Bibingka cheesecake is the latest and greatest Filipino dessert mashup that will make your tastebuds sing. Sweet and salty bibingka and creamy, dreamy cheesecake combine for a truly extraordinary treat.
(Love Filipino desserts? How many of these Filipino dessert recipes have you tried?)
It seems so long ago when I created a recipe for ube cheesecake that went viral beyond my wildest dreams.
It remains a beloved recipe by my readers and have inspired countless copycat ube cheesecake recipes, even ube cheesecake businesses!
Encouraged by that delicious success, I’ve been recipe testing another Filipino cheesecake recipe that I’m finally ready to share — bibingka cheesecake!
And it is exactly as it sounds — sweet, salty, umami-rich bibingka in rich, creamy cheesecake form. It is so good.
Let’s get to it.
What is bibingka
Bibingka is a kind of Filipino baked rice cake.
Traditionally, it’s made with galapong or fermented glutinous rice ground into a paste, transferred to a clay pot lined with banana leaves, then cooked over charcoal.
Happily, there’s now an easier way to make bibingka at home with sweet rice or glutinous rice flour, coconut milk and butter. You can then bake it in your oven then top with sliced salted eggs and cheese.
While bibingka is most often enjoyed around Christmastime (like food for the gods), it’s delicious year-round.
(Check this out if you’re looking for bibingkang malagkit.)
Why you’ll love it as a cheesecake
If you love bibingka, you will absolutely be delighted with bibingka cheesecake.
- Basque burnt cheesecake. The base cheesecake for this recipe is the widely popular Basque burnt cheesecake or San Sebastian cheesecake (so technically you can call this a bibingka burnt cheesecake or bibingka San Sebastian cheesecake). It’s smokey and crustless, just like bibingka. (Fan of basque cheesecakes? You will love this ube basque cheesecake and these mini basque cheesecakes!)
- Easy to make. This also means it’s less finicky to make than traditional cheesecakes but creamier and so delicious. And trust me, it’s easier to make than you think and well worth it.
- Retains the bibingka flavor. We don’t lose that beloved bibingka flavor in this recipe. Coconut, salted eggs, cheese, all the things that make bibingka special are here.
- Delicious. This is one of the most delicious cheesecakes I make. It’s wonderfully creamy and while I love bibingka, I don’t think I’ll want to enjoy it any other way. Bibingka with cream cheese is a fantastic combination.
How to make
Unlike other cheesecake recipes, you won’t need a water bath here. We also won’t worry about cracking. The more rustic it looks, the better!
Ingredients
You’ll need the usual cheesecake ingredients like all-purpose flour, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. A few things to note:
- Cream cheese — you’ll need cream cheese available in blocks, not in tubs (i.e., spreadable). And for best results, use full fat.
- Coconut cream — coconut cream is different from coconut milk. Cream contains less water and is thicker. You know how sometimes when you open a can of coconut milk, some part of it has solidified? Those solid bits can be considered coconut cream.
- Salted eggs — you can buy salted eggs (or itlog na pula) in Asian supermarkets.
- Cheddar cheese — I prefer to use sharp cheddar cheese for that added salty flavor.
Baking tools
You’ll need a 10-inch springform pan and an electric mixer (handheld or stand mixer) for the smoothest mixture.
Note that this recipe makes a lot of batter so if you have a small stand mixer like I do, watch carefully so that the batter doesn’t splatter all over your kitchen or overflow.
Step-by-step photos
Preheat oven to 400F.
Grease a 10-inch springform pan then line with 2 overlapping sheets of parchment paper, making sure the parchment comes up at least 2 inches above the sides of the pan (the cheesecake will rise).
Optionally, you can use banana leaves to line your pan for that authentic smokey bibingka flavor (more on this below).
In large bowl using a handheld electric mixer or using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and sugar on low-medium speed until very smooth, no lumps remain, and sugar has dissolved (2-3 minutes).
Remember to scrape the sides and bottom of your bowl.
Increase speed to medium and add eggs one at a time, ensuring each addition is well blended before adding the next (15-20 seconds between additions).
Again, remember to scrape your bowl.
Reduce your mixer speed to medium-low then add coconut cream, salt, and vanilla.
Beat until combined (about a minute).
Sift flour over cream cheese mixture using a fine-mesh sieve. Beat on low speed until incorporated (15-20 seconds).
