Total Time

　　30 minutes plus 2 hours refrigeration

　　We drink green tea all the time, at home or in restaurants, and it is an essential part of the Japanese culture. Matcha is a type of green tea often used in the formal tea ceremony, but it is also used in a number of Japanese desserts. It doesn't give a strong tea flavour but creates a nice colour and slight dry tartness at the end of the palate. This cake is very light and refreshing compared to many New York- style cheesecakes.

　　

Ingredients

8 Servings

　　150g biscuits (I use malt biscuits), crushed

　　35g butter, melted

　　Sesame seeds

　　250g cream cheese

　　60g sugar

　　2 tablespoons lemon juice

　　100g plain yoghurt

　　1 cup cream, whipped

　　3 tablespoons gelatine powder, dissolved in 50ml warm water

　　1 teaspoon matcha powder, plus 1/4 teaspoon extra

　　

Step 1

Mix biscuits and butter and press into base of a 24 cm round cake tin. Spread evenly and press with the palm of your hand. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and refrigerate to firm up.

　　

Step 2

Mix together cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice and yoghurt until smooth. Mix in whipped cream. Add dissolved gelatine and mix very gently.

　　

Step 3

Pour half mixture into cake tin over biscuit base. Spread with a rubber spatula and return to fridge.

　　

Step 4

Mix matcha powder with 1 tablespoon water until smooth. Pour into remaining half of cheesecake filling and mix well. Pour gently into the tin, keeping 1 tablespoon of filling mixture to use for decoration. Use rubber spatula to spread and make a flat surface.

　　

Step 5

Add 1/4 teaspoon extra matcha powder to the 1 tablespoon filling to darken it for decoration.

　　

Step 6

Use a teaspoon to draw lines on the cheesecake with the darker matcha mix. Use chopsticks to drag horizontal lines and make patterns, as shown in the picture. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

　　Reprinted with permission from Sachie's Kitchen, by Sachie Nomura, Copyright © 2015, published by HarperCollins. Buy the full book from Harper Collins or Amazon.