Black Sesame Basque Cheesecake

STEP 1: MAKE THE LEMON CURD (MAKE FIRST — IT NEEDS TO SET)

Whisk the lemon juice, zest, sugar, whole eggs and yolks in a heatproof bowl. Set over a pan of barely simmering water and stir constantly for 8–10 minutes until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (about 82°C/180°F). Off the heat, beat in the cold butter a cube at a time, then the pinch of salt. Strain, press cling film onto the surface, and chill until firmly set — it must hold its shape inside the sphere. Keep the curd pure, bright and unclouded; its colour is the whole point of the reveal.

STEP 2: TOAST AND GRIND THE SESAME (THE FLAVOUR FIX)

Toast the black sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium heat for 3–4 minutes, shaking often, until they smell intensely nutty (they are already dark, so judge by aroma, not colour). Cool, then grind to a fine powder. Working alongside the paste, this ground sesame is the core correction — it puts sesame flavour on the palate, not just on the plate.

STEP 3: BUILD THE BATTER

Beat the softened cream cheese and sugar smooth, scraping down thoroughly so there are no lumps. Add the eggs one at a time on low speed. Mix in the black sesame paste, ground toasted sesame, black cocoa, salt and vanilla until uniformly black and glossy. Pour in the cream in a steady stream, then sift over the flour and mix just to combine. Do not overbeat once the flour is in — you want a pourable, silky batter, not an aerated one.

STEP 4: LINE AND BAKE THE BASQUE

Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Crumple a large sheet of parchment, wet it, wring it out and press it into the tin so it stands proud of the rim in dramatic folds — the scorched, ruffled edge is the Basque signature. Pour in the batter. Bake 30–35 minutes until the top is deeply, boldly burnt (this cake is meant to go further than most) and the centre still has a pronounced wobble. Do not overbake: the molten-to-just-set centre is what makes it a Basque. Cool in the tin, then chill at least 4 hours, or overnight; it sets as it cools.

STEP 5: TEMPER THE CHOCOLATE AND MOULD THE SPHERE

Dust the mould halves lightly with black cocoa for a true-black finish. Temper the dark chocolate: melt two-thirds to 45°C (113°F), add the remaining third off the heat to bring it down to about 28°C (82°F), then warm gently back to 31°C (88°F). Coat the inside of each half, chill to set, then apply a second coat for strength. Unmould. Warm a flat tray briefly, touch each rim to it to melt slightly, and join the halves into a sealed sphere — leaving one half fillable if you prefer to load the curd first. Keep the shell thin enough to shatter cleanly at the table.

STEP 6: FILL, CROWN AND SERVE

Spoon the set lemon curd into the sphere and seal. Set the finished cheesecake on dark slate, place the black sphere at its centre, and present it all-black. At the table, crack the sphere with the back of a spoon so the bright curd spills across the dark cheesecake — the single colour deviation against black-on-black. Serve a little curd with every slice so the lemon meets the now-forward sesame in each bite.