Scorched Basque Cheesecake with Boozy Cherry Compote

⏱ 90 min · Serves 10

A cheesecake that thrives on chaos: baked hot and fast until the top is deeply bronzed, almost burnt, while the middle stays molten and custardy. A dark, glossy cherry compote spiked with kirsch cuts through all that cream. No water bath, no crust, no fuss — just a scruffy sheet of parchment and a very hot oven.

Per serving: 615 kcal · 10.5g protein · 42.0g carbs · 45.0g fat

Ingredients

• 900g full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
• 280g caster sugar
• 6 large eggs, at room temperature
• 400ml double cream
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 30g plain flour, sifted
• 400g fresh or frozen cherries, pitted
• 60g caster sugar (for the compote)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp kirsch (or brandy)
• 1 tsp cornflour mixed with 1 tbsp cold water

Method

1. Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan. Line a 23cm springform tin with two overlapping sheets of baking parchment, pressing them in and letting them crumple and overhang by at least 5cm.
2. Beat the cream cheese and 280g sugar with a paddle or hand whisk on medium for 2-3 minutes until completely smooth, scraping the bowl twice. Lumps now mean lumps forever.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating just until each disappears. Keep the speed low — you want no air whipped in.
4. Pour in the double cream, vanilla and salt and mix until glossy. Sift the flour over the top and fold or beat briefly until smooth.
5. Pour the batter through a sieve into the tin. Tap the tin firmly on the worktop to release bubbles.
6. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until the top is dark mahogany-brown, the edges are set and the centre still wobbles like jelly when nudged. If it browns too fast, drop the heat to 200C.
7. Cool in the tin for at least 3 hours — it will sink dramatically in the middle, which is exactly right. Serve at room temperature, not fridge-cold.
8. For the compote, put the cherries, 60g sugar and lemon juice in a small pan over medium heat. Simmer 8-10 minutes until the cherries slump and release their juice.
9. Add the kirsch, bubble for 1 minute, then stir in the cornflour slurry and cook 30 seconds until the syrup thickens and shines. Cool.
10. Peel back the parchment, cut thick wedges with a hot knife, and spoon the cherries and their syrup over the top.