Description
A rich and creamy Hojicha Basque Cheesecake infused with roasted green tea flavor, featuring a beautifully caramelized crust, served with fresh blackberries and hojicha caramel for an elegant dessert experience.
Ingredients
Scale
Cheesecake
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons hojicha tea leaves
- 2 pounds full fat cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 6 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup creme fraiche, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons hojicha powder
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
For Serving
- 1 pint fresh blackberries
- ½ cup hojicha caramel
Instructions
- Infuse cream: Heat cream in a large saucepan over medium low heat until it reaches a gentle simmer. Add the hojicha tea leaves and stir to distribute. Remove from heat, cover, and steep the tea for 10 minutes. Strain the cream and set aside.
- Prepare pan and oven: Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a springform pan and line the bottom and sides with two overlapping sheets of parchment paper, ensuring the parchment extends at least 1.5 inches above the pan’s edges.
- Mix cream cheese and sugar: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium-low speed until very smooth and well combined, about 3 minutes.
- Add eggs and wet ingredients: Increase mixer speed to medium and add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Then add the hojicha-infused cream, creme fraiche, and salt. Beat until combined, about 1 minute.
- Add dry ingredients: Turn off the mixer. Using a fine-mesh sieve, sift the hojicha powder and cornstarch evenly over the batter. Beat on low speed for about 1 minute until just combined.
- Strain batter: Using a fine mesh strainer, strain the batter directly into the prepared springform pan to remove any lumps.
- Bake: Place the pan on the middle oven rack and bake for 60 minutes until the top is deeply browned, edges are set, and the center is still slightly jiggly.
- Cool and chill: Remove the cheesecake from the oven and cool in the pan on a rack at room temperature for about 2 hours. Then refrigerate overnight to fully set.
- Serve: One hour before serving, remove the cheesecake from the refrigerator and let it soften at room temperature. Unmold, slice, and serve with fresh blackberries and hojicha caramel. Alternatively, serve chilled straight from the refrigerator.
Notes
- Make sure all dairy ingredients are at room temperature to ensure a smooth batter.
- Use a fine-mesh strainer when pouring the batter into the pan to achieve a silky texture without lumps.
- Letting the cheesecake soften at room temperature before serving enhances its creamy texture.
- The hojicha powder can sometimes be substituted with matcha for a different tea flavor, but it will alter the taste.
- If you don’t have creme fraiche, you can substitute with sour cream for a similar tang.
- For a tighter caramel flavor, warm the hojicha caramel slightly before serving.
- This cheesecake is best made a day ahead to allow flavors to mature and texture to set perfectly.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 520 kcal
- Sugar: 35 g
- Sodium: 310 mg
- Fat: 42 g
- Saturated Fat: 26 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 150 mg
