Textual Chef Textual Chef

Japanese Matcha Basque Cheesecake

A dramatic oven-baked cheesecake with a deeply caramelized top and a custardy, barely-set interior, laced throughout with earthy Japanese matcha. Plan ahead: the cheesecake must cool and chill overnight before slicing.

85 minMediumServes 8340 cal/serving

JapaneseDessertOvenVegetarianGluten-FreeNut-FreeLow-SodiumPork-FreeNightshade-Free

Cook this free in the appFree. No download, no account. The screen stays awake and each step can run its own timer.

Ingredients

  • 24 oz full-fat cream cheese, room temp
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp ceremonial-grade matcha powder, sifted
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 4 large eggs, room temp
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. 1

    Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C). Grease a 9-inch springform pan and line with parchment paper, allowing it to rise at least 2 inches above the rim.

  2. 2

    Beat 24 oz room temp full-fat cream cheese and 2/3 cup granulated sugar together in a stand mixer or with hand beaters on medium speed until completely smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides.

  3. 3

    Whisk 2 tbsp sifted ceremonial-grade matcha powder into 1 1/2 cups heavy cream until no lumps remain, then add to the cream cheese mixture along with 4 room temp large eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

  4. 4

    Add 1 tsp pure vanilla extract, 1/4 tsp salt, and 2 tbsp cornstarch; mix until just incorporated. Do not overmix.

  5. 5

    Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 450°F for 25 minutes, then reduce heat to 400°F and bake another 15 to 20 minutes. The top should be very deeply browned and the center should still wobble like set gelatin.

  6. 6

    Remove from oven and let cool completely in the pan at room temperature, then refrigerate overnight. The interior will firm up considerably as it chills. Unmold and serve in slices.

Cook this free in the appCooking it now? The app keeps the screen awake and times each step. Free, nothing to install.

Keep this recipe

Prints the ingredients and method only.

The Japanese Kitchen 30 recipes from this kitchen in one printable PDF. $5, no account.

Questions

What is Japanese Matcha Basque Cheesecake?

A dramatic oven-baked cheesecake with a deeply caramelized top and a custardy, barely-set interior, laced throughout with earthy Japanese matcha. Plan ahead: the cheesecake must cool and chill overnight before slicing. This reference files it under Japanese dessert: made in the oven, rated medium and about 85 minutes start to finish.

What temperature do I cook Japanese Matcha Basque Cheesecake at?

For Japanese Matcha Basque Cheesecake, the oven is set to 450 F (about 230 C) in step 1. The longest stretch at that heat is overnight, or about 8 hours, in step 6. The oven is also used at 400 F (about 205 C) in step 5.

Why does Japanese Matcha Basque Cheesecake say not to overmix?

Stirring develops gluten, and gluten makes quick batters tough and tunneled. Stop at step 4 while a few streaks of flour remain; they hydrate on their own.

Do I need any special equipment for Japanese Matcha Basque Cheesecake?

Beyond a knife and a board, the method uses a stand mixer (step 2), a springform pan (step 1) and parchment paper (step 1). If you do not have one, a hand mixer does the job of the stand mixer, it only takes longer.

What can I use instead of cornstarch in Japanese Matcha Basque Cheesecake?

The entry for Japanese Matcha Basque Cheesecake calls for 2 tbsp cornstarch. In its place: Use twice as much all-purpose flour and cook it a few minutes longer, or the same amount of arrowroot or tapioca starch.

Is Japanese Matcha Basque Cheesecake vegan?

No, though it is vegetarian. What keeps it from vegan is 24 oz full-fat cream cheese, room temp, 1 1/2 cups heavy cream and 4 large eggs, room temp. For fully plant-based entries, see the vegan dessert collection.

How many calories are in Japanese Matcha Basque Cheesecake?

One serving (the recipe makes 8) is about 340 calories, with 9 g protein, 28 g carbohydrate and 14 g fat, plus 140 mg sodium. The figures are estimates computed from the ingredient list.

Serve it with

Cook this free in the app

Textual Chef is 4,544 plain-text recipes, free to read and free to cook from. No account, no paywall, no ads, no life stories. Open this one in the app and each quantity sits inside the step that uses it, so you read once and cook.

Every recipe is curated or public-domain sourced, written to one template and checked before it publishes. Nothing here is a scraped blog post.

Cook this free in the appNo download needed. It opens in your browser. The kitchen tools (planner, shopping list, pantry, import) are $5.33 a month billed annually; the first 30 days are free.