Lemon Basque Cheesecake

Lemon Basque Cheesecake

The burnished top and soft and creamy center of a Basque-style cheesecake are the result of being baked in a hot oven as quickly as possible, unlike New York-style cheesecake, which is cooked slowly in a water bath to ensure even cooking and a uniform texture throughout. Not all ovens are the same, so the best way to determine doneness (and avoid overcooking) is to take the internal temperature with a thermometer. The top may not be evenly dark brown by the time the center is done, but turning on the broiler (and watching it like a hawk!) will do the trick in a matter of moments. This version incorporates lemon zest and juice as well as mascarpone for a citrusy profile and uses a food processor for quick and easy assembly.

Yield: 10 servings

Special equipment

Food processor (preferably 14-cup capacity or greater), see Tips 

9-inch springform pan with at least 3-inch sides

Instant-read thermometer

For the cake

1⅓ cups/268 grams plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided

Finely grated zest of 3 lemons

1 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) 

1¾ pounds/794 grams cream cheese, cut into 2-inch pieces, at room temperature

8 ounces/227 grams mascarpone cheese, at room temperature

6 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup/237 milliliters heavy cream, at room temperature

7 tablespoons/100 milliliters fresh lemon juice, divided

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

¼ cup/32 grams all-purpose flour

Heat the oven and prepare the pan: Arrange a rack in the upper third of the oven and heat to 450 degrees. Crumple up two large pieces of parchment paper (each at least 15 inches long), then smooth flat again and arrange perpendicularly. (Crumpling the parchment helps it mold better to the pan and stay in place.) Press the two pieces into the springform pan, smoothing along the bottom to ensure it’s completely flat and up the sides to flatten all creases. Use a pair of scissors to trim away any parchment that extends more than ½ inch above the top of the pan. Set the pan aside. 

Make the batter: In the bowl of a food processor with a minimum 14-cup capacity, combine the 1⅓ cups/268 grams sugar, lemon zest and salt and process until the sugar looks like wet sand and is very fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stop the motor and add the cream cheese and mascarpone and process again, pausing once to scrape down the sides, until the mixture is completely smooth and free of lumps and the sugar is dissolved (rub a dab between your fingers to check for graininess), about 30 seconds. 

With the motor running, add the eggs one at a time, processing for a few seconds between additions, then slowly stream in the cream, 6 tablespoons of lemon juice and vanilla. Add the flour and process briefly. Stop the motor, scrape down the sides and process again just until the batter is completely smooth. 

Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and transfer to the oven. Bake until the top is risen, set, and starting to brown, and the batter still moves like liquid underneath the surface (like a waterbed) when jiggled, 30 to 35 minutes. Take the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer, inserting it into the center of the cake about ⅔ down. When the cake is done the temperature should register somewhere between 140 and 150 degrees (the center will be looser and creamier on the lower end of the range, more set and slightly drier on the higher end, see Tip). Continue baking, checking every few minutes, until it reaches the desired doneness, another 5 to 10 minutes, but you might need to bake for longer, depending on your oven. 

Make the lemon glaze: In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 tablespoon sugar and stir with a pastry brush to dissolve the sugar. Set the glaze aside. 

Broil the top: Remove the cheesecake from the oven. If the top is dark brown and burnished all over, move on to the next step (this will depend on your oven). If it’s only partially browned, turn on your broiler and let it preheat for a few minutes while the cheesecake cools. Return the cheesecake to the oven and broil, maintaining a constant eye on it, until the entire surface turns a deep, shiny dark brown (but not blackened!), 10 to 20 seconds. Remove from the oven immediately and set aside.

Brush on the glaze and cool: While the cheesecake is still hot from the oven, brush the lemon glaze over the surface, using all of it. Let the cheesecake cool in the pan until the sides are warm but not hot, about 2 hours, then transfer to the refrigerator (it will settle gradually). Refrigerate until it’s cold and completely set, at least 12 hours and up to several days (if refrigerating for longer than 12 hours, cover the surface loosely). 

Serve: Remove the cheesecake from the refrigerator, remove the base from the sides of the pan, and gently peel the parchment away from the cheesecake. (The cake is very solid once cold, so you should be able to flip the cake over to do so.) Cut into slices with a hot knife, cleaning the knife in between cuts. For the best texture, let the slices come to room temperature before serving.

