Banana Burnt Basque Cheesecake

BBBC 🍌🍰

In early-2000s Sydney suburbia, it felt like peak decadence to indulge in a cheesecake from The Cheesecake Shop. There was one near our house, a staple still hanging around today. Every time we visited family, we’d swing by for a full-sized cake. Twenty bucks, feeds a crowd, and my dad always let me choose the flavour. I always picked Black Forest. The glossy cherries, the chocolate shavings, the whipped cream piped around the edge. It felt fancy. Basque cheesecake? That wasn’t even in my vocabulary yet.

Then came adulthood, and with it, the slow realisation that lactose and I don’t get along. Today, I dabble in toleration selectively lol - but at some point, cheesecake stopped being worth the chocolate milkshake aftermath (sorry). Not because of how it made me feel, I just liked other things more.

These days, I admire those jiggly Basque cheesecakes from a distance. I love how they look, but haven’t brought myself to make one. Maybe it’s fear of regret OR it’s just that I’ve convinced myself it won’t be that good. But in a moment of last-minute Supperclub panic, I came across a video for a banana burnt Basque cheesecake - blended together in minutes. I was curious. I had bananas. I gave it a go. Was it a good cheesecake? Honestly? I’d be upset if I paid for it. But it was delicious in its own right. The flavour was there. Convenient to whip up. So I decided to rework it. Keeping the flavour, but tweaking the texture to give it that silky, custardy wobble that makes a Basque cheesecake special.

A few things I learnt along the way:

• Soften the cream cheese fully (work with room temp cream cheese)

• Minimise air incorporation (a gentle blend is your friend)

• A long, slow bake with a dramatic finish gives that signature burnt top and creamy middle.

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Here’s how to make it babes.

Ingredients

• 3 bananas

• 110g brown sugar

• 500g cream cheese, at room temperature

• 3 eggs

• 300ml thickened cream (heavy whipping cream)

• 10g cornstarch, sifted

• 2 tbsp caster sugar (optional, for torching)
  

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 200°C. Place a small baking dish filled with 1 cup (~200ml) of water on the bottom rack of the oven. This creates a bit of steam and helps prevent the cheesecake from cracking.

2. Place bananas and sugar in an ovenproof dish. Roast for 10–15 minutes, or until the bananas are bubbling and caramelised. Let cool completely.

3. Once cooled, blitz the bananas using a stick blender until smooth. If you don’t have one, use a food processor or blender, or mash very well with a fork. Add 1 tsp water if needed to help loosen the mixture.

4. Fold in the cream using a spatula - gently, to avoid incorporating air. Set aside.

5. In the bowl of a stand mixer on the lowest speed, loosen 500g softened cream cheese until smooth. Add 3 eggs, one at a time, mixing slowly to combine.
   Avoid using a hand mixer - it’s too powerful and can whip in too much air. If needed, do this part by hand with a spatula.

6. Once the eggs are fully incorporated, gently sift in 1 tbsp cornstarch and the banana-cream mixture. Mix until just combined.

7. Pour the batter into a 20cm springform tin lined with baking paper (base and sides - let the paper come above the rim).

8. Bake at 200°C for 40 minutes. The top should be deeply golden, and the centre should wobble slightly when shaken.

9. Let cool completely at room temperature, then chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours (or overnight).

10. Just before serving, sprinkle the top with white sugar and torch until caramelised. Slice and enjoy.