This Basque-style cheesecake recipe is the opposite of the fussier New York version, which must be baked carefully (often in a water bath) to produce an unscorched, uncracked top. This version is cooked at high heat so that it cracks and browns deeply – making it almost impossible to mess up.
This particular Basque-style recipe comes from Go Cakes, a sweet custom cake shop in San Marino run by Stephanie Fong, a self-taught baker who grew up in Macau, boasts an Asian twist. The flavor of Thai iced tea makes this an extra-special treat.
Basque Thai Tea Cheesecake From Go Cakes
2 cups cream cheese, softened
10 Thai tea (Assam black tea) leaves
120 grams (5/8 cup) sugar
3 eggs
7 grams (1 tablespoon) cornstarch
220 grams (1 cup) heavy cream
Preheat the oven to the 450 degrees. Line a 6-inch cake pan with 2½-inch sides with parchment paper.
Bring the heavy cream to a boil and add the Thai tea leaves. Gently boil for about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, allow to steep for at least 30 minutes, then allow to cool. The more concentrated the tea flavor, the better the cheesecake tastes. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer and discard the tea leaves.
Add the cream and the remaining ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until smooth. Let the mixture rest for 20 minutes to allow bubbles to come to the surface.
Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan and drop the pan a few times on the counter to remove any remaining bubbles.
Bake the cheesecake for 20-25 minutes, until the top browns. Cool completely before serving.
Go Cakes is currently unable to make custom cakes. The shop is open 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat.-Sun. and offers pick-up and delivery Tues.-Thurs.