Tips: If your full-size food processor has a capacity of less than 14 cups, you can still make the cheesecake: In step 3, add the eggs, process as directed, then transfer three-fourths of the mixture to a bowl. Whisk the cream, lemon juice and vanilla into the bowl. To the mixture remaining in the food processor, add the flour and process briefly then whisk into the rest of the batter in the bowl until smooth. Proceed with step 4. Alternatively, you could make the cheesecake using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, but the resulting batter may not be as smooth.

For a looser, creamier center on the finished, cooled cake, aim for an internal temperature of 140 degrees or a few degrees above. If you prefer the center to be more set and slightly drier, bake the cake until the center reaches closer to or just at 150 degrees.

DO AHEAD: The cheesecake will keep in the refrigerator, wrapped in plastic, for 4 days.

Excellent cheesecake, excellent recipe! I made this in my 13 cup food processor and even though it was above the fill line, it still all came together just fine. Using my thermometer was really helpful - it was fully cooked even though my gut would have said to go longer. I needed a quick 30-second broil to get the right amount of browning in my oven. Served this with a little rhubarb compote as it's in season, and I think it will pair beautifully with different seasonal fresh fruits all summer!

Cinnamon Roll Bundt Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

Cinnamon Roll Bundt Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

There’s only one problem with cinnamon rolls: They taste best fresh out of the oven with runny icing. This Bundt cake is also delicious warm, but gets only better as it sits, so you can get a hit of cinnamon roll goodness for days. Including panko in the spiced brown sugar swirl allows the cake layers to pull apart the way yeasted rolls do. The simple vanilla pound cake batter is tender and tangy with cream cheese. More cream cheese — a lot more — cloaks the cake in the form of frosting. Just as there’s no end to holiday cheer, there’s no limit on cream cheese frosting.

Yield: 8 to 12 servings

For the Cinnamon Crumbs

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

⅓ cup/28 grams panko bread crumbs

⅔ cup/150 grams packed dark brown sugar

5 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Pinch of fine salt

For the Cake

Nonstick baking or cooking spray

2 cups/260 grams all-purpose flour

1½ cups/300 grams granulated sugar

1½ teaspoons baking powder

¾ teaspoon fine salt

5 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

¾ cup/168 grams unsalted butter, cut in cubes, room temperature

6 ounces/169 grams cream cheese, cut in cubes, room temperature

For the Frosting

10 ounces/290 grams cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

¾ cup/85 grams powdered sugar, plus more to taste

Pinch of fine salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Make the crumbs: Melt the butter in a skillet over medium. Add the crumbs and cook, stirring often, until evenly golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, add the brown sugar, cinnamon and salt, and stir well. Let cool.

Meanwhile, make the cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-inch Bundt pan with baking or cooking spray.

Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk the eggs and vanilla in a large liquid measuring cup.

Add the butter and cream cheese to the flour, toss lightly to coat, then beat with the paddle attachment on low speed until small crumbs form. With the machine running, add the eggs in a slow, steady stream. Once half of the eggs are added and the mixture forms a smooth batter, scrape the bowl and turn the speed to medium. Continue adding the eggs in a steady stream, scraping the bowl as needed for a smooth batter. Once all the eggs are added, beat on medium-high for 1 minute.

Use a large spoon to drop dollops of batter (about ¼ of it) into the prepared pan. Use a small spoon to smooth those dollops into a thin, even layer. Sprinkle an even layer of cinnamon crumbs (about ⅓ of the crumbs) on top to completely coat the batter. Dollop another ring of batter over the crumbs and use the small spoon to gently nudge the batter to the edges of the pan and the center tube. Cover with another layer of crumbs. Repeat the layering until all the cake batter and crumbs are used, sprinkling any final crumbs over the last cake layer.

Bake until a cake tester or wooden skewer comes out with a few tiny crumbs attached, 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then flip out of the pan onto a rack. The cake can be wrapped tightly and kept at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Make the frosting: Beat the cream cheese and butter in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until smooth. Scrape the bowl, add the powdered sugar and salt, and beat again, starting on low speed, then going to medium-high, until smooth. With the machine running, add the vanilla. Taste and beat in more powdered sugar if you’d like.

You can ice and eat the cake warm if you’d like, or wait for the cake to cool completely before frosting it. The frosted cake can be refrigerated for up to 3 days; bring to room temperature before serving or enjoy cold.

TIP: This might be helpful to you, it's how I make most cakes (and will make this one): Wet ingredients creamed and mixed in larger bowl. Dry ingredients mixed in smaller bowl, then added to wet, mixed by hand til just blended. Old school I guess, less mess and the bakes come out deliciously!