At number 64 Princesa Street, in the heart of the Chamberí district, a store dedicated exclusively to cheesecakes has opened its doors. And although in Madrid the competition in this niche is high -there are from low cost to Japanese-, until now there were none like the ones Bascake has brought to the capital.
Its name already gives a clue as to where to look for its origin. Michel and Sara, a married couple from Vitoria, unknowingly sowed the seed of what would become the cake store when they opened a restaurant in Bilbao after the pandemic: “Cheesecake was the dessert my wife used to make on the menu”, Michel explains on the other end of the phone.
Their success with diners was such that they received thousands of orders a day: “We sold chops and traditional cuisine, but it got to the point where we looked like a pastry shop“. And they went from looking like one to being one: they opened a store in the center of Bilbao selling only cheesecakes, expanding the range of flavors and including gluten-free and lactose-free options.
A two-year time jump forward confirms that initial success: in 24 months they have opened points of sale in several Spanish cities such as Zaragoza, Santander or Vitoria and, now, the roadmap has brought them to the center of Madrid.
The secret of Bascake’s cakes
The philosophy that “good cuisine begins in the market” is something that also governs Bascake: they prioritize quality and local produce above all else. That is why in their cakes they use free-range eggs from Granja Campomayor and a mixture of three types of cheese: “I can’t tell you which one, there are confidentiality agreements, but one of them is a world champion and we use it together with two other cream cheeses”.
For the base they mix two types of crackers to create a very thin layer, which gives it a crunchy touch: “There is cooking from the first moment, everything is handmade, and with a lot of technique we achieve a homogeneous and shiny texture that gives us that smooth cream. It makes you want to eat it just by looking at it“. This technique also allows the cream cheese to reach the edge of the cake.
Another great protagonist of this Basque cheesecake is the balance as far as sugar is concerned: “We have worked a lot on the regulation of sugar, it has the minimum so that it is super-balanced. It is a light cake that you eat and it doesn’t weigh you down because it is not sweet“, Michel emphasizes.
New flavors every month, according to season
In addition to the classic cheesecake flavor that has given them so much joy, each month they make cakes with new flavors that depend on the season. For example, in summer they opt for fresher flavors such as passion fruit, pineapple, coconut or lemon. And with the arrival of cold weather, they make a roasted chestnut praline that they integrate into the cake.
Among the flavors you can also find others such as Oreo, pistachio, Baileys & Coffee or they have even dared to integrate typical desserts of the Basque gastronomy in their cakes: just two weeks ago they announced, in their Bilbao store, limited units of a shortbread flavor cake.
Bascake prices
The menu with prices and different flavors can be consulted at this link, but in general the complete cakes (medium and large) are priced between 32 € and 43 € and must be ordered 24 hours in advance.
On the other hand, in addition to picking up orders, you can also buy mini cakes for two people between 12.50 € and 15 € (non-reservable) and portions of 220 gr that range between 5 € and 6 € depending on the flavor chosen from those available.
Opening hours
The Bascake store is open from Monday to Sunday from 10 am to 9 pm.