Lava Basque Burnt Cheesecake by Cat & The Fiddle - Freshly Baked and Warm in Original and Kurma Date Flavours
The burnt Basque cheesecake has become quite ordinary, but I was drawn to this version by Cat & The Fiddle due to it being served freshly-baked and warm, such that it's in essence a liquid lava cheesecake. Cat & The Fiddle is a cheesecake specialist, but until now, I've only tried their cold cheesecakes because they've not had a dine-in option. I'm not sure if they reheat it or serve it right out of the oven the first time, but it was one of the most heavenly cheesecakes I'd had, and is the first time I actually understood and appreciated what is special about the Burned Basque Cheesecake. Every other version I've tried until now has missed the point, and I think it is because they were served cold and soggy. (I also tried the Kurma Date flavour, reviewed in the update below.)
I came alone, so they offered to serve me the cake in the takeaway box, so I could takeaway whatever I couldn't finish, and I am glad I took them up on the offer because the serving size was very large. Although the diameter of the cake was not necessarily that large (I think it was around 7 inches), it was quite deep and thick, so the volume of the cheesecake was a lot. I think 1 quarter would be equal to 1 large cheesecake slice, and since cheesecakes are already very filling due to how rich they are in proteins and fats, that 1 slice is already enough for me in 1 sitting. If you would rather not takeaway and want to enjoy it fresh, I highly recommend that you eat this in lieu of a meal, or else bring at least 2 others to share.
The price was around S$20 for what I reckon would be 4 slices, so it is about S$5 per slice, which is very cheap given the novel experience of having it served warm, and how other cheese cakes are easily S$7 or above.
Now, on to the taste review. First, a heads-up that my favourite part turned out to be something I discovered right at the end, and it brought out the most special part of the Basque burned cheesecake that I mentioned earlier. (Read on to find out.)
But the first thing I observed was the texture. The upper parts reminded me of a bread pudding texture (image below showing this pudding texture), with the crust like a cream puff pastry sporting a cheesy love letter or waffle pastry taste, not unlike the freshly made ice cream waffle cones by Andersen's for example.
As you dig into the lower layer, it becomes more liquid, and it was like a rich lava cream cheese or custard in texture (the image below shows this custard-like texture), but with a typical cheesecake taste.
There was a hint of sourness to the taste, but there was no obvious lemon or citrus scent or flavour.
The eggy taste came through more obviously than for cold cheesecakes, I believe because of the warm temperature, which is why I felt like it leaned a tad more custard or pudding-like in taste as well, but it was still very clearly a well-balanced cheesecake flavour. It is similar to the steamed souffle cheesecake taste, but richer and creamier, with less apparant wheatflour taste than those.
Overall, the sweetness level was just right for me, and I think it is slightly less sweet than normal cheesecakes, which is perfect for me. Nonetheless, it still leaned more sweet than savoury, but I thought that the sweet and salty tastes were well balanced for a cheesecake.
When I got to the bottom, I could see that this was indeed a real Basque burnt cheesecake because there was no crust except the slightly burned parts below, which tasted like the crust on top as well - a cheesy waffle or love letter.
Finally, oddly enough, my absolute favourite part of this was actually at the end of the experience. After I was done with all the gooey pudding parts, I realised after I brought this home that, because of the way they folded the baking paper in which the cake batter is poured, there is a LOT more crispy and even crunchy burnt cheesecake crust all along the sides, between the folds of baking paper! And the amazing thing is that they all come off cleanly and can be enjoyed like little crunchy sheets of cheesy puff pastry waffle bites. See the image below on how cleanly these pieces come off, and in decent sizes, almost like chips.
I would describe it as a cheesy choux puff pastry that is slightly crunchy. These treats turned out to be my favourite part of the cheesecake. And this to me would be the main reason why Basque burnt cheesecakes are special, but which is unfortunately missed out by all the cold versions and those that don't bake it until the sides get burned.
Overall, this was an absolute treat that made me understand this popular classic dessert with fresh eyes. I loved how there were so many different textures and experiences all made from the same cheesecake batter. A unique and enlightening experience that I would highly recommend. I'll be back for more too.
