Matcha Cheesecake

Smooth, velvety, and packed with rich matcha flavor, this matcha cheesecake is the most decadent dessert. This foolproof matcha cheesecake recipe will guide you to make the most delicious green tea cheesecake you have ever tasted.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Asian Fusion, Japanese

Keyword easy cheesecake recipe, green tea cheesecake, japanese cheesecake, Japanese matcha cheesecake, matcha cheesecake, matcha cheesecake recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 20

Servings servings

Calories 522kcal

Author Megan

Equipment

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust

1 ½ cup (225 g) graham cracker crumbs 15 whole crackers
7 tablespoon (95 g) unsalted butter melted
2 tbsp (30 g) light brown sugar packed
1 tablespoon (15 g) granulated sugar
½ teaspoon (1 g) sea salt

Cheesecake

32 oz cream cheese room temperature (four 8 oz packages)
1 ¼ cup (250 g) granulated sugar
½ cup (125 g) sour cream
1 tablespoon (15 g) lemon juice
2 teaspoons (11 g) vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons (21 g) matcha powder sifted
4 large eggs room temperature

Instructions

Graham Cracker Crust

Prep. Grease and line the inside of your 9-inch springform cake pan with parchment paper.
Pulverize the graham crackers. Using a food processor, pulverize the graham crackers into crumbs. Alternatively, you can place the graham crackers into a large ziplock bag and crush the crackers with a rolling pin.
Whisk in seasoning. In a large mixing bowl add the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and salt. Whisk until combined
Add in melted butter. Melt the butter in the microwave for about 15-30 seconds. Pour in the graham cracker mixture and thoroughly mix until combined.
Create the crust. Scoop the mix into a greased cake pan. Press firmly for a flat, even layer. Use a flat bottomed glass or measuring cup to make an even flat layer.

Cheesecake

Prepare the oven. Set the oven temperature to 325°F (163°C.) Set a kettle of water to boil. Carefully wrap your springform pan with 4-5 layers of aluminum foil or alternatively use a 10-inch pan to protect the springform pan from getting wet.
Cream the cream cheese. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or beaters, beat the room-temperature cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and creamy. About 1 minute.
Slowly add the sugar. Turn the mixer to low speed. While mixer is beating, slowly the sugar in three increments until combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to evenly combine.
Add sour cream, vanilla, lemon juice and salt. While the mixer is beating on low, add the sour cream, vanilla extract, lemon juice and salt and mix until combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
Sift in the matcha powder. Sift the matcha powder into the bowl using a fine mesh strainer. Then mix to combine.
Mix the eggs. In a measuring cup with a spout, lightly whisk the eggs until just combined. While the mixer is slowly beating on low speed, add the lightly whisked eggs about one at a time making sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next egg. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to fully combine. The batter should be silky smooth. Do not over mix.
Assemble. Pour the matcha cheesecake batter into the prepared springform pan and smooth out the top with a spatula. Tap the pan on your work surface a few times to release any air bubbles.
Bake. Place your cake pan into a large roasting pan or large sheet cake pan. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan to come up about 1-inch along the side of the cake pan. Place the cake and water bath in the center rack of your oven. Bake at 325°F for about 1 hour or until the cake has a slight wobble in the center 2-3 inches of the cake. The edges will have likely puffed and turned a very pale golden brown.
Cool. Turn off the oven, and let the cheesecake rest in oven and water bath for 3-5 minutes with the oven door cracked. Then run a thin knife around the edge of the cake to make sure the cake doesn’t stick to the sides of the cake and crack when it cools. Next, remove the cheesecake from the water bath and aluminum foil and set it on a wire rack to cool completely.
Chill. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours but preferably overnight to set before slicing and serving. Enjoy!

Notes

Tips for Mixing the Batter

Use room temperature ingredients. Using room-temperature cream cheese, sour cream, and eggs will allow you to mix a very smooth and creamy batter that has no lumps. It also aids in an even rise when you bake the green tea cheesecake.
Remember to scrape the sides of the bowl. After every step, I recommend scrapping the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula to ensure that all the ingredients are incorporated evenly.
Do not overbeat your eggs. Make sure to lightly scramble the eggs before adding them incrementally to your batter and keep your mixer on LOW speed when adding the eggs. Over-mixing the eggs can be the quickest way to ruin a cheesecake and cause it to crack.
Sift the matcha! It is important that you sift the matcha powder so that it doesn’t clump up in the cheesecake batter when you mix it.

Tips for Baking

Use a lot of aluminum foil to protect the springform pan. This is the one step that may ruin your cheesecake if water seeps into the pan. You have 2 options. 1) use at least 5-6 layers of aluminum foil to protect the base of the springform pan or 2) a 10-inch regular cake pan that is not springform to prevent any water leakage into the cake pan.
Do not open the oven while baking. Do not open the oven door until the cheesecake has been in the oven for a minimum of 60 minutes. Opening the oven door can cause the cheesecake to deflate and shrink.
The Japanese matcha cheesecake may seem underdone. The Japanese matcha cheesecake will 100% be wobbly in the center and seem underdone. Do not worry! It will firm up when it cools and chills in the refrigerator.
Chill the cheesecake: After you cool the green tea cheesecake on the counter, you MUST chill the cheesecake in the refrigerator for a minimum of 6 hours. If you cut the cheesecake immediately after it cools, it may be soft and soupy in the center.

Nutrition