Mother’s Day Cheesecake (Basque, Walnut Shortbread Crust)

A decadent, not-too-sweet cheesecake with a walnut shortbread crust, perfectly sized for a 6-inch cake. This cheesecake is like a hybrid between a basque style (aka San Sebastian) cheesecake and a regular North American cheesecake. It has a delicious walnut shortbread cookie crust.

How I decorated this mother’s day cheesecake

It’s no-mow May and all of a sudden, there were dandelions gathered in clusters everywhere I looked. One day there was nothing but grass, the next they sprouted all at once, blooming their yellow flowers, congregating and dancing.

I picked an adventurous few that seemed like they would not mind being on cake, and also snipped a couple of magnolia blossoms from my magnolia tree.

Strawberries are in season and pairs incredibly well with cheesecake. Strawberries should be dried thoroughly with a paper towel after washing. Make sure to cut the bottoms off the strawberries so that they sit flush on the cheesecake.

My vision was to dust the strawberries in matcha (or something green) and have some of the flowers coming out of the green mounds like they were growing out of a mossy hill or mossy rock.

I made a green, mossy powder by combining confectioner’s sugar with matcha powder and a tiny bit of spirulina powder.

I initially wanted to coat the strawberries in matcha white chocolate, but this did not pan out. White chocolate is a bit temperamental when melting. I did try melting some white chocolate chips in the microwave, but it became a dry lumpy mass.

I also tried coating the strawberries directly in my green powder mixture, but it was clumpy and did not work well.

If you want to use green powder like I did, the best way is to dust the powder directly over the strawberries with a sift, or to use a brush to lightly brush the powder on.

To make the dandelion-strawberry mounds, I made small holes in the strawberries using a metal straw. If you do not have a metal straw, a toothpick, metal probe, or even a chopstick will work. The important thing is to make a hole that is big enough to insert the stem of the flower, but not too big so that the flower topples over.

Some further tips for decorating

• Height is important. You want varying heights – some flowers should be taller than others. Place some flowers on the strawberries and some on the cake for a varying visual effect.
• When picking flowers, choose for some variance. Pick some that are bigger and more in bloom, and one or two that are buds.

Important timing considerations

• If you are decorating with fresh flowers and strawberries, it is important to keep in mind that flowers will wilt and strawberries will leak! For this reason, I recommend decorating no earlier than 2-3 hours before serving.
• While slicing the bottoms off strawberries do make them look better and easier to eat, note that slicing, hulling, or in any way damaging strawberries will exacerbate their weeping. To counteract this, you can try gently wiping the strawberries with a damp paper towel instead of washing and drying, and keeping the strawberries whole.

 The cake turned out so beautiful! It looks like a spring garden.

Tips for making the cheesecake

Making the walnut shortbread crust

Walnuts should be ground fine enough, otherwise the crust will be hard to form. I use a pestle to hand crush the walnuts in a bowl, but you could also use a food processor or blender to do this. Alternatively, you could put the walnuts in a plastic bag and crush them with something heavy like a rolling pin.

If you use a food processor or blender, take care not to overdo it, else the walnuts might turn into walnut butter.

Making the cheesecake batter

There is an optimal order when combining ingredients for a smooth batter. First, the cream cheese should be combined with the sugar to soften and lighten the cream cheese. Next, the eggs should be added one at a time. Finally, the cream should be added last. The cream will thin out the batter somewhat, so it is important that the batter be mostly smooth before its addition. Any lumps after the addition of cream will be harder to even out.

If you are mixing with a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment and scrape down the sides regularly.

If you are hand mixing, it helps to smear the cream cheese against the wall of the bowl. Scrape down the sides of the bowl often. The best tool to use during the initial mixing is a hard wooden spoon or stiff spatula. Once the batter is looser, it may help to switch over to a whisk.

Baking the cheesecake

Lining the pan will help substantially and protect against headaches during the unmolding of the cheesecake.

If you are using a springform cake tin, line the sides only. There is no need to line the bottom of the cake. Once the cheesecake has baked and chilled, it will be easy to unmold and slide off by running a knife between the bottom of the cheesecake and the pan.

If you are using a regular cake tin, make sure to line both the bottom and sides. Once the cheesecake is hard and chilled, unmold by gently tipping the pan over and catching with your hand.

