Basque Burnt Cheesecake

Super simple with few ingredients, this traditional Spanish cake is a great go-to when you want something decadent but not chocolatey. Pile it high with berries and pillows of whipped cream, or simply top with a bunch of frozen grapes, as we’ve done here.

600g cream cheese

4 large eggs

1 cup caster sugar 300ml cream

1 tablespoon high-grade flour 1 lemon, finely grated zest

Heat oven to 190°C fanbake. Grease and line a 23cm springform cake pan with baking paper.

In a stand mixer or with electric beaters, beat cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Slowly beat in caster sugar then the cream and the flour. Beat until smooth. Mix in lemon zest.

Pour batter into lined tin and bake 50 minutes or until the top is dark brown and cake is set but with a slight wobble in the centre. Insert a skewer into the centre; it should come out clean. Cool cheesecake completely before removing from tin. This cake is best eaten on the day of baking.

Serve with whipped cream and frozen table grapes (all sorts of fruits and berries make pretty and cooling garnishes when frozen for summer dishes – wash and pat dry fruit, place in lined containers and freeze). Makes 1 x 23cm cheesecake

Green goblets, striped Zanzibar jug and plates, leopard print tray and sage tea towel all from CC Interiors, ccinteriors.co.nz; gold cake knife from Anthropologie, anthropologie.com; red velvet for tablecloth from Martha’s Furnishing Fabrics, marthas. co.nz; black and white stripe fabric for napkins and floral fabric both from Spotlight, spotlightstores.com; flowers from Fresh Cut Flower Wholesalers, wholesaleflowers.nz; green truss tomatoes from Curious Croppers, 027 292 8735; gold seed lights from Kmart, kmart.co.nz; pink and green wall finishes by Fiona Hugues, fionahugues.com; other items stylist’s own.