.
- Let it cool fully before removing it from pan and chill in fridge for at least 4 hours but ideally overnight. Carefully remove using the parchment paper and top with your Salted Honey Corn Caramel and that is it. Enjoy!
Salted Honey Corn Caramel
- Remove the corn from the ears and blend until smooth. Strain into a sauce pan, add honey, and let it thicken until pudding consistency, whisking frequently.
- Once thickened, heavy whipping cream, salt and butter and give it a good mixture allowing it to heat for a few more minutes.
- Allow to cool and add to an airtight container. Cool in the fridge while the cheesecake sets.
Video
Notes
- Preheating your oven for 30-45 minutes beforehand works wonders. Check at the 40 minute mark, every oven is different.
- If you have time, let cool overnight in the fridge. This really helps it to set and have the consistency you want.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