After scraping your bowl for any flour that might be stuck on the sides or bottom, continue to beat until your cheesecake batter is very smooth, homogenous, and silky (10-15 seconds).
Pour batter into prepared pan.
Top with salted eggs and sliced cheese.
Bake for 60 minutes or until the sides are set. Increase oven temperature to 500F and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until you get that nice burnt exterior.
Remove from oven, allow to cool slightly in the pan (the cheesecake will deflate as it cools), before unmolding.
Once completely cool, carefully peel away parchment or banana leaves from the sides of the cake, slice and serve.
Top with shredded cheese, shredded coconut, or both.
Expert baking tips
Easy and straightforward, right? Here are more tips for perfect bibingka cheesecake every time.
- Start with room temperature ingredients. This ensures a smooth cheesecake batter.
- Add eggs 1 at a time and beat for about 15 seconds or just until blended. Avoid over beating the batter because you don’t want to incorporate too much air into it.
- Line pan adequately. Since this cheesecake has no crust, you’ll need to make sure you line your pan completely so that the batter has no chance to leak. The cheesecake will also rise so ensure your parchment paper comes up at east 2 inches from the edges of the pan.
- How to use banana leaves. If using banana leaves, place them on top of your parchment paper. And make sure to thoroughly rinse and dry before using. To make them more pliable, pour boiling water over them (repeat a few times) or pass them over a small open flame (be careful because they will catch on fire or burn) until soft.
Recipe FAQs
A Basque cheesecake (or a burnt cheesecake) has a burnt and caramelized exterior and a rich and creamy interior. It originated from La Viña in Spain’s Basque Country, thus the name.
And unlike traditional cheesecakes, a Basque cheesecake doesn’t have a crust.
If using coconut milk, make sure to only use the solidified portions from the can.
Using the liquid milk will result to a watery batter that won’t set properly.
Bibingka cheesecake can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill in the fridge.
Best served at room temperature but also delicious chilled.
In our house, not very long! But if you do have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge and they should keep up to a week.
Other cheesecake recipes
If you love cheesecakes as much as I do, you’ll enjoy baking and eating these:
Happy baking!
Did you make this bibingka cheesecake recipe? I’d love to hear all about it! Leave a comment or a star rating below. You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook. I’d love to see your creations!
You can also find me on Pinterest, Twitter and YouTube.
Bibingka Cheesecake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 8-oz blocks cream cheese room temperature
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 6 pieces large eggs room temperature
- 1 14-oz can coconut cream
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- slices salted eggs I use 2-3 eggs
- slices cheddar cheese plus more shredded cheese for topping
- unsweetened shredded coconut optional topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Grease a 10-inch springform pan then line with 2 overlapping sheets of parchment paper, making sure the parchment comes up at least 2 inches above the sides of the pan (the cheesecake will rise). Optionally, you can use banana leaves to line your pan for that authentic smokey bibingka flavor (see note).
- In large bowl using a handheld electric mixer or using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and sugar on low-medium speed until very smooth, no lumps remain, and sugar has dissolved (2-3 minutes). Remember to scrape the sides and bottom of your bowl.4 8-oz blocks cream cheese, 1½ cups granulated sugar
- Increase speed to medium and add eggs one at a time, ensuring each addition is well blended before adding the next (15-20 seconds between additions). Again, remember to scrape your bowl.6 pieces large eggs
- Reduce your mixer speed to medium-low then add coconut cream, salt, and vanilla. Beat until combined (about a minute).1 14-oz can coconut cream, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Sift flour over cream cheese mixture using a fine-mesh sieve.⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- Beat on low speed until incorporated (15-20 seconds). After scraping your bowl for any flour that might be stuck on the sides or bottom, continue to beat until your cheesecake batter is very smooth, homogenous, and silky (10-15 seconds).
- Pour batter into prepared pan and top with salted eggs and sliced cheese.slices salted eggs, slices cheddar cheese
- Bake for 60 minutes or until the sides are set.
- Increase oven temperature to 500F and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until you get that nice burnt exterior.
- Remove from oven, allow to cool slightly in the pan (the cheesecake will deflate as it cools), before removing from pan.
- Once completely cool, carefully peel away parchment or banana leaves from the sides of the cake, slice and serve. Top with shredded cheese, shredded coconut, or both.
