Make This Matcha Basque Cheesecake Recipe Right Now — Really
After the sweet success of his ube Basque cheesecake recipe, 51Թ Pastry & Baking Arts Chef-Instructor Trung Vu has done it again.
This time, Chef Trung chose matcha as his daring ingredient of choice. The result is a vibrant green cake that, in addition to a stunning verdant hue, has a slight earthy sweetness.
If you're intimidated by the color, don't be; this recipe is more achievable than you may think. That's because the beauty of a Basque-style cheesecake lies in its signature burnt top and craggy edges — a decidedly "rustic" look. That means your cheesecake can stay in the oven until it's nice and dark on top, and your parchment paper liner doesn't have to be perfectly flat or taut against the sides of your pan.
That said, this cheesecake demands patience (in lieu of perfection).
Tempting as it may be to draw yourself a slice straight from the oven, allowing this cheesecake to cool completely before consuming is key. In fact, it's the recipe's only absolute must. A firm cheesecake maintains its form when sliced — and a firm cheesecake is a cool cheesecake.
Give Chef Trung's matcha Basque cheesecake a try, and create the perfect green dessert for spring. Here's how to make it at home.
Ingredients
- 24 grams ceremonial grade matcha tea powder
- 367 grams sugar
- 1221 grams cream cheese, softened
- 2 vanilla beans (alternatively, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
- 272 grams sour cream (or crème fraîche)
- 300 grams eggs (about 6 eggs)
- 80 grams egg yolks (about 4 egg yolks)
- 30 grams all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Line a 9.5”x3" springform pan with parchment paper so that the parchment covers the surface area of the interior and hangs up and over the sides. Place the lined pan onto a sheet tray and set aside.
- Using a whisk, disperse the matcha powder evenly throughout the sugar, making sure to break up any clumps.
- In the bowl of stand mixer using the paddle attachment, cream together the matcha-sugar mixture with cream cheese until mixture is smooth, homogenous and free of lumps.
- Split and scrape the vanilla beans into the batter. Blend until incorporated.
- Add the sour cream and mix.
- Add the eggs and yolks, one at a time, allowing each addition to incorporate.
- Add the flour, blend thoroughly.
- Add the vanilla extract and mix until incorporated.
- Strain the mixture through a sieve to remove any chunks of cream cheese that were not incorporated.
- Pour into springform pan and bake until the cheesecake reaches an internal temperature of about 160°F when tested with a probe thermometer (about one hour).
- Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan at room temperature for at least two hours.
- Refrigerate for at least four hours or preferably overnight before serving.
