Kat says: In 1990, a Spanish chef named Santiago Rivera invented the Basque Burnt Cheesecake. His homely yet beautiful dessert has transgressed cultural boundaries. It’s no wonder I found Basque cheesecakes in bakeries across Japan, competing for my attention alongside Japanese Cheesecakes. Basque Cheesecakes demand very little from us bakers. We burn them at high temperatures and deny them of crusts. Still, they reward us with rich dark tops, tantalizing flavours, and dreamy creamy centres. By adding matcha here, we get a rustic cake with a beautiful jade center and a subtle leafy flavour.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

Yield is one 6-inch cake

Ingredients

For the cake

• About 337g cream cheese, cubed
• 55g cold butter, cut into small cubes
• 100g granulated sugar
• 3 medium eggs 
• 1 teaspoon miso
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch, sifted
• About 2 ½ tablespoons cake flour (leave out for a gluten-free cheesecake), sifted
• 1 to 2 tablespoons matcha
• ½ cup milk
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

For the toppings

• 1 teaspoon confectioners’ sugar for dusting
• 3 strawberries, sliced or other fruit of choice (optional)

Method

Preheat the oven to 230°C and place a rack in the center. Crumple a large sheet of parchment paper into a ball and unfurl it. Line the interior of a 6-inch springform or baking pan with the parchment paper. At least 1 to 2 inches of the parchment paper should overhang the pan’s rim on all sides. If the parchment paper is not large enough, use two overlapping sheets.

Blend all the cake ingredients in a mixer or blender on low to medium speed for about 1 minute or until you get a smooth, homogenous batter. Rest the batter for 30 minutes in the refrigerator to get rid of air bubbles.

Alternatively, use a double boiler or microwave to soften the cream cheese and butter. Mix until smooth and creamy. Mix in the sugar until incorporated. Add the rest of the ingredients (except for the toppings) and combine.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Tap the cake pan against the kitchen counter. Use a whisk to gently smooth out the top of the cake batter. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is dark brown but not black and the center still jiggles and wobbles but is not runny.

Remove the cake from the oven. The cake will immediately deflate. Allow it to cool completely at room temperature before refrigerating it for at least 4 hours. Alternatively, clear some room in your freezer. After allowing the cake to cool for about 5 minutes, freeze the cake for at least 3 hours.

If using a springform pan, release the springform when ready to serve. Remove the parchment paper. Dust the cake with confectioners’ sugar and garnish with strawberries or other fruits of choice, if desired. If the top cracks, once the cheesecake sets, the cracks will not be very noticeable. You can cover any imperfections with a dusting of matcha or confectioners’ sugar.

Kat says: When I first started baking, I was obsessed with perfecting macarons. I had little success until SAB member Rebekah Yau introduced me to the Swiss Meringue Method. It turns out that heating egg whites along with sugar results in more stable, more foolproof macarons! Here we pair herbaceous matcha shells with citrusy buttercream.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Yields is about 16 to 19 macarons 

Ingredients

For the macaron shells

• ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon lemon juice
• ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons almond flour, sifted
• ¾ cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 2 teaspoons matcha
• Pinch of salt

For the buttercream filling

• ½ cup butter, softened and cubed
• 1 ¼ cups confectioners’ sugar
• ½ teaspoon lemon or yuzu juice
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon or yuzu zest, plus more for garnishing
• 1 teaspoon miso or a pinch of salt

Method

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Make the macaron shells. 

Using a double boiler, heat the egg whites and sugar until the mixture reaches 50°C and no higher to avoid cooking the egg whites. Transfer the mixture to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Add the lemon juice and beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.

Tip in the almond flour, confectioners’ sugar, matcha, and salt and fit the stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for a few seconds. Using a flexible spatula, scrape the sides of the bowl and hand mix the batter until shiny and flowy like molten lava. (As you gently swirl the batter, it should fold and sink into itself like wet sand ribbons. When you lift the batter with a spatula, you should be able to draw a continuous figure 8 with it.)

Fill a piping bag with the batter and pipe 4cm circles onto the prepared baking sheet. Tap the sheet against the counter five times to get rid of air bubbles. Use a toothpick to pop any visible air bubbles and smooth out the tops of the shells. Rest until a skin forms on top and the shells are no longer wet to the touch, about 30 to 60 minutes.

About 25 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 170°C and place a rack in the centre. If your oven tends to run hot, try a lower temperature, such as 150°C to 157°C.

Make the buttercream filling. Beat the butter and confectioners’ sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, a few minutes. Add the remaining filling ingredients and beat until combined. Transfer to a piping bag. Refrigerate or set aside.

Bake the macaron shells for 13 to 16 minutes, until the macaron shells peel away from the parchment paper when lifted. Cool completely.

Pipe the buttercream filling onto the bottom side of a shell. (I like to add some fresh lemon zest on top of the buttercream.) Sandwich together with a similarly sized macaron shell. Tada!

Refrigerate the macarons in an airtight container and consume within 5 days.

If the macaron shells are wrinkly, the batter was overmixed or too oily, according to SAB’s resident queen of macarons, Salinda Ngo (@macanomnom).

Kat says: One bite of these dreamy creamy bars and I’m transported to Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden in Tokyo during the springtime when sakura are in full bloom. This berry cream layer atop a buttery and earthy shortbread combo is, without a doubt, a matcha made in heaven. This recipe is adapted from one found on SAB by Hali Mo (@halicopteraway).

Prep time: 15 minutes

Inactive time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Yield is 11 to 16 cakes

Ingredients

For