Video
Notes
- Yield depends on how big or small you slice your cheesecake. This is a very rich cake and a little goes a long way. The estimated nutrition information is based on 12 servings.
- You’ll need to find ways to make your parchment paper or banana leaves to fit your round pan i.e. fold it in places. This means it won’t lie flat so you won’t end up with a clean, smooth outer edge to your cheesecake. This is perfectly fine. You’ll get a similar rustic look to bibingka.
- Make sure to thoroughly rinse and dry banana leaves, if using. And to make them more pliable, pour boiling water over them (repeat a few times) or pass them over a small open flame (be careful because they will catch on fire or burn) until soft.
- If your bibingka cheesecake still looks pale after the recommended bake time, try broiling it on high for 1-2 minutes. Watch it carefully though because you want a burnt look, not burned cheesecake.
- Bibingka cheesecake can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill in the fridge. Best served at room temperature but also delicious chilled.
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only.
Chan
Love this recipe! I never liked baking, even though I was a chef in my previous life. I finally decided to try baking at home, and this was my first experiment—I’m very pleased with the outcome! My guinea pig taste testers are very happy too.
I followed your recipe and tips exactly, using the 12-serving version. The only issue I noticed was that I used two salted eggs, but the ones I purchased were extremely salty, which affected the taste of the cake. Also, I was short 100g of sugar, thinking it wouldn’t make much of a difference, but it did.
So, my advice to everyone is to follow the recipe unless you’ve made it before and know how to adjust it!
Jolina
Welcome to the delicious world of baking Chan! 🙂
Marifi
Thank you for this recipe, I will be making this soon ! Before that, may I ask … can I substitute the flour with rice flour (not glutinous)? Also, I have 6″x3″ round tins, can the recipe accommodate 2 tin cans or should I adjust the recipe to maybe x 1.5? Many thanks
Jolina
Hi Marifi, a 10-inch springform pan can handle 12 cups of batter. A 6×2 inch round pan can hold 4 cups. So you may need another tin. This is the reference I use.
Nanette
Hi, am excited to try your cheesecake. Am planning on baking it in 6 in springform pan. Should I decrease the baking time?
Jolina
Hi Nanette, yes. Check halfway through then you can sort of tell how much longer you need to bake it. Note that you will have extra batter as it won’t all fit in a 6-inch pan.
Meilee
Can i use sweet rice flour to make is chewy?
Jolina
Hi Meilee, I won’t recommend it. You want this cheesecake rich and creamy, not chewy.
Rochelle
Don’t I need to use Bain Marie?
Jolina
Hi Rochelle, not for this recipe 🙂
Kaye
Hi Jolina! Your bibingka cheesecake was a HUGE HIT! Everybody loved it and asking me to make again. Thank you! It’s fantastic to see Filipino Cuisine being represented so well. Kudos!
Jolina
Glad to hear that Kaye! 🙂
Amy
I tried this recipe and I loved it! It is so easy to make and so delicious!
Jolina
Glad to hear that Amy!
Jocelyn
Bibingka is one of my favorite Filipino delicacies. And this cheesecake is so delicious and very tasty! Will definitely be making again.
Jolina
Glad you liked it Jocelyn!
MELANIE E
Oh wow, this does sound amazing. I’ve never tried a bibingka cheesecake before. Thanks for sharing the recipe and the tips. Hope it comes out looking as good as yours!!!
Carina
Your Bibingka Cheesecake recipe is a winner! The step-by-step instructions made it super easy to follow. It’s so delicious!! Already have requests to make it again. Thanks for the recipe.
Jolina
Glad you liked it Carina!
Toni
Can I substitute flour to cornstarch? I have gluten allergy.
Jolina
Hi Toni, unfortunately cornstarch is not a substitute for flour in baked goods.
Monica
I’d love to try this. I’ve only had traditional cheesecake. This one seems like a mix of salty and sweet which I love.
Catalina
WOW! It looks amazingly delicious! I would LOVE to try this Filipino dessert!
Kathy
I’ve never had this kind of cheesecake before. It sure does look good. I’ll have to give it a try. I love trying out new things.
Amber Myers
Ooo I haven’t had cheesecake like this before. I will have to give it a taste! Looks good!