Basque Cheesecake is a trendy cheesecake that breaks all the rules! Although it originates from Spain, it's made its way around the world and can now be found in a variety of flavours in cafes and convenience stores across Japan! I have a delicious recreation recipe for Lawson's "Baschee" caramel basque style cheesecake. It's smooth, creamy and you're gonna love it!
Lawson's Baschee
What is "baschee"?
Baschee is a delicious dessert created by the Japanese chain convenience store "Lawson". It's a creamy cheesecake inspired by the popular burnt "basque" cheesecake which originated from Spain. Even the name "baschee" (バスチー) is a Japanese abbreviation of basque cheesecake.
Lawson's Baschee is made with Hokkaido cheddar cheese and contains a higher egg yolk ratio than regular basque cheesecake making it smooth, thick and cheesy. It is also flavoured with caramel which adds sweetness throughout the cheesecake itself, whilst adding a touch of burnt caramel bitterness to the top.
It was released in 2018 and sold 1 million over just three days when it was released! Even to this day (2021) it's not uncommon to find it's sold out in the evening. If you come to Japan, I definitely recommend trying it out. You won't regret it!
Basque Cheesecake
Basque cheesecake is a famous crustless cheesecake that was created in San Sebastian, Spain in 1990. This unusual cheesecake breaks all the rules! It's baked for a short time at a high temperature, creating a rustic looking cheesecake with a dark burnt-looking surface, cracks around the edges and a soft and smooth center.
Basque Cheesecake is particularly popular in Japan and is considered a "high end" dessert, with many specialist bakeries having queues lining up out of the door.
Not only is basque cheesecake extremely delicious, but it's easy to make at home and you don't need any special tools, just a bowl, spatula and oven! Because of it's rustic look, it's very forgiving so you don't need to stress about it looking perfect. In fact, a bit of sinking and a few cracks around the edges is a good thing. It's a delicious dessert with great character.
Ingredients
The main ingredients used in Basque Cheesecake are:
- Cream Cheese (preferably Philadelphia)
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Heavy cream
- Cake flour
If you look at different Basque Cheesecake recipes, you'll find they all contain these ingredients in different ratios.
Tip: Let all your ingredients reach room temperature before starting!
I wanted to try and replicate the taste of Lawson's Baschee, so I've included steps to make caramel sauce for this recipe, as well as including a surprise ingredient to add extra cheesy-ness.
Processed Cheese Slices
"Processed cheese slices?! WHYYYYYYYY?!" I hear you ask... Well, maybe it sounds strange, but I actually found tonnes of Japanese recipes using processed cheese slices and milk to make cheesecake! I got curious, so I had to try!
I don't know the reason for sure, but my assumption is that because dairy products are very expensive, using cheese slices helps bring down the cost of making a homemade cheesecake.
Not only is it cost efficient and allowed me to use less cream cheese, but I found that using just a few slices in my cheesecake recipe created a perfectly cheesy taste and helped make the texture a bit more stable.
If you don't like the sound of it, you can just take out the cheese slices and milk and double the cream cheese , but I highly recommend trying out the cheese slices. You'll be surprised how good it is, I know I was!
Big VS Small
Basque Cheesecake is usually made as one large cheesecake that is cut into slices, whereas Lawson's baschee is mini and probably about the size of a cupcake.
The great thing about my recipe, is that you can use it for both sizes, you just need to adjust the cooking times.
Basque Cheesecake Cooking Method
All ovens are slightly different so it's difficult to give a specific time or temperature for baking recipes.
Whether you're making a large basque cheesecake or mini ones, you will need to start with a high oven temperature and then lower it slightly towards the end of baking.
When I'm making this recipe, I always make sure my oven is fully preheated and then place the cheesecakes on the top shelf inside my oven.
Once they start to brown on the top, I take them out and brush caramel over the top to help brown them more and create a burnt caramel flavour. Before I put them back in, I lower the oven temperature by about 20-30°C (70-80°F) and turn the cake tin around so that it cooks more evenly.
Once you take it out of the oven, it should still have a wobble. It will continue to cook with the residual heat when cooling and then set fully once refrigerated. Be careful not to overbake.
Here are the approximate oven times and temperatures based on the size of your cheesecakes.
15cm (6inch) Cake Tin (approx total time 30 mins)
First 15-25 mins: 220-230°C (430-450°F)
Last 10 mins: 190-200°C (375-390°F)
6 x Muffin cases (approx total time 17 mins)
First 12-15 mins: 210-220°C (410-430°F)
Last 5 mins: 180-190°C (350-375°F)
As I mentioned before, this is just an approximate time based on my own oven and texture preference. I like a soft cheesecake that is not too burnt on top, you can cook for more or less time depending on your personal preference!
Equipment
So! For this recipe you will need:
- 15cm (6") cake tin with a removable base or a 6 cup muffin tin (you can also use 6 ramekins)
- A silicone spatula
- A whisk
- A microwavable bowl
- Baking paper / 6 muffin cases
- Aluminium foil
Watch our full step by step "How to make Japanese Style Caramel Basque Cheesecake" here!
Eating and Storing
I know it's almost impossible to resist, but basque cheesecake definitely has a better taste and texture after being in the fridge over night. It needs about an hour to cool down and about 3 hours in the fridge at least before you can peel off the baking parchment without breaking it.
