Chef John's gingerbread Basque cheesecake gives a seasonal twist to the very best method for making cheesecake. It's fast and easy, does not need a crust, and there's a remedy for the nearly-inevitable cracks—just make a few of the bonus piped royal icing snowflakes for the top. For gingerbread lovers and cheesecake lovers alike, this is the creamiest, most delicious combination of your favorites imaginable.
INGREDIENTS
Royal Icing Snowflakes (optional)
- 1 large egg white
- 1 pinch cream of tartar
- 1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar, plus more as needed
Cheesecake
- 1 tablespoon soft unsalted butter for greasing the pan and parchment
- 24 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 large egg yolk
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
DIRECTIONS
- For the optional royal icing snowflakes, add egg white, cream of tartar, and 1 cup confectioner’s sugar to a mixing bowl and begin whisking. Continue whisking while adding confectioner’s sugar a few tablespoons at a time, until a very stiff icing forms. Transfer into a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Place a piece of parchment paper on a sheet pan, and pipe out a variety of snowflake designs. You can make larger ones for the top of the cheesecake, and/or smaller ones to serve with the slices. Allow the snowflakes to dry and harden for 12 to 24 hours before using.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
- Lightly grease a 9-inch cake pan with butter. Cut a large round of parchment paper big enough to fit into the cake pan with about 1 to 1 1/2 inches of the paper coming up above the edge of the pan. Grease parchment paper generously with butter, and press into the pan, butter side up. Press and position parchment as evenly as possible, making sure all the pleats around the sides are pressed tightly together so the batter can't get in.
- For batter, add cream cheese, flour, sugar, molasses, vanilla, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and clove to a mixing bowl. Use an electric hand mixer to cream everything together until light and fluffy.
- Add egg yolk, and 1 whole egg, and blend until incorporated. Repeat with the next 3 whole eggs, beating each one in thoroughly before adding the next. Once all the eggs are mixed in, blend in cream. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and give the batter one final mix to make sure everything is evenly incorporated.
- Pour batter into the parchment-lined, prepared cake pan. Tap the pan on the countertop three or four times to bring up any large air bubbles.
- Bake in the upper center of the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Increase temperature to 450 F (235 degrees C). and cook until cheesecake is puffed up, nicely browned, but still very jiggly, about 10 minutes more.
- Cool cheesecake on a wire rack in the pan for at least 1 hour, then carefully remove to a plate; lift cheesecake out using parchment paper edges.
- Cover and refrigerate until chilled, several hours or up to overnight. Garnish with royal icing snowflakes, and serve.
