Basque Burnt Cheesecake

Name: Basque Burnt Cheesecake
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 265 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 2 lb full-fat block cream cheese, four 8-oz blocks, room temperature; 1½ cups sugar; 1 tsp kosher salt; 6 eggs, room temperature; 2 cups heavy cream, room temperature; 1 tsp vanilla extract; ⅓ cup all-purpose flour

The San Sebastián cheesecake: no crust, a top baked nearly black and bitter like caramel, and a center that stays soft and custardy. Crumpled parchment does the rest.

Take it out while it still looks underdone. The outer ring should be set and the middle 4 inches should wobble hard when you nudge the pan. It sets as it cools. And serve it at room temperature. Straight from the fridge it eats like any other cheesecake.

Ingredients

2 lb full-fat block cream cheese, four 8-oz blocks, room temperature
1½ cups sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
6 eggs, room temperature
2 cups heavy cream, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
⅓ cup all-purpose flour

Method

Heat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the middle. Crumple two large sheets of parchment, flatten them out, and press them crosswise into a 10-inch springform pan so they stand 2 inches above the rim. Set the pan on a sheet pan. A 9-inch pan works too. Add about 10 minutes.
Beat the cream cheese, sugar and salt in a stand mixer with the paddle on medium-low until completely smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape the bowl and paddle twice. Lumps now stay lumps.
On low, add the eggs one at a time, scraping after every second egg. Pour in the cream and vanilla in a slow stream.
Sift the flour over the top and mix on low just until it disappears. The batter will be thin like heavy cream. Pour it through a strainer into the pan.
Bake until the top is a deep, dark brown, the edge is puffed and set, and the middle 4 inches still wobble, 60 to 65 minutes. If it's still pale at 50 minutes, raise the oven to 450°F for the rest of the time.
Cool in the pan on a rack for at least 3 hours. It will sink in the middle, which is right. Unclip the ring, peel back the parchment, and cut with a hot, dry knife.