This is a basque cheesecake – regular cheesecake hybrid, so there is no need for a water bath. In fact, a water bath is discouraged as it will prevent the crust from setting and the cheesecake edges from caramelizing.

Exact baking time depends on your oven and your preference for cheesecake. I prefer a well-done cheesecake with more caramelization (think basque cheesecake), so I like to bake closer to the one-hour mark.

If you prefer a less set cheesecake, baking time will be closer to 45 minutes. Bake until the top is set, but there is a slight jiggle in the center.

Cooling the cheesecake

Although this cheesecake is not liable to cracking due to the addition of cream, it doesn’t hurt to be conservative just in case. If cheesecake is cooled too suddenly, it may contract and crack. We can prevent this by cooling the cheesecake gradually.

This means cooling the cheesecake in stages. After the cheesecake is done baking, first turn off the oven and let it cool in the oven with the door cracked open. If your oven door wants to close, you can wedge a wooden spoon in between the door.

After this initial cooling, we can take the cheesecake out and let it cool to room temperature. Afterwards, we can chill the cheesecake in the fridge.

Although it may be counterintuitive, I recommend not covering the cheesecake in the fridge (for instance, with plastic wrap). I find that wrapping cheesecake (even loosely) often leads to condensation and undesirable water droplets. If you must cover your cheesecake, you should do so only after the cheesecake has already been chilled, which will guard against condensation.

Print Recipe

Mother’s Day Cheesecake (Basque, Walnut Shortbread Crust)

A decadent, not-too-sweet cheesecake with a walnut shortbread crust, perfectly sized for a 6-inch cake.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time55 minutes mins

Chill time3 hours hrs

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Canadian, Spanish

Diet: Vegetarian

Keyword: Cake, Celebration, Cheesecake, Spring/Summer, Walnuts

Servings: 6

Equipment

• 6 inch round cake tin

Ingredients

For the cheesecake

• 500 g 2 blocks cream cheese (full fat), softened
• 100 g table cream 18% MF
• 80 g sugar see note 1
• 2 eggs
• 20 g 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• ½ tsp vanilla
• ½ tsp orange blossom water

For the crust

• 65 g walnuts crushed
• 15 g icing sugar
• 30 g flour
• 25 g salted butter melted
• Dash cardamom powder

To decorate (optional)

• 5-8 strawberries
• Dandelions magnolias, or other edible flowers
• Powdered sugar matcha powder, spirulina powder

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 355 F. Line a 6-inch round cake tin with parchment paper along the sides. If your cake pan is not springform, line the bottom with parchment paper as well.
• Combine all of the crust ingredients and press the mixture into the bottom of the cake tin.
• In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on low speed, or with a hardy wooden spoon and a bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar together until well combined.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, to the cream cheese mixture. Mix well and scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
• Then add the cornstarch, vanilla, and orange blossom water. Mix to combine. Add the table cream last. The batter should be pourable and smooth. If there are lumps of cream cheese in the batter, scrape down the bowl and continue mixing until smooth, taking care not to beat in too much air.
• Pour the batter into the lined cake tin. If using a springform cake tin, put a tray or pan under the cake tin to catch any leaks (see note 2). Bake for 45 to 55 minutes in preheated oven (see note 3).
• Let cheesecake cool in the oven with the oven door cracked open for 20 minutes. Then take out cheesecake and let cool at room temperature. Chill the cheesecake in the fridge for at least 3 hours before removing from the cake tin.
• Once the cheesecake is well chilled. Carefully remove from cake tin and peel off parchment paper. If desired, decorate with fresh fruit and edible flowers.

Video

@hellenshouse

for the recipe 🔗https://hellenshouse.com/mothers-day-cheesecake/ #mothersdaydessert #cheesecakelover #celebrationcake #celebrationdessert #springflowers #bakingreel

♬ original sound – Hellen Chan – Hellen Chan

Notes

1. This cheesecake has a low level of sweetness. Feel free to increase the sugar amount if you prefer a sweeter cheesecake.
2. A tray under your springform cake tin is always a good idea for easy cleanup. Even where the cheesecake does not leak in the oven, sometimes moisture leaks out during cooling in the fridge.
3. If you prefer a more custard-like cheesecake, bake for 45 minutes. The top will be set but will retain a slight jiggle. If you prefer your cheesecake more done, bake for 55 minutes. The top will have more color and the cheesecake will not jiggle. Baking time may vary based on your oven.