“Everyone wants one!”: what’s this new dessert that’s got Madrid salivating?

During her lunch break, Maria, 27, waits in an endless queue outside Alex Cordobés's shop in the heart of Madrid . Her goal? To get her hands on a tarta de queso. " Tonight, I'm having dinner with my friends. It's become a ritual: I bring the dessert and every week we try a different flavor," she confides. Speculoos, pistachio, cookie, white chocolate... The variations are endless. Some tourists have come to the Salamanca neighborhood especially to taste the famous cheese dessert.

Behind this simple name, a literal translation of "cheesecake" in Spanish, lies a completely different taste experience. Despite the displeasure of those with lactose intolerance, it seduces with a texture of unprecedented sensuality: melting, almost liquid, which breaks with a spoon into a runny center, mesmerizing social media. On TikTok, the hashtag #tartadequeso has racked up millions of views, each video playing on that suspended moment when the cake gently collapses onto the plate.

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While the phenomenon may seem recent, the recipe's history dates back to the 1980s, at the La Viña restaurant in San Sebastián, in the Basque Country . Legend has it that it was born from a mistake: "An English-speaking intern misunderstood the chef's instructions and overcooked a New York cheesecake. The result, burnt on the outside but creamy on the inside, surprised him so much that he decided to add it to his menu ," says Alex Cordobés, who worked in haute cuisine before opening his own restaurant.

The original recipe is disarmingly simple: cream, cream cheese, eggs, and just a touch of flour or cornstarch. A straightforward and effective formula that has survived the decades without aging.

But Madrid transformed this recipe into a social phenomenon. "We were among the first to take tarta de queso out of the restaurant world and offer it as a specialized pastry," explains the pastry chef, who also built his reputation on social media. "Lockdown accelerated things: many people rediscovered the pleasure of cooking and sharing on social media. Tarta de queso ceased to be a simple dessert and became a true symbol, an object of desire shared on Instagram and TikTok." Recognition came soon after: at the end of 2020, the New York Times named it "flavor of the year," propelling it to the rank of global phenomenon.

Since then, it's been impossible to escape it. Single-product pastries are multiplying, and almost every restaurant in the capital has added it to their menu. "It's a dessert that really appeals to everyone," summarizes Sergio Arjona, founder of Luna y Wanda. This self-taught chef, who was not predestined for baking, sought to create the best recipe for his favorite dessert before launching his own shop.

He emphasizes technical balance: "If you cook it too much, it becomes dry. If you don't cook it enough, it remains liquid. You have to find that balance so that it's creamy in the center but firm when cut. Because when it's really creamy, it's simply irresistible!"

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The success is now spreading beyond the capital. Barcelona , ​​Valencia , Seville … Specialist boutiques are popping up all over Spain. And the phenomenon is going international: “I regularly receive requests for advice or mentoring from chefs in San Francisco, Chile, the Emirates, or Japan,” enthuses Cordobés.

Could the craze be fading? Not sure. "Like all trends, saturation can make some brands disappear," he acknowledges. "But I'm convinced there will always be places for tarta de queso, because it has already become a true icon of Spanish cuisine, not just Madrid."

Meanwhile, queues continue to snake through the streets. And the prices (between 12 and 40 euros depending on the portion size) don't discourage the most demanding palates. For Maria and so many others, each creamy bite is more than just a dessert: it's a ritual, a shared pleasure, a small luxury that has become indispensable.

Alex Cordobés, Calle Velázquez, 60, Salamanca, 28001.

Luna y Wanda, Calle de Ponzano, 55, Chamberi, 28003.

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Montchis, Calle de José Calvo, 10, Tetuán, 28039.