Tea Kha remains to be one of my favourite cafes in Hong Kong. I knew I had to recreate their signature Matcha cheesecake some day.
After some tweaking of my staple cheesecake recipe, I managed to achieve the desired results. The recipe turned out great – it had a creamy consistency, distinctive matcha flavour and buttery crust. Now I can have my fix whenever.
FairPrice Finest was the one-stop for my baking needs – from cream cheese, to matcha powder, black sesame seeds and whipped cream, I could purchase everything from under one roof.
Cheesecakes are not difficult to make but require a great amount of patience due to the long setting time. Patience is a virtue, and it’s definitely worth it when it comes to this.
When consumed cold, it reminds me of matcha ice cream. Jazz it up with fruits or have it unadorned, it’s your choice. Whip up some for your next gathering, or make it as a treat for yourself and loved ones this weekend.
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Matcha cheesecake (makes one 6-inch cheesecake)
Cookie base
- 100g digestive biscuits
- 40g unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tbsp black sesame seeds
Cheesecake filling
- 560 cream cheese, softened
- 80g caster sugar
- 3 eggs
- 80ml whipping cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp plain flour
- 2 tbsp Uji Matcha powder
- 1.5 tbsp hot water
Finishing
- Fresh berries & mint leaves, as decoration
Directions
- Crush digestive biscuits till it resembles fine crumbs.
- Add melted butter and black sesame seeds.
- Mix the Matcha powder and hot water till it becomes a thick paste. Tip: Using a bamboo Matcha whisk (or mini whisk) helps you to mix it well without lumps.
- Preheat oven to 170 deg c.
- Press onto the base of the springform pan with a spoon. Refrigerate to set while you prepare the filling.
- To make the filling, beat the softened cream cheese in a mixer at low speed until creamy.
- Add the caster sugar and beat until it dissolves.
- Beat in the eggs, one by one. Be careful not to over-mix, else the cheesecake will crack during baking.
- Add in the whipping cream and vanilla extract. Mix to combine.
- Stir in the plain flour, and the Matcha paste mixture.
- Wrap the base of the springform pan with aluminium foil.
- Pour in the cheesecake mixture and smooth out the top with a spatula. Knock the pans on the counter to release air bubbles.
- Place it into a deep baking tray and fill with hot water (to create a steam bath).
- Bake for 15 mins. Lower oven temperature to 120 deg c and bake for 60-75 mins. The middle should still be wobbly when done.
- Let cool and refrigerate overnight.
- Unmould from pan. Dust with matcha powder. Tip: to achieve smooth sides, dip your spatula in hot water, wipe off the excess and smooth out the surface. Enjoy!
This post is brought to you by FairPrice Finest @finestfoodsg.
