Basque-Style Sweet Potato Cheesecake

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

I found this very blah, just tasted like bland pumpkin pie filling, and I used freshly ground nutmeg. It would have been better with a nice flaky crust, but won’t make again to find out!

• Ritajoy

• Vancouver, BC, Canada

• 12/27/2021

My family loved it!

• T2

• Los Angeles, CA

• 12/23/2021

I made a ton of substitutions and it still turned out excellent! thanks for the inspiration. to make it vegan (same volumes unless otherwise indicated) - non-dairy 'cream cheese' (the best I've tried is wild creamery which is coconut based but tofutti or daiya would probably work too) - non-dairy cultured sour 'cream' or 'creme' fraiche (i used the forager brand, non-dairy yogurt would probably also work as well if there's one you like with a lot of fat content. coconut cream by itself doesn't have enough tang but adding lemon juice or a little apple cider vinegar could work.) - coconut oil or earth balance instead of butter (don't need to add salt to the batter if you use earth balance or another salted margarine type stuff, but the texture of big chunks of sea salt on the top at the end is sensational so i recommend still doing around a teaspoonful of that) - almond milk instead of cream, or you can use coconut redi whip in which case don't add any white sugar - flax eggs or vegan eggbeaters substitute (might even be possible to use a meringue made with aquafaba and xanthan gum or cream of tartar? i wouldn't know; I suck at making it apparently because it always tastes like rotten bean water and never seems to froth to the stiff peak stage, just sad cappuccino) to make it gluten free: - substitute 1/2 cup of tapioca starch for the 1/4 cup all purpose flour (imo the texture of this is better than GF flour, and i would endorse it even if you're not gluten free, if you happen to have some around, it gives it a really nice bouncy chewiness that reminds me of the tricolor cakes they sell at a vietnamese deli. rice flour would also work but be a little more mochi-ish, potato starch might also? if all you have is almond or coconut flour, only use like 2 tablespoons or else it will be too dense and gritty. another advantage to the tapioca starch is because it doesn't clump together there is no need to sift, just add a little bit at a time while whisking vigorously and it won't have dry spots) Then I also added a teaspoon of baking powder at the end even though that wasn't in the ingredients list because I prefer a souffle-like cheesecake over a thick dense fudgy textured one which this might become without the real eggs. let it rest for about 15 minutes while the oven heated up (I boiled the yams before I found this recipe) which allowed the bp to aerate a bit. I did not use a mixer or bother getting the food processor out because it doesn't take long to liquefy and incorporate the ingredients with a whisk and fork as long as you cook the crap out of the sweet potatoes. (I boiled mine instead of baking so I didn't need to add much extra liquid. the batter ended up thicker than pancake batter but thinner than biscuit dough. also the peels dredged in any batter stuck to the mixing bowl makes a good snack to resist eating the cake before it cools.)  i was out of ginger and cinnamon so since the spice mix was a little bland i added 1/4 teaspoon each of cardamom, allspice and 1/8 of cloves, also ended up putting 1/4 tbsp maca and 1/2 tbsp of molasses in mine. the brown sugar adds a good flavor and is pretty sweet, something like dates might give it an earthier flavor than the white sugar which I tend to not use if i can possibly avoid it. it came out soooo bomb :O without a springform pan you can use a pie plate, the parchment paper will keep it from sticking even if it doesn't form a perfect cylinder. chill in fridge. when cold, garnish with non-dairy redi whip for a traditional thanksgiving style, or for french crepe style spatter the top with half a meyer lemon worth of zest & juice or a finely chopped candied lemon slice, then dust the top with powdered sugar (use a stencil 2 be fancy) 

• mitch

• seattle

• 12/3/2021

DELICIOUS. So light and creamy—normally I find cheesecakes too dense and rich, but this was much lighter than any other cheesecake I've had. Made some minor changes: since I didn't have a 9-inch pan, I baked it for 60 mins in a 10 inch pan. I also microwaved the sweet potatoes because I was running out of time (stuck the puree in the freezer for 5 min to cool it!) and reduced the white sugar to 3/4 cup, keeping the full amount of brown sugar. My one complaint would be that the spices were very very faint; next time I might double the ginger and nutmeg. However, this really was so tasty—I will for sure be making it again. also @ the person who left a negative review on a recipe she didn't make....calm down lol.

• cassie d

• 11/29/2021

I just made this cake for a Thanksgiving weekend family dinner party, and it was a big hit! I followed this recipe without any variations or substitutions, and it came out great: The texture was fluffy, light, and mousse-like with subtle notes of spice and caramel. The only step I might approach differently next time would be to forego the parchment lining. When peeled off, the crumpled parchment (which did not sit flush) left unsightly creases on the sides of the cake — despite my having dutifully crumpled up the parchment before lining the pan. Also, I agree with another reviewer: If you (you know who you are) didn’t actually make the recipe, why are you reviewing it at all? And…. even more pointedly…. why are you dragging down the overall rating with an unwarranted two stars? That’s not exactly fair to the author, who likely worked tirelessly to perfect this recipe.

• Stacey O

• Los Angeles

• 11/28/2021

Made this for thanksgiving to replace pumpkin pie & never looking back. Was a huge hit. Followed exact instructions & baked for 55 min. I did make it the night before and kept it in the fridge until serving. Definitely helped with firming up the bottom & middle of cake. Has no issues slicing & serving.

• SG

• Rockville, MD

• 11/27/2021

I can't wait to try this recipe for Thanksgiving and never toss the potato skin...Feed them to the dog. Sweet potatoes are her favorite.

• Anonymous

• Ky

• 11/22/2021

This was fantastic! I made it without any changes to the recipe which is unusual for me. I was confused by the crisscrossing pieces of parchment paper, which is not adequately described. I ended up just lining the bottom with one piece of parchment paper, which stuck out a couple of inches around the edges after the springform rim was clamped onto the bottom. I did not have any leakage or problems with sticking. As for the person who only gave two stars without even making the recipe, please just don’t do that. And we ate or composted the sweet potato skins, but they definitely did not go into the pie.

• Caroline

• Nashville TN

• 11/21/2021

My cheesecake is currently in the oven. I decided to make an oat cookie crust for this cheesecake, so I’m excited to see what depth that brings to the overall flavor of the cheesecake. I dropped the oven temp down to 375 and will probably have a total bake time of 90-100 minutes. Next time I will only bring the crust up halfway on the sides of the pan.

• Randyee

• Chicago

• 10/25/2021

Made per directions, and were very pleased. My wife, an experienced cheesecaker, distrusted the parchment, but it paid off. There was no springform seeping. There was a challenge transferring to a plate and extracting the paper. The “tender” interior called for tactics: four hands and three spatulas. Should we have cooked it longer? Maybe. But texture was satisfying, the flavors complex and nuanced. The potato, the cheese, and warm, nutty spices all shone through, present but balanced. Color was autumnal and rich. There will be a next time, although my wife will consider a vanilla wafer bottom in lieu of paper. I’m satisfied with success. Guests loved it. To Roberta in LA: I nibbled the skins and still discarded them. I suspect Chef O’Brady meant to exclude them from the final product – the wiser choice. This cake was worthy, well above the turbulent politics of potato skins.

• Kenn W,

• San Diego, CA

• 10/24/2021