{"id":16540,"date":"2020-09-17T00:09:59","date_gmt":"2020-09-17T00:09:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/devoursansebastianfoodtours.com\/?p=2776"},"modified":"2024-07-22T13:23:11","modified_gmt":"2024-07-22T13:23:11","slug":"san-sebastian-cheesecake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/blog\/san-sebastian-cheesecake\/","title":{"rendered":"All About The Iconic San Sebastian Cheesecake (+ Recipe)"},"content":{"rendered":"

The beauty of the legendary San Sebastian cheesecake is its simplicity.

It doesn’t even have a crust, unlike its New Yorker cousin, and the list of ingredients is shorter than you’d think. <\/p>

The key factor is the perfect baking time—or rather, under<\/em>baking. The cake has to be taken out of the oven when it’s still very jiggly inside to guarantee the smooth, gooey, almost liquid texture.<\/strong> The outside of the cake has to be burnt brown to give it extra flavor and a slightly caramelized touch.<\/p>

But where did the story of San Sebastian’s famous cheesecake actually begin? Read along for the full story.<\/p>

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Basque cheesecake’s distinctive creamy texture and burnt exterior are a match made in heaven.<\/figcaption><\/figure>

The origin of San Sebastian cheesecake<\/h2>

La Viña<\/a>, home of the superstar cheesecake, is a bar on the famous Calle 31 de Agosto in the Old Town of San Sebastian. This place is one of the cornerstones of the local food scene: it was founded in 1959 by the parents, uncle, and aunt of current owner Santiago Rivera.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>

Growing up in the restaurant, Santiago learned the secrets of Basque cuisine<\/a> from an early age. When he took over the restaurant from his parents, he decided the menu was missing one key element: dessert.<\/strong><\/p>

Santiago turned to recipe books for inspiration, and soon began experimenting with cheesecake. By testing various versions and combining the best parts of all of them, he finally came up with a perfect combination of smooth texture and heavenly flavor. <\/p>

The famous Basque cheesecake was born.<\/strong><\/p>

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Santiago Rivera, the chef who invented the famous burnt basque cheesecake at his bar La Viña in San Sebastian.<\/figcaption><\/figure>

By that time, La Viña was already a favorite amongst San Sebastian locals, and the cheesecake also had won the hearts of donostiarras <\/em>(people from the area).<\/strong><\/p>

But little by little, curious travelers also found the place and the hidden gem inside. Word of mouth started spreading: the world’s best cheesecake was found in a small Basque city.<\/strong><\/p>

Today, people from all over the world make a pilgrimage to San Sebastian, with trying the cake as the first thing on their to-do list. And they’re ready to line up in the packed bar, something that comes naturally for the locals but can be quite intimidating for a visitor. <\/p>

But it’s all worth it! The expressions on people’s faces when they try this piece of heaven for the first time tell more than any words can describe. <\/p>

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La Viña might have a line, but it’s worth the wait.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>

San Sebastian Cheesecake: Conquering the world one slice at a time<\/h2>

Thanks to social media, great things don’t stay secret for too long in this day and age. <\/strong><\/p>

Over the past couple of years, Santiago has been surprised multiple times with news of restaurants and bakeries all over the world that have started serving Basque-style cheesecake—inspired by the recipe he created!<\/p>

According to our research, you can find La Viña-inspired cheesecake in: New York<\/a>, Istanbul<\/a>, London<\/a>, Melbourne<\/a>, Copenhagen<\/a>, Tokyo<\/a>, Kuala Lumpur<\/a> and Chicago<\/a>…just to name a few. And that list is growing all the time. <\/p>

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This iconic cheesecake is a symbol of Basque cuisine. Some of the copycat Basque cheesecake recipes are probably good in their own right—but nothing beats the original from La Viña. Photo credit: Kezia Lynn<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>

San Sebastian cheesecake recipe<\/h2>

Ready to put your baking skills to the test? Here’s our recipe for the famous San Sebastian cheesecake, straight from La Viña itself.<\/strong> It’s the perfect sweet finale for your next dinner party, or even for the Christmas table.<\/p>

No matter how you enjoy it, just be sure to serve the cake with a glass of sweet sherry<\/strong>—as we like to enjoy it here in San Sebastian—and success is guaranteed!<\/p>

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After a slice of the iconic San Sebastian cheesecake, you’ll be wanting more.<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Ingredients<\/h3>