Basque-Style Sweet Potato Cheesecake

October 2, 2021

4.5

(35)

A Sweet Potato Basque Cheesecake being sliced.

Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton

This subtly spiced, sweet potato-based marvel borrows from the Basque cheesecake tradition: It doesn’t have a crust and is baked until its exterior is a deep copper, obscuring a surprisingly pale and tender interior. Basque cheesecake is most often served unadorned, but in a nod to American sweet potato casseroles and pies, a dollop of whipped cream or torched marshmallow fluff on the plate would surely be welcomed here.

Making your own sweet potato purée is a modest effort that makes all the difference in both the flavor and texture of this cheesecake; more concentrated and robust than store-bought, the purée imparts the true, undeniable flavor of sweet potato. Canned simply can’t compete.

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What you’ll need

9-Inch Springform Pan
$17 At Amazon
Silicone Spatula
$10 At Amazon
Cinnamon
$9 At Hive
Kosher Salt
$12 $11 At Amazon

Recipe information

Total Time
5 hours, including cooling time
Yield
Makes one 9"-diameter cake

Ingredients

2 lb. sweet potatoes (3–4 large), preferably garnet, scrubbed

Unsalted butter (for pan)

24 oz. cream cheese (not low-fat), room temperature

1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar

¼ cup (50 g) light brown sugar

3 large eggs

½ cup sour cream (not low-fat), room temperature

½ cup heavy cream, room temperature

1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, or 2 tsp. vanilla extract

¼ cup (31 g) all-purpose flour

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp. ground ginger

¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

Special equipment

A 9"-diameter springform pan

Preparation

Step 1
Place a rack in middle of oven and preheat to 450°F. Place sweet potatoes on a foil or parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and roast, turning once, until skins are puffed and scorched in spots where the juices have bubbled out and caramelized and a skewer easily slides into flesh, 55–65 minutes. Let sweet potatoes cool slightly. Reduce oven temperature to 425°F.
Step 2
Peel sweet potatoes; discard skins. Transfer flesh to a food processor and process until smooth (or, pass through a food mill into a large bowl). Let cool at least 1 hour.
Step 3
Lightly butter pan. Cut 2 long lengths of parchment paper and crumple to soften (this will help it lay flatter in the round pan). Line pan with both sheets of parchment so they overlap in a crisscross manner; overhang should extend at least 2" above the rim. Beat cream cheese, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, until very smooth, about 3 minutes. With motor running, add 2 cups sweet potato purée by spoonfuls (reserve any remaining purée for another use); beat until fully incorporated. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down bowl and paddle as needed. Reduce speed to medium-low and mix in sour cream, cream, and salt. Scrape in vanilla seeds or add vanilla extract. Turn off mixer and sift in flour, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Beat on low speed just to incorporate, about 30 seconds. Fold batter a few times with a rubber spatula, making sure to scrape bottom of bowl. Scrape batter into prepared pan; smooth surface.
Step 4
Bake cheesecake until deeply bronzed and quite puffed on top but still with a pronounced wiggle in the center when gently shaken, 55–65 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cheesecake cool, about 1½ hours.
Step 5
To serve, carefully unmold cheesecake and peel away parchment before slicing.
Do ahead: Sweet potato purée can be made 2 days ahead. Transfer to an airtight container and chill.

TagsCheesecake Cake Dessert Sweet Potato Potato Root Vegetable Vegetable Cream Cheese Cheese Dairy Nut Free Baking Roast Stand Mixer Christmas Thanksgiving Epicurious

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Reviews (35)

I don't know where "basque " comes from but I've been making this cheesecake in my kitchen for eons. And this is the #1 dessert in Gladys Knights restaurant that she sold for eons. Hers is far better, and I take mine up a notch as I include toasted pecans and spices in my crust and a homemade caramel pecan topping. Sorry but those of us who grew up eating sweet potatoes nearly before coming off of mothers breast milk are wayyyyyy ahead of you
- Regina
- Harrisburg, PA
- 12/29/2023
Made this for Thanksgiving and I think I will make it every year from now on. It is a remarkable dessert!
- Althea V.
- Los Angeles
- 12/9/2023
I've made this recipe for the last 3 thanksgivings, and it's always a hit. I agree with other comments that you should up the spices - i tripled it this time, and it still could use more. As for Berts gripe about the skins, please don't add those lol this cheesecake does not need potato scraps. The only 'modification' (if you want to call it that) that I do is add a meringue topping that I torch before serving, and some candied pecans. Yes, that means you dont see the burnt top - but it looks pretty and it's tasty, and it's how I like it :)
- Courtney
- Canada
- 10/7/2023
I've made this twice & it works beautifully. Great for a Thanksgiving dessert. (You can substitute 2 cups of roasted & pureed pumpkin for the sweet potatoes.) The only problem is how to deal with the parchment paper after the cheesecake is baked & cooled. After removing the side of the springform pan, I used the parchment paper to carefully lift the cake off the bottom of the pan & transfer the cake to a serving dish. At that point, I used kitchen scissors to trim off the parchment paper that was sticking out, leaving only parchment paper on the very bottom of the cake. That seemed like the best solution to the problem, since the recipe didn't actually say how to "peel off the parchment paper before slicing."
- Anonymous
- 12/4/2022
Made this for a family gathering and it was a HUGE hit. I'd been intimidated to try a Basque style cheesecake, and this seemed like an easy approach to the cooking method. I don't normally like cheesecake as I find it too rich and dense, but this is fluffy perfection and such a gorgeous color when using garnet yams.
- Anonymous
- Idaho
- 10/24/2022
NOT to say it was bad at all. It was just disappointing.
- BARRY Miller
- Salt Lake City
- 5/22/2022
This is a total departure from the cooking of the Basque region. The 7 Basque provinces of Northern Spain & Southern France in the Pyrenees Mountains do not cook with sweet potatoes at all -- ever. It is not part of their culture or their wonderful culinary creations. Although this looks like what is called the Basque Cake which is heavenly, it is a total departure from the ingredients for that delightful dessert which is well-known throughout the region. Epicurious should present more traditional Basque creations in keeping with the culture they purport to represent rather than newly invented recipes such as this one which misrepresents Basque cooking by its name.
- Anonymous
- IL
- 2/20/2022