Basque cheesecake at Muffin Taffin in Budva

In the old town of San Sebastian, baker Santiago Rivera began baking a crustless cheesecake at high heat around 1990. The top darkened, the center stayed soft, and the Basque cheesecake left the bar La Viña as a local habit rather than a formal dessert.

From a Basque oven to a November plate

The method is plain: cream cheese, eggs, sugar, cream and a little flour stay in a hot oven until the edges take on bitter caramel. There is no biscuit base. A guest tastes the dark crust and a cool, almost loose middle.

At Muffin Taffin that cheesecake goes into orders for cakes when November cools the coast. Budva still has mild days, Montenegro is gentler than the interior, and sales run quieter than in summer, so the slice suits an afternoon table.

The slice stays cold. A knife dipped in hot water gives a clean cut, and the piece sits on a plain plate so the dark top remains the whole story.

In November the bakery does not cover the slice with berry sauce. Cold and a clean knife matter more than decoration, and guests take the cheesecake with coffee when the waterfront day is already short.