This Matcha Basque Cheesecake is an easy, delicious, creamy cheesecake made with matcha green tea powder. This cheesecake is a beautiful, vibrant green color that combines all the luscious goodness of cheesecake with the earthy, sweet flavor of matcha.
This style of cheesecake, originating in the Basque region of Spain (northern, central Spain, including the cities San Sebastian and Bilbao), was made popular by the restaurant La Viña. It is rustic in style, has a caramelized top, and does not require a water bath or bottom crust. This makes it super simple, great for beginners and experts alike.
I love making this kind of cheesecake because it’s so easy and so good: minimal effort, maximum reward. I make it all the time for parties or special occasions. It takes only 15 minutes to put together and 35 minutes in the oven.
Basque Cheesecake Variations
Flavor Options: This style of cheesecake is easily customizable with different flavors.
Pan Shape and Size Options: The other big advantage is that Basque cheesecakes do not require a springform pan. Try any of my recipe options below.
What to Know About Matcha
- There are three grades of matcha: Ceremonial, Premium, and Culinary.
- Ceremonial: The highest quality, made from the youngest, first harvest green tea leaves. It is vibrant green, sweeter rather than bitter, and the most expensive.
- Premium: Medium quality, made from a combination of first and second harvest (or only second harvest), stronger taste, less expensive.
- Culinary: Specifically cultivated for cooking and baking, duller color, more bitter flavor, less expensive.
- While Ceremonial is the most expensive, it is preferred over culinary grade because it gives a brighter, more vibrant color, and the flavor shines through strongly in cheesecake compared with other baked goods.
Ingredients
Below are the ingredients needed to make Matcha Basque Cheesecake.
- Cream Cheese: Use full-fat cream cheese bars, softened to room temperature. Use 3 ½ standard 8oz cream cheese bars.
- Granulated Sugar: Adds sweetness, but it's not an overly sweet cheesecake.
- Salt: To bring out and balance flavor.
- Eggs: Use large eggs, pasture-raised if possible. These can be at room temperature, but they do not need to be. The mixer will keep all the ingredients smooth and creamy, preventing any of the ingredients from seizing up when exposed to ingredients of other temperatures.
- Vanilla Extract: Use real vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla. Large wholesale stores, like Costco, sell vanilla extract for a low cost per unit volume.
- Heavy Cream: Use heavy whipping cream.
- Matcha Green Tea Powder: I used a brand called Naoki, purchased on Amazon.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Matcha Basque Cheesecake
Below are the step-by-step instructions and photos for how to make Matcha Basque Cheesecake.
*Note: The recipe card with instructions, ingredient list, and quantities is included further below these step-by-step photos.
Prep: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and line it with parchment paper so that there is 2 inches of overhang around the entire pan.
Step 1. Cream Cheese and Sugar: In a large bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and sugar. Start at low speed until the sugar is incorporated, then increase to medium speed, continuing for 5 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add the salt and combine.
Step 2. Eggs: Add the eggs one at a time, mixing in between, waiting until they are fully incorporated before adding the next egg.
Step 3. Heavy Cream and Vanilla: Add the heavy cream and vanilla and beat on low briefly until combined.
Step 4. Matcha Green Tea Powder: While running the mixer, slowly sift in the matcha green tea powder through a fine mesh strainer. If using a hand mixer, you can alternate between sifting in the matcha and running the mixer until it has been fully incorporated. Look at that color!
Step 5. Bake: Pour the matcha cheesecake batter into the prepared springform pan. Bake at 400°F for 40 minutes or until very dark and raised around the edges and lighter golden brown in the middle. The middle should be jiggly and not set. It will firm up as it cools. This consistency is what makes this style of cheesecake so creamy and delicious.
Let fully cool at room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Storage and Freezing
- To Store: Store in the springform pan covered with aluminum foil or plastic wrap for up to 1 week.
- To Freeze: This cheesecake is excellent for freezing. Cut individual slices and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Tips for the Best Basque Cheesecake
- Make Ahead: This recipe is ideal for making ahead. Make it the night before or a couple of nights before you plan to serve it, storing it, covered, in the fridge in the meantime.
- Preparing the Springform Pan: Buttering the pan helps the parchment paper to stick to the pan, which makes pouring the batter into the parchment-lined pan easier. Be sure to use parchment paper, not wax paper.
- Cream Cheese: If you have not softened your cream cheese in advance, add it to the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl and heat at 50% power for one minute, flipping it over and repeating for 30 seconds at a time until softened but not melted.
- Matcha Flavor: This cheesecake has a strong matcha flavor. For a milder flavor, reduce the matcha powder from 3 tablespoons to 2 tablespoons. Use ceremonial-grade matcha. This impacts the color and flavor of the cheesecake.
- Sifting: Use a mixer rather than a whisk to incorporate the matcha evenly into the batter. This prevents the matcha from clumping in the batter and ensures a smooth texture.
- Fully Preheat the Oven: Many ovens take much longer to fully preheat than the oven indicates. Preheat the oven for 20-30 minutes before baking. Also, keep in mind that some ovens run hotter or colder than others, and some have hot spots or variable temperatures while baking. Use the color and consistency of the cheesecake as the primary indicator that it is done.
- Don't Overbake: The cheesecake should have a soft, jiggly center. It will firm up as it cools. If you bake it any longer, the cheesecake will become dry rather than creamy.
- Slicing the Cheesecake: For very clean slices, run a knife under hot water, dry it, and slice the cake. Wipe off the knife in between slices.
For More Dessert Recipes You May Love
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Matcha Basque Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 1¾ lb cream cheese, softened 3½ standard 8oz bars
- 1¼ cup granulated sugar 247g
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1⅔ cup heavy cream 378g
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoon matcha green tea powder 18g
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Line the pan with parchment paper such that the paper overhangs the edge of the pan by about 2 inches.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese and granulated sugar with a mixer for 5 minutes. Start on low, increasing the speed to medium once the sugar has been incorporated. Add the salt and combine.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing in between until each egg is incorporated.
- Add the heavy cream and vanilla extract and mix to combine.
- Use a fine mesh strainer to sift in the matcha green tea powder, little by little, mixing in between until fully incorporated. Using a mixer is helpful to ensure that the matcha is incorporated evenly throughout the batter.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared springform pan. Bake at 400°F for 40 minutes or until the edges of the cheesecake are deep golden brown, with the center slightly lighter in color and not yet set in the middle. The center should still be jiggly. It will firm up as it cools. This ensures a cheesecake that is creamy rather than dry.
- Allow the cheesecake to cool fully at room temperature. Then cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or at least 4 hours.
Notes
- Make Ahead: This recipe is ideal for making ahead. Make it the night before or a couple of nights before you plan to serve it, storing it, covered, in the fridge in the meantime.
- Preparing the Springform Pan: Buttering the pan helps the parchment paper to stick to the pan, which makes pouring the batter into the parchment-lined pan easier. Be sure to use parchment paper, not wax paper.
- Cream Cheese: If you have not softened your cream cheese in advance, add it to the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl and heat at 50% power for one minute, flipping it over and repeating for 30 seconds at a time until softened but not melted.
- Matcha Flavor: This cheesecake has a strong matcha flavor. For a milder flavor, reduce the matcha powder from 3 tablespoons to 2 tablespoons. Use ceremonial-grade matcha. This impacts the color and flavor of the cheesecake.
- Sifting: Use a mixer rather than a whisk to incorporate the matcha evenly into the batter. This prevents the matcha from clumping in the batter and ensures a smooth texture.
- Fully Preheat the Oven: Many ovens take much longer to fully preheat than the oven indicates. Preheat the oven for 20-30 minutes before baking. Also, keep in mind that some ovens run hotter or colder than others, and some have hot spots or variable temperatures while baking. Use the color and consistency of the cheesecake as the primary indicator that it is done.
- Don't Overbake: The cheesecake should have a soft, jiggly center. It will firm up as it cools. If you bake it any longer, the cheesecake will become dry rather than creamy.
- Slicing the Cheesecake: For very clean slices, run a knife under hot water, dry it, and slice the cake. Wipe off the knife in between slices.
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