We drink green tea all the time, at home or in restaurants, and it is an essential part of the Japanese culture. Matcha is a type of green tea often used in the formal tea ceremony, but it is also used in a number of Japanese desserts. It doesn't give a strong tea flavour but creates a nice colour and slight dry tartness at the end of the palate. This cake is very light and refreshing compared to many New York- style cheesecakes.
Recipe information
Total Time
30 minutes plus 2 hours refrigeration
Yield
8 Servings
Ingredients
150
35
250
60
2
100
1
3
1
Need to make a substitution?
Preparation
Step 1
Mix biscuits and butter and press into base of a 24 cm round cake tin. Spread evenly and press with the palm of your hand. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and refrigerate to firm up.
Step 2
Mix together cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice and yoghurt until smooth. Mix in whipped cream. Add dissolved gelatine and mix very gently.
Step 3
Pour half mixture into cake tin over biscuit base. Spread with a rubber spatula and return to fridge.
Step 4
Mix matcha powder with 1 tablespoon water until smooth. Pour into remaining half of cheesecake filling and mix well. Pour gently into the tin, keeping 1 tablespoon of filling mixture to use for decoration. Use rubber spatula to spread and make a flat surface.
Step 5
Add 1/4 teaspoon extra matcha powder to the 1 tablespoon filling to darken it for decoration.
Step 6
Use a teaspoon to draw lines on the cheesecake with the darker matcha mix. Use chopsticks to drag horizontal lines and make patterns, as shown in the picture. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.
