After the sweet success of his ube Basque cheesecake recipe, ĢƵ Pastry & Baking Arts Chef-Instructor Trung Vu has done it again.
This time, Chef Trung chose matcha as his daring inclusion of choice. The result is a vibrant green cake that, in addition to being a stunning verdant hue, has a slight earthy sweetness from the matcha flavor.
If you're intimidated by the color, don't be; this recipe is more achievable for a home cook 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 pan liner doesn't have to be perfectly flat against the sides of your pan.
That being said, this cheesecake demands patience instead of perfection. Though it may be tempting to eat immediately, the one must-do for this recipe is to make sure you let the cheesecake completely cool before digging into it. A firm cheesecake maintains its form when sliced. Then, you're free to enjoy the sweet fruit (or, cake) of your labor.
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.
