Video
Brownie Chocolate Basque Cheesecake
This ultra creamy Chocolate Basque Cheesecake recipe with a brownie bottom is one of the most delicious and luxurious cheesecakes you will ever make! It is for chocolate lovers with a thin layer of fudgy brownie on the bottom and unbelievably silky chocolate cheesecake that's bruléed on top to form a deep, rich, dark caramelized crust.
Ingredients
Brownie Batter:
- 3 oz (85g) dark chocolate (60-70% cocoa), coarsely chopped
- ¼ cup (56g) unsalted butter
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup (35g) all-purpose flour
Chocolate Basque cheesecake batter:
- 18 oz (500g) brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- ⅔ cup (135g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 oz (170g) dark chocolate (60-70%% cocoa), melted and kept warm
- 3 tablespoon (18g) cocoa powder (I prefer this Dutch cocoa or this one), sifted to remove lumps
- 1 cup (237ml) 35% heavy whipping cream, slightly warmed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line an 8-inch round non-stick springform pan or high-sided 8-inch round cake pan with 2 overlapping 16x12-inch sheets of parchment, making sure parchment comes at least 2" above top of pan on all sides. Lay the second piece at a 90° angle to the first piece to make sure there are no sides of the pan uncovered. Because the parchment needs to be pleated and creased in some areas to fit in pan, you won’t end up with a clean, smooth outer edge to the cake, and that’s okay!
- Make the brownie batter. Combine dark chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and heat in the microwave in 30 second bursts until completely melted and smooth. You can also heat it gently on the stove in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the egg, sugar and salt and whisk until the batter is glossy and smooth. Sprinkle over the flour and fold it in gently. Spread the brownie batter evenly into the base of the lined pan and place it in the fridge while you make the cheesecake batter.
- Make the cheesecake batter. Add cream cheese to a large bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer on medium-high speed until very smooth. Gradually add in sugar and continue mixing until very well combined and sugar is dissolved and there are no lumps. Scrape down the bowl at least 2 times during this process. The more you mix at this stage, the smoother the batter will be. You can also do this using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium speed, scraping down sides of bowl frequently.
- Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well before adding the next. Scrape down sides of bowl between each addition. Beat in vanilla and salt. Add the melted chocolate mixture and sifted cocoa powder and mix it in.
- Warm the cream in the microwave for 20-30 seconds just so it is luke warm, but not hot. Very gradually beat in the slightly warm cream until combined and the batter is smooth and silky.
- Pour batter through a sieve (to remove any lumps) and into prepared pan and bake for 22-25 minutes until deeply dark brown on top. Do NOT over-bake. The cheesecake should still be very jiggly when you take it out the oven. Transfer pan to a cooling rack and let cool completely in the pan (it will fall drastically as it cools). Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- Carefully peel away parchment from sides of cheesecake. Slice into wedges and serve at room temperature, preferably with a glass of sherry alongside.