Whenever I make this recipe, I try to make it in the evening after I've already eaten something sweet. That way, I can let it cool, put it in the fridge and go to sleep... that's my way of removing the temptation. If you're making this for a guests or as a present, definitely make it the night before!
For storage, keep it in an airtight container or plastic wrap in the fridge for about 5 days or the freezer for 2-3 months. Thaw at room temperature to defrost.
I hope you enjoy this extra cheesy, Lawson style Caramel "Baschee" Basque Cheesecake! If you have any questions, feel free to comment below and I'll do my best to answer! Happy baking!
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Caramel Basque Style Cheesecake (Lawson Baschee Recreation Recipe)
- Total Time: 4 hours
- Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
Description
How to make rich, smooth and decadent Lawson style "Baschee" Caramel Basque Cheesecake. (Serves 6-8)
Ingredients
Caramel sauce
- 25g Granulated white sugar
- 2 tbsp water
Baschee
- 3 slices of processed cheese
- 2 tbsp whole milk
- 100g cream cheese (preferably Philadelphia)
- 2 tsp butter
- 50g white granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 egg white
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tbsp cake flour
- 1 pinch salt
- 200ml heavy cream
Instructions
Caramel
- Start by adding 25g of granulated white sugar to a cold pan and drizzle ½ tbsp of cold water.
- Turn on the heat (medium) and bring to a bubbling state. Do not mix or interfere with the caramel at this point!
- When the sugar and water starts to become a little golden, add another ½ tbsp of cold water. Make sure to stand well back and perhaps wear oven gloves because it will definitely splash and sizzle!
- Swirl the pan a tiny bit and then return straight back to the heat.
- Keep your eye on it and when it becomes an amber type of colour, add 1 more tbsp of water (again standing as far back as possible because it will sizzle and splash).
- Take it off the heat and swirl the caramel around by tilting the pan in a circular motion. This will get some air into the caramel and allow it to cool down a bit.
Basque Cheesecake
- Before starting, make sure to bring your ingredients to room temperature and preheat your oven to 220-230°C (430-450°F). (If you're making mini baschee then preheat to a slightly lower heat, 210-220°C (410-430°F))
- Line a 15cm (6") removable base cake tin with one large scrunched piece of baking parchment. (For mini baschee, use a muffin tin and place 6 muffin cups inside.)
- Wrap aluminium foil around the base to prevent any leaks.
- Pour half of the caramel onto the base of the parchment paper and leave the other half for the tops, we'll use it later.
- Rip 3 cheese slices into small pieces and place them in a microwavable bowl.
- Add 2 tbsp milk and microwave at 600W for 20 second intervals, whisking between each time. Do this until your cheese slices have melted enough that combine with the milk and make a smooth, pale and creamy texture.
- Now add 100g of soft room temperature cream cheese. (If it's too hard to mix, microwave for 20-40 seconds to warm and soften it.)
- Once it's smooth and lump-free, add 2 tsp of unsalted butter and mix until melted in.
- Next, add 50g granulated sugar and mix until the sugar is dissolved.
- Add 1 tbsp of honey to the bowl, then switch to silicone spatula and mix until smooth.
- In a small separate bowl, mix 1 egg white and 2 egg yolks together using a fork. Don't mix too vigorously, we don't want to create too many air bubbles.
- Add ¼ of the egg mixture to the cream cheese and mix with the spatula until well incorporated.
- Sift in 1 tbsp of weak flour (cake flour is best, plain flour is also okay) and add a pinch of salt, mix until there are no lumps.
- Add the rest of the egg, a ⅓ at a time, mixing gently each time.
- Add 200ml of heavy cream, one ⅓ at a time and mix well. The batter should be quite a thin and runny consistency.
- Pour the mixture through a mesh strainer to remove any unwanted lumps, this step creates an extra smooth result.
- Finally, pour the mixture into the lined cake tin.
- Use a bamboo skewer or toothpick to pierce any air bubbles on the top.
- Place the cheesecake on the top shelf. For the large size, bake for 15-25 mins. For muffin size bake for 12-15 mins.
- Once the tops are starting to firm up and brown, remove the cheesecakes from the oven and brush the tops with the leftover half of the caramel sauce.
- Lower the oven heat, large size: 190-200°C (375-390°F) or muffin size: 180-190°C (350-375°F) and return the cheesecake to the oven. Bake for a further 5-10 minutes.
- Keep an eye on them for the final few minutes, if you think they're burning or rising too much you can take them out.
- The cheesecakes will still be wobbly when you remove them from the oven, leave them to cool at room temperature for about 30mins - 1 hour.
- Refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours (preferably overnight).
- Enjoy!
Notes
Cooking time includes cooling time.
If you don't want to use processed cheese, you can switch out the cheese slices and milk for double the cream cheese. (So 200g instead of 100g.)
I recommend leaving it in the baking tin until cooled completely to prevent breakage.
For larger cake tins, multiply the ingredients by 1.5 to 2 and adjust the cooking time accordingly.
If you don't have a muffin tin, you can also place muffin cases in ramekins. (Makes nice presentation too)
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 3 hours 30 mins
- Category: Sweets
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Japanese
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