Asturian cheesecake is a real treat for the senses. Land of cheeses, perhaps the most famous of all is Cabrales, but there are others with Protected Designation of Origin that are just as good. This is the case of Afuega’l Pitu cheese, with which we are going to prepare this delicious Asturian cheesecake recipe.
Afuega’l Pitu cheese is one of the oldest cheeses produced in Asturias. According to the legend, the name Afuega’l Pitu (which means in Asturian “choke the throat“) refers to the difficulty in swallowing it, as it has a fairly compact texture. There are four varieties of this cheese, although the most popular are the white and red ones, which contain paprika.
This product is made in the caserias, small farms located in valleys and mountainsides between the rivers Sella and Narcea. The councils where its production is currently concentrated are Grado, Salas, Tineo and Pravia, although the geographical area of the Protected Designation of Origin includes other towns such as Cudillero or Muros del Nalón, among many others.
Afuega’l Pitu white cheese (225 g), condensed milk (400 ml), fresh milk (200 ml), whipping cream (600 ml), sugar (125 g), eggs (3), salt
How to make the Asturian cheesecake:
1. To start the Asturian cheesecake recipe you have to crack the eggs in a bowl and beat them. Then add the milk and the liquid cream until you get a uniform mixture.
2. Add the Afuega’l Pitu cheese, previously cut into small pieces, to this mixture. Blend well with the help of a mixer.
3. After these essential steps for making the Asturian cheesecake recipe, add the sugar, condensed milk and a pinch of salt. Beat until all the ingredients are well combined.
4. It is time to preheat the oven to a temperature of 165ºC.
5. Meanwhile, choose the baking dish that will be used to make the Asturian cheesecake. So that the cake does not stick to its walls, it must be spread with a little butter. You can also use parchment paper if you do not have butter.
5. Then carefully pour the mixture into the dish and give it a few light touches to settle.
6. Bake for 50 minutes (depending on the oven, this can vary from 5 minutes less or more) until the edges of the Asturian cheesecake are toasted.
7. When this time is up, let the cake rest in the oven with the door open. Once it is at room temperature and out of the oven, put it in the fridge and let it cool down for a few hours if you want to enjoy it fresh.
To complement the Asturian cheesecake it is possible to crush some cookies and put them in the bottom with some melted butter, or even bordering the cake.