Update: Kurma Date Basque Cheesecake
Since I was so impressed by my first experience, I decided to try their Kurma Date Burnt Basque Cheesecake, which is a limited time special flavour in celebration of Ramadan. It was a most fascinating experience as I had never tried kurma dates in pastries or baked form before.
First, I noticed that they seem to have added the kurma dates both as a ground paste and in small chunks. You can see from the burnt skin or crust on top that there are tiny dark brown specks that were not present in the original flavour, which is probably the pureed, ground or smashed dates.
You can also see that the texture of the crust is different. The original flavour is smooth, shiny and quite evenly browned, whereas the kurma date flavour is matte and slightly cracked, and the browning was mostly at the sides which had gotten quite dark already, despite the centre still being so pale. I believe the extra dark brown raised spots occurred where there were chunks of dates underneath.
The original one is also concave, whereas the kurma date one is convex. It might be because they baked the kurma date one on the spot (I had to wait 20 minutes), so it was freshly risen and had not yet sagged. It did sag as well after I brought it home and left it overnight in the fridge. But when I had the original flavour one, it was still quite hot too, so I'm not sure that's the reason.
The kurma date one was also a lot more lava in texture, such that I think the inside was relatively undercooked, even though the external rim was already dark brown. If you like more of a lava texture, you might appreciate this more. But I prefered it a bit more solid, so I baked it further after I got home and it approximated a bread pudding texture a bit more, which I preferred. You would definitely not like the texture if you prefer it firmer - in which case, just go for their cold cheesecakes.
The taste, however, was very impressive. I don't believe they used any spices, but it was very similar to a prune kueh lapis (the type of layer cake that is baked and uses spices such as cinnamon and perhaps nutmeg). The baked date surprisingly had strong aromatic notes of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, and was also a little bit fruity with faint notes of apricot or peach, but there was not much tangyness or sourness, just the fruity overtones. As a result, it really reminded me of a spiced bread pudding, except that prunes, apricots or dates are used in place of raisins. This was the most fascinating part of the experience for me.
Besides the amazing complex explosion of festive flavours, the dates also naturally sweetened the cake quite a bit, as can be expected. I believe they might have cut down on the amount of added sugar, as it was not terribly sweet, just perhaps 10-20% sweeter than the original flavour. But it was enough of a difference in sweetness to probably explain why the outside browned so dark even before the middle could sufficiently solidify.
The sweetness also provided notes of caramel and a tiny tinge of honey, which further enhanced the overall complexity.
Finally, there were some small chunks of dates, roughly the size of raisins, which I personally liked as it felt more natural, and also mimicked the raisins in bread pudding. The only difference is that the date's skin is a little bit paper-like, so you definitely notice it and it interrupts the smooth velvety texture of the lava cheesecake.
Also, just a note that, because the inside doesn't cook as much before burning the outside, you don't get the same wafer or waffle-like crispy crust between the folds of baking paper, so that's a downside.
But overall, I was very delighted with this notion of baked dates in cheesecake, or even any cake or pastry in general. I definitely expect such dates to do well in place of any fruit, such as in muffins, danishes or tarts, if the paper-like skin is not seen as an irritant. I was very happy to get to try this before they go off menu. It cost just $2 more (S$21.90 as opposed to $19.90), which is not much at all.
Discover other cheesy treats
- Curry Cheese Bread by Giraffa Curry Bread Specialist from Japan
- Butternut Burnt Cheesecake by Muji Cafe & Meal
- Ajigen Mos Burger Potato Stick, Teriyaki and Gorgonzola Blue Cheese Flavour
- Mascarpone Latte by Luckin Coffee
- Red Velvet Cream Cheese Brownie by Butterbear from Thailand
- Honey and Cheese Sun Cakes by Ru Yi Tang
- Truffle Cheese Waffle at Hundred Acre Creamery
- Blueberry Cheese Ball Shigure (Blueberry Bean Cake) by Minamoto Kitchoan
Other date-inspired treats
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