Dulce de Leche Basque Cheesecake

A rich Basque cheesecake layered over creamy dulce de leche and chewy brownie base

This dessert brings together a few of my favourite contrasts: deeply caramelized, creamy Basque cheesecake; an unapologetically rich layer of dulce de leche; and a chewy, slightly dense gluten-free brownie crust that holds it all together.

I love to stabilize the dulce de leche just enough so it becomes firmer and more confident on the plate, it stays where you want it rather than spilling out. The texture becomes silkier and sliceable, making each bite feel more deliberate and layered. It also means you can swirl, pipe, or stack it into a distinct layer that won’t simply vanish into the cheesecake’s custardy softness.

The brownie base itself is adapted from my Tahini Swirl Brownies, though I’m not gluten free, I keep coming back to this recipe for bases because of its unique chew and density. It bakes up firm enough to hold the weight of the cheesecake, but still stays moist and slightly sticky, offering the perfect textural contrast to the creamy filling above. For this cake, I’ve scaled the recipe to fit an 8-inch pan, so you get just the right thickness to support the rich Basque top without overwhelming it.

Outline

I’ve outlined a 2-day schedule. Obviously, you can adjust the times to fit your own routine, this is just a rough guide to help pace your baking over two days so it feels relaxed and manageable.

Gluten-free brownie base

Ingredients

• 20g cocoa powder

• 150g sugar

• 96g rice flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill)

• 1/4 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 30 g dark unsweetened chocolate

• 85 g butter, room temp

• 1 large egg

• 1 yolk

• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

1. Grease and line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch removable-bottom pan with parchment paper. You want the parchment paper to come up 1-inch over the pan.

2. Preheat oven to 350 °F (176 °C).

3. Sift together the rice flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

4. Melt the dark chocolate gently (microwave or low heat); let it cool slightly.

5. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or by hand), mix the butter and melted chocolate until fully combined.

6. Add the egg and yolk one at a time, mixing after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Batter may look clumpy or separated at this stage,that’s normal!

7. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

9. Bake for 15–20 minutes, it’s okay if the center is slightly jiggly; you want it just underbaked because it will bake further once the Basque cheesecake layer is added.

10. Let cool completely in the pan before adding the dulce de leche layer and cheesecake batter.