Generously burnished and with a velvety, custardy interior, this rustic, crustless cheesecake from the Basque region of northern Spain is the platonic ideal of a low-effort, high-reward dessert. The caramelized exterior evokes a toasty marshmallow, but the cake itself is not too sweet. Marti Buckley adapted this recipe from La Viña, a small bar in San Sebastián, for her cookbook, “Basque Country” (Artisan, 2018). This statement cake is achieved using only five primary ingredients. It’s baked at a higher temperature than a classic New York cheesecake and in the hot oven, the cheesecake dramatically inflates into a soufflé-like puff before sinking into itself, creating a cradle for fresh fruit, should you wish to serve it with some. But Basque cheesecake is perfect on its own, at its arguable prime the day after it’s made, enjoyed at room temperature.

Basque Cheesecake

Ingredients:
• Unsalted butter or nonstick spray, for greasing the pan
• 1 3/4 cups/350 grams sugar
• 2 1/4 pounds/36 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
• 5 large eggs
• 2 cups/480 milliliters heavy cream
• 1/4 cup/30 grams all-purpose flour

Directions:
Place a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 10-inch springform pan and line with parchment paper, leaving 2 to 3 inches overhanging the top of the pan. (You can trace and cut a circle to fit the base and then cut a band of paper to fit neatly around the sides, but the more rustic and simple method is to press an entire sheet into the pan, pleating the paper where it begins to crease. If you use multiple sheets of parchment, grease in between the layers so that they stick and lay flat.)

In a large bowl using a handheld mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the sugar and cream cheese until smooth. (This can be done by hand as well; beat with a wooden spoon for about 5 minutes.)

Add the salt and mix. Add the eggs one by one and beat until fully incorporated. Beat in the cream. Sift in the flour, then mix it in on low.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until browned and almost burnt on top, 50 to 60 minutes. The center will still be quite jiggly. Remove the cake from the oven and cool completely on a rack. It will have risen significantly, nearly past the top of the pan, but it will sink in the center as it cools.

Before serving, remove the rim of the springform and gently tug away the parchment paper. Serve at room temperature.

Total time: 1 hour 40 minutes, plus cooling, serves 12.