Basque Cheesecake

Preheat oven to 450°F.

You will need a 9 to 10-inch (23 to 25-cm) springform pan. Place the pan bottom on top of a piece of parchment and trace a circle and cut out. Spray the bottom and sides of the pan with spray oil. Take a large piece of parchment paper that will go up about 1 ½ inches above the pan side when pressed in, and press into the bottom, corner and sides. Try to smooth the sides as best as you can. Press the parchment circle into the pan and spray that as well. Place the pan on top of a jelly roll pan and set aside.

Place the cream cheese, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and cream into the bowl of a blender and mix until very smooth. Stop to open the top and mix the bottom a few times. The mixture should be entirely smooth.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Tap it a few times on the jelly roll pan to remove any bubbles.

Bake the cheesecake for 30 to 35 minutes. The center should still be jiggly and the top very browned, even a bit black. Remove cake from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack until the cheesecake is completely cool. Refrigerate it for five hours or overnight.

Remove from the fridge and open and remove the sides of the pan. Pull the parchment paper down from the sides of the cake. Use a metal flat blade spatula to separate the parchment circle from the bottom parchment and slide the cake onto a serving plate. Heat a flat knife by running it under boiling water, dry it, and then slice the cake.  For perfect slices, clean and reheat the knife between slices.