Pandan Kaya Basque Cheesecake
Most people I speak to hate baking because it’s an exact science - code for, if you mess up even a little, you’ve messed it all up. There are usually few ways to fix a baking “mistake”, but there are certainly many ways to make the best out of them - bone-dry, overbaked cakes for example, make great cake pops.
If you’ve tried my kaya recipe, there’s a high chance you’ll have had a batch or two curdle. You could blend the curdled kaya - it tastes just as great, albeit a bit watery - or, you could put it into this cheesecake. Basque cheesecakes is, surprisingly, a very forgiving “dump cake” - as long as there’s enough cream cheese and eggs to balance the batter out, you can truly add anything to it, from chocolate mousse to raspberry jam. This particular twist on the most famous cake from San Sebastián is floral and delicate, with all credit due to the copious amounts of pandan that get added to the batter.
It’s also very easy to make - everything gets added together at the same time, and no intricate folding is involved. The only caveat is that you’ll need to refrigerate the cake for at least a few hours to let it set, but you’re paid off for your patience, as this gets you a truly luscious, mousse-like cake perfect for your IG grid.
Ingredients:
500g cream cheese
200g granulated sugar
3 eggs
250ml whipping cream
1 teaspoon of pandan extract
3 tablespoons of kaya (note: this can be replaced with more cream)
2 tablespoons of cake flour
Mix the cream cheese until fluffy, then gradually mix in all of the other ingredients until everything is combined and very few lumps remain.
Bake at 210°C for 30 minutes in an 8-inch cake tin (lined with baking paper), or until the top gets slightly burnt.
Let cool, and store in the fridge to slightly firm up for at least 2 hours (or overnight).
Note: if you want to add more kaya, use it as a substitute for the whipping cream.