Basque cheesecake with matcha
A runny centre and a crispy top — with a distinct hint of matcha.
Preparation
20 min
Cooking
45 min
Total
1 h 5 min
Servings
8
Level
Medium
Basque cheesecake is the only cake where a burnt top is the aim, rather than an accident. It is baked at a very high temperature for a short time: the crust caramelises to a dark brown, whilst the centre remains barely set and runny. The bitterness from the charred top and the grassy note of matcha hit the same spot — which is why this combination works better than most green cheesecakes.
Don’t smooth out the baking paper. The crumpled folds create the distinctive, irregular sides that are the hallmark of this cheesecake.
Ingredients
600 g cream cheese at room temperature
180 g sugar
4 eggs, large
250 ml whipping cream (30% fat)
10 g culinary matcha
20 g wheat flour
a pinch salt
Preparation
1
Preheat the oven to 220°C. Line a 20 cm cake tin with baking paper, leaving a few centimetres of paper hanging over the edge — crumpled, not smoothed out.
2
Cream the cream cheese with the sugar and salt until smooth, on the lowest speed. The cream cheese must be at room temperature, because if it’s cold, it will leave lumps that you won’t be able to break up.
3
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing briefly after each one — just until combined. Any excess air in the mixture will cause the cheesecake to rise and then collapse suddenly.
4
Sift the matcha together with the flour, mix with a little cream until you have a smooth paste, then fold in the rest of the cream. This is the easiest way to prevent the matcha from forming dark lumps.
5
Stir the cream and matcha into the cheese mixture and pour the whole thing into the tin.
6
Bake for 40–45 minutes. The top should be a distinct dark brown, and the centre should still wobble like custard when you give the tin a gentle shake.
7
Leave it to cool completely in the tin, then chill for at least 4 hours. If it’s warm, it will melt when you cut it — the centre will only set in the fridge.
8
Serve at room temperature, having taken it out of the fridge half an hour beforehand.
