Basque cheesecake on a kamado
- Prep5 min
- Cook42 min
- Serves8
- DifficultyEasy
- Temperature220°C (428°F) indirect, deflector in. Figs direct over the coals.
I made this burnt Basque cheesecake on my Big Green Egg, adapted from Due South’s recipe on the Big Green Egg website. It went in a lined, loose-bottomed tin, indirect at 220°C (428°F) with the lid down. The recipe says 25–30 minutes, but mine took 42 before it had the right wobble. Then it went in the fridge overnight, and the next day I served it with figs grilled on the barbecue.
Ingredients
- 550g mascarpone
- 5 eggs
- 215g caster sugar
- 300g double cream
- 30g plain flour
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 vanilla pod
- To serve: 6 figs, cut in half
Equipment
- A barbecue that holds 220°C (428°F) indirect with the lid down. I use my Big Green Egg Large with the ConvEGGtor (ceramic deflector). No drip tray needed.
- A loose-bottomed cake tin, a bit bigger than a Victoria sponge tin.
- Baking parchment.
- A mixer. I used my KitchenAid.
Method
- Set up indirect at 220°C (428°F)
- Line the tin with baking parchment
- Mix everything together
- Pour it into the tin and bake it
- Cool it, then chill it
- Take it out of the tin
- Grill the figs
Key takeaways
- Go by the wobble, not the clock. Mine took 42 minutes. If I’d pulled it at the recipe’s time, I think it would have collapsed when I took it out of the tin.
- I didn’t raise the tin on a trivet. I think that’s why it took longer, because there’s more heat at the top of the dome.
- It’s not hard to make. Baking a cheesecake on a barbecue is more intimidating than using the oven, but it’s fine.
- Let it cool for about an hour, then chill it overnight. I served it straight from the fridge.
The cook, in full
This was 19 September. The burnt ends had been on the Egg all day, and the cheesecake went on the same fire later that evening. I didn’t add any charcoal.
The recipe is Due South’s, a restaurant in Brighton, and it’s on the Big Green Egg website. I used their quantities. I swapped the orange zest for lemon, and I used my KitchenAid instead of a blender.
I lined a loose-bottomed tin with baking parchment. Then everything went in the KitchenAid and I mixed it for a few minutes. I poured it into the tin.
It went on the Egg just before nine at night, indirect at 220°C (428°F), with the deflector in and the lid down. I didn’t bother with a drip tray, because it was a lined cake tin and it wasn’t going to leak. I didn’t raise it on a trivet either. There was no oak on for this one.
The method on the recipe says 25–30 minutes. Mine took 42. I took it off when the middle still had a wobble, which you can see in the video. I was surprised how long it took, but it definitely wasn’t overcooked.
It cooled for about an hour, then went in the fridge overnight. The next day I took it out of the tin and served it straight from the fridge.
What to serve it with
I grilled six figs, cut in half. The deflector was out, so they went straight over the coals, cut side down for about three minutes and then three minutes the other way.
I didn’t put any sugar on them. The whole meal was quite sweet, with the pork belly burnt ends and then the cheesecake, so I just wanted the fruit. Looking back, I think a bit of sugar would have helped them caramelise more, or I could have chopped them up and made a compote.
What I learned
It was really tasty. The burnt taste had a bit more depth to it, and the texture was very smooth, with no bubbles in it at all. Everyone loved it and I’d definitely make it again.
I think it took longer because I didn’t raise it on a trivet. There’s more heat at the top of the dome, and mine was sitting lower down.
Variations
Due South’s recipe has a topping for each season: poached rhubarb in spring, raspberries and strawberries in summer, figs in autumn and a Calvados poached pear in winter.
Next time I’d put a little sugar on the figs, or make a compote with them.
Related
- Pork belly burnt ends with mango chutney glaze — the burnt ends were on the same fire earlier that day.
- Cherry clafoutis on a kamado — another pudding baked indirect on the Egg.
- Apple crumble on a kamado — also baked indirect at 220°C (428°F).
- S’mores on a kamado — a pudding done direct, with the deflector out.
- Barbecued peaches on a kamado — fruit grilled at the end of a Sunday cook.
- Big Green Egg Large review — the unit this was cooked on.
FAQ
How is Basque cheesecake different from a normal cheesecake?
A normal cheesecake has a base, the buttery biscuit base, to quote MasterChef. A Basque cheesecake doesn’t have one. It’s all the smooth bit, baked hot so the sides go dark.
Is Basque cheesecake the same as burnt cheesecake?
Yes, it’s the same thing. It’s also called burnt Basque cheesecake, or San Sebastian cheesecake after where it comes from.
Is Basque cheesecake difficult to make?
No. Doing it on a barbecue is more intimidating than doing it in the oven, but it’s fine.
Should Basque cheesecake be served warm or cold?
I served mine cold, straight from the fridge, the day after I made it.
How long should Basque cheesecake cool?
Mine cooled for about an hour before it went in the fridge, and then it stayed there overnight.
What mistakes should you avoid with a Basque cheesecake?
Manage the heat, and don’t take it off too early. The recipe says 25–30 minutes. If I’d pulled mine then, I think it would have collapsed when I took it out of the tin. Wait for the wobble.
Can you make a BBQ cheesecake?
Yes. I baked this one on my Big Green Egg, indirect at 220°C (428°F) with the lid down. It took 42 minutes.
Disclosure and provenance
I cooked this on my own Big Green Egg Large. The recipe is adapted from Due South’s, published on the Big Green Egg website. Smoke and Lump has no commercial relationship with Big Green Egg or Due South and earns nothing from this recipe.
Sourced from the 19 September 2026 cook log — a Basque cheesecake baked on the Big Green Egg Large after the burnt ends, with the figs grilled the next day.