Brownie Basque Cheesecake, Gluten-Free

As far as I’m concerned, there are no longer such things as “Passover cakes.” There are simply cakes that happen to be perfect for Passover. In an era where so many wonderful ingredients are readily available, there’s really no need to reach for substitutes. We can simply bake cakes that work beautifully for Passover, or for anyone avoiding gluten. And honestly? These cakes are often far superior to their flour-based counterparts, because they are gloriously rich with chocolate, butter, cream, and all kinds of nuts.

During our most recent visit to Alsace, which wrapped up just a few days ago, we discovered a wonderful café in Strasbourg (more Alsace recommendations coming soon!) where we were served the most magnificent Basque cheesecake. I’ve made Basque cheesecakes before, one with chocolate and one marbled, but this one was different. There was something deeply vanilla about it, something delicate and refined, and above all, a perfect texture that kept drawing us back to that café again and again.

Back in our charming little Parisian apartment, I decided to create a cake that would be wonderful for not one but two upcoming holidays: Passover and Shavuot. A gluten-free Brownie  Basque Cheesecake, perfect for any day of the week and of course for both celebrations ahead.

The brownie layer is based on my famous brownie recipe, one I truly love. It’s balanced, rich, deeply chocolatey, and I turn to it every time I need a brownie layer in a cake, as I did with my Breton brownie cake and my Breton brownie apricot cake. Instead of flour, I used ground almonds, and just like that, the layer became perfectly Passover-friendly.

Resting on top of the brownie layer is a luscious Basque cheesecake with that signature perfect texture, generously studded with vanilla bean seeds that give it a deep, true vanilla flavor, just like real vanilla ice cream.

The single most important rule when baking a Basque cheesecake: take it out at the right moment. Even if it feels completely jiggly (it should!), even if it looks underdone, even if every instinct is telling you it needs more time, take it out. That is the only way to achieve that extraordinary texture, somewhere between a cream and a dream.

Brownie Basque Cheesecake
Loaf pan, 22 cm long, 10 cm wide

Ingredients
Brownie Layer :
75g dark chocolate 70%
75g butter
80g eggs (approximately 1.5 medium eggs)
70g light brown sugar or muscovado sugar
35g ground almonds
10g cocoa powder

Basque Cheesecake Layer:
300g cream cheese, at room temperature
100g sugar
150g heavy whipping cream
Seeds from one vanilla bean
120g eggs (approximately 2 medium eggs)
10g cornstarch

Preparation
1. Grease and line a loaf pan with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F)
2. Brownie Layer: Melt the chocolate and butter together over a double boiler or in the microwave. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
3. In a mixer bowl, whip the eggs and sugar together until light and airy.
4. Add the melted chocolate mixture to the eggs and whisk to combine. Add the ground almonds and cocoa powder and mix until smooth and uniform.
5. Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan.
6. Basque Cheesecake Layer: In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar together until the cheese softens and becomes light and fluffy.
7. Add the heavy cream and vanilla seeds and mix to combine.
8. Add the eggs gradually, mixing until fully incorporated.
9. Add the cornstarch and mix until the batter is smooth and uniform.
10. Pour the cheesecake batter over the brownie batter.
11. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is deeply browned but the center is still jiggly.
12. Remove from the oven, cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
*It is best served at room temperature, so remember to take it out of the fridge about half an hour before serving.

Bon-Appétit
Sharon