Dessert · Baking

Thai Green Tea Burnt Cheesecake

Thai green tea burnt cheesecake is one of those recipes that looks dramatic and tastes even more so. The Basque-style cooking method means high heat, deep colour on the outside, and a creamy, almost custard-like centre that is meant to look underdone when it comes out of the oven. The Thai green tea gives the filling a subtle earthiness and a beautiful pale green colour that deepens where the edges catch. It is polarising in the best way people either love the intense creaminess or they do not, and the ones who love it really love it. This is a dessert for people who appreciate the unexpected.

Ingredients

Cheesecake

• 240ml heavy cream
• 1/4 cup Thai green tea leaves
• 450g cream cheese, room temperature
• 150g sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 15g cornstarch
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste

Microwave Mochi

• 100g glutinous rice flour
• 100ml milk
• 50g caster sugar
• Cornstarch for dusting

Recipe adapted from @catherine.desserts

Method

1. 1 Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a 6-inch cake pan with parchment paper.
2. 2 Heat your heavy cream until steaming, add the Thai green tea, and let it steep for 10 minutes, then strain.
3. 3 Beat the cream cheese and sugar together for 3 minutes until smooth and fluffy.
4. 4 Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition.
5. 5 Sieve in the cornstarch, add the vanilla bean paste, and beat for 2 minutes until smooth.
6. 6 Slowly stream in the Thai tea cream while mixing on low until well combined.
7. 7 Pour the mixture into your prepared pan and place it in a water bath. Bake at 400°F for 50 minutes, then turn the heat up to 475°F for the last 10 minutes.
8. 8 Turn off the oven, crack the door open, and let the cheesecake cool inside for 10 minutes. Chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
9. 9 For the mochi, mix glutinous rice flour, milk, and caster sugar in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until smooth and translucent (about 2–3 minutes total).
10. 10 Dust your work surface with cornstarch. Transfer the mochi and fold until smooth, then flatten into a thin layer. Wrap each cheesecake slice in mochi and pinch the edges to seal.

Tips & Notes

A Basque style burnt cheesecake is meant to look burnt on the outside don't be alarmed. The inside should still be slightly wobbly when you remove it from the oven. It sets as it cools. Thai green tea powder can be found at most Asian supermarkets.