This is an easy-to-make recipe for Mini Triple Layer Matcha & Hojicha Burnt Basque Cheesecake that is richly decadent and full of tea flavour. This crust-less cheesecake features two different teas and a vanilla layer.
How often is it that I’m craving something sweet after dinner, but not necessarily everyone in my house wants a dessert?
I’ve come across many recipes for burnt basque cheesecake, but most of them are for a large number of servings.
And with self-isolation, I honestly haven’t been able to get outside and do much exercise (eeeek!)
Why you’ll love this recipe
I’ve come up with the perfect Mini Triple Layer Matcha & Hojicha Burnt Basque Cheesecake recipe.
It’s great for the indecisive (me!), as well as those who can’t justify eating a whole cheesecake by themselves (also me)!
However, this one’s small enough that no one will judge you if you do finish the entire mini cake by yourself!
It’s really easy to whip up, and you can’t really mess it up.
Unlike a traditional cheesecake, the burnt basque cheesecake has no crust.
The primary ingredient is cream cheese, with egg and a bit of flour.
The cheesecake is baked at a high temperature so it becomes burnt and has cracks. It’s very much the opposite of the classic New York-style cheesecake.
Ingredients you’ll need
You’ll need a few ingredients, but for best results, some of them need to be at room temperature.
This helps the mixture emulsify smoothly.
- cream cheese: at room temperature
- granulated sugar
- egg: at room temperature
- heavy whipping cream: at room temperature
- all-purpose flour: adds just a touch of structure to the cake so it doesn’t collapse
- hojicha: use a good quality powder
- matcha: use a good quality powder, which will help colour retention and flavour
- vanilla extract
Top tips
- Place parchment paper onto a round pan, making sure it is about 2″ taller in height than the pan
- Keep the dairy and egg (cream cheese, heavy whipping cream) at room temperature so that it combines together more cohesively
- Use a good quality hojicha and matcha powder
- Remove the cheesecake while the centre is slightly jiggly — it will firm up later
- Use the broiler to burn the top of the cheesecake
Watch how to make it
FAQs & troubleshooting
Can I make a larger cheesecake?
Yes, depending on the size you’ll need to multiply the ingredients:
If you want to make it in a 6″ round pan with the same height, multiply all the ingredients by a factor of 2.5.
If you want to make it in a 8″ round pan with the same height, multiply all the ingredients by a factor of 5.
Can I omit the hojicha and matcha?
Yes, lots of you have omitted the hojicha and tried cocoa or all-vanilla instead.
What are the dimensions of your pan?
I used a 4″ x 1 ¾″ springform round pan.
How to serve & store
You can serve this cheesecake at room temperature or chilled.
Personally, my son and I love it chilled.
Store the cheesecake in the fridge in a container until ready to serve.
Other recipes you may like
Be sure to check out these recipes:
This Matcha & Hojicha Burnt Basque Cheesecake is a small-batch, mini cake.
There are lots of recipes out there for 8″ or 10″ cheesecakes, but this one makes a 4″ cake.
The flavours of this Mini Triple Layer Matcha & Hojicha Burnt Basque Cheesecake are phenomenal!
It’s not too sweet, creamy and rich, and full of tea flavours from the hojicha and matcha.
Be sure to give it a try, and let me know if you do — tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment/review below. I love seeing your re-creations!
Mini Triple Layer Matcha & Hojicha Burnt Basque Cheesecake
Equipment
- 4" round pan
For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.
Ingredients
- 200 g cream cheese room temp
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 1 large egg lightly beaten, room temp
- pinch of sea salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 120 ml heavy whipping cream room temp
- 12 g all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp hojicha powder
- 1 Tbsp matcha powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400Β°F/204Β°C.
- Prepare a 4" round cake pan (or spring form pan) by placing parchment paper to line it. You may need to crinkle the parchment (this is OK -- the more rustic, the better) and make sure it overhangs about 2" from the pan.
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip together the cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
- Add in the beaten egg, salt, and vanilla extract.
- Pour in the heavy cream.
- Scrape the sides of the mixing bowl with a spatula and continue to whip until smooth and incorporated.
- Sift in the flour over top of the batter and mix with a spatula until the batter is smooth.
- Divide the batter into half (approximately 200g). Sift matcha powder over top of the batter. Mix until all the matcha is incorporated.
- If you want to make 3 layers like I did, divide the plain portion into another half (100g). Sift hojicha powder over top of that portion, mix into the batter, and leave the remainder plain.
- You can divide the layers into 3 equal portions, but I wanted the base matcha to be thicker.
- Transfer each bowl of batter into the prepared pan. (You can choose whichever flavour to layer first).
- Bake for about 23-25 minutes at 400Β°F/204Β°C and then turn it to broil @ 500Β°F/260Β°C for 3-5 mins, until the top is browned. Watch the cheesecake carefully as it can burn very quickly.
- Remove from the oven (the cake should still be slightly jiggly in the centre). Let cool. (The cake will deflate -- this is normal).
- Cut into slices and serve at room temperature. Or, place into the fridge once cooled and serve chilled (tastes even better).
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided should be considered as approximate and is not guaranteed. Please use your best judgment to ensure food is safely prepared and/or a good fit for your diet.
This looks delicious! May I please know how deep your cake pan is?
Hi there, my cake pan for this cheesecake is 4″ across and 1 3/4″ deep.
Thank you so much! So excited to make this π
This was perfectly creamy and absolutely delicious! Made it for father’s day and will definitely be making it again π
Thank you Renee! That is such a special gift for Father’s Day! Glad you enjoyed the cheesecake recipe π
Did you bake layer by layer? How did u make them not mixed tgh?
No, the entire cheesecake is baked at once. Each layer is thick enough that it will sit on top of each other.
Wow, this was sooooo simple and easy to make, just be mindful when you are browning the top, as it burns quickly!
Thanks for the recipe!
The mini 4β is the perfect size for my husband and I! We enjoyed this cake most after it has been chilled!
Ahh thank you so much Eva! I’m glad you agree that it tastes even better chilled!! π
Do you think I can make this in a muffin tray? Looks and sounds yummy!!
Yes, you could! You’d have to adjust the baking time, though π
I love that these are mini sized! They are the perfect serving for someone like me who wants some cake but not a huge amount because mr. husband won’t finish it with me!!! I also really enjoy the layers here!
Yes, glad you agree — my hubby isn’t terribly into sweets as well, so it’s just the perfect portion size! π Thanks Christie!
It looks so fancy but itβs an easy and simple recipe to follow! We tripled the amount of ingredients for using a bigger pan and played around with the colors and thickness of the layers. Absolutely delicious and looks amazing! (Careful to not broil too long and donβt have too much parchment paper or itβll burn the cake faster too)
Great, thanks for your feedback! π
I love this recipe! It was a hit with my friends and family and I will continue to make it. Thanks Michelle for sharing it.
Hi Lynn, thank you so much for the feedback! I’m glad to hear it! π
Wow this looks so good! I want to bake a 8β version of this cake since I donβt have a 4 or 6β round pan. If I just double everything will that work? What will the cooking time be like? Thanks for always making such mouth-watering recipes!!
Yes, if you want a larger 8″ cake, double the ingredients. I’m not sure exactly the baking time since I haven’t tested it myself, but I would imagine it would need a longer time in the oven. Do report back if you try it. π
I doubled the recipe and the cake look a little short.
I will triple the recipe the next time round.
Regards,
Mel
Hi Michelle,
How do i make the cake 3 layers? I tried making only 2 layers, and i wanted to make the plain one on top. I poured in the hojicha mixture 1st followed by the plain one.
But the plain one sank to the bottom. Do i need to bake the bottom layer 1st?
Hi there, the layers are all baked together at once. Sorry, I’m not sure why your plain layer sank to the bottom. The mixture should be thick enough to sit on top. Did you make any adjustments to the recipe?
Yes, i did. As my cake tin is 6 inch. How much should i increase the ingredients? I would want to try again
You can double each of the ingredients for a 6″ cake tin.
Michelle, you’ve outdone yourself with this cheesecake. It’s gorgeous and I love how perfect the layers look!
Thanks Leanne! π The layers are indeed mesmerizing!
I love all the tasty flavors you’ve incorporated into each layer of this burnt basque cheesecake. And the size is perfect for portion control!
Thanks Heidi!! Exactly my thoughts!
Lovely recipe! Baked this yesterday and the sweetness level is just perfect. The recipe is very easy to follow. And most importantly, it didn’t take too much time to prepare and bake. I could make this cake while my 6-months baby were napping with extra ‘me time’ to spare.
Thank you so much for making the recipe! Glad you enjoyed it π
Turned out amazing, my family loved it!
Awesome, happy to hear it! π
Hi Michelle, how many grams of sugar and cream are you using ?
Hi Michelle, may I know how many grams of sugar and cream are you using ?
Hi there, I used 50g granulated sugar and 120ml of cream. I’ve updated the recipe to include these measurements.
Thank you! π€
What a great recipe. I loved the different layers of flavours, especially the hojicha! I followed the recipe exactly and it came out perfect! Thanks for sharing π
Absolutely loved this recipe! Tweaked it a bit and switched out the hojicha for some cocoa as it’s not available in Seychelles. Made them in silicone muffin tray so I could share with my colleagues and they loved it π
Fantastic, thanks Nadine! π
Doubled the ingredients (for my 8″ springform pan) and baked for 30-40min before broiling for looks. You can definitely smell the heavenly goodness when it’s “ready” to be taken out of the over. Plus there’s never enough. I’ve shared it twice and there’s never more than 2 slices left for myself ;_;
P.S. I cop to ordering hojicha powder from hojicha.co even though I live in Brooklyn and Kettl would have been closer. But to be fair, I didn’t know at the time where to source hojicha powder!
Awesome, I’m glad you enjoyed the cheesecake, Susan! π
The flavors in this sound fantastic. I also love that it’s a mini. Small family, small desserts.
Thanks Andrea! π Enjoy!
This cake is so gorgeous! I can’t wait to give it a try as I’m so intrigued by the flavors.
Thanks Katherine! π
Stunning!! And you donβt even need to slice me a piece, Iβll just take a fork and the whole cake!
Absolutely, I’ll share! π Thanks Neli
Hi, I want to ask if I can use this recipe to make the original version of basque cheesecake without the matcha? And would the ingredients like flour stay the same amount?? Thanks.
Yes, you can make the original version and omit the matcha and hojicha powders. The ingredient amounts stay the same.
Hi, I want to ask which rack position you put the cheesecake in, middle rack? And what do you mean be broil to 500 degrees? Mine is just a regular kitchen oven.
Hi, thank you for sharing such a delectable cake recipe.
Can I substitute the plain flour with almond flour instead? Or coconut flour?
Am having it a keto. Hence, I will substitute the sugar with keto sweetener.
Appreciate your reply.
Hi Lely,
I have not tried this recipe with almond flour or coconut flour. however, I don’t recommend coconut flour as it will make it dense.
You may be able to just omit the flour altogether if you’re doing a keto version. Hope that helps. Let me know if you try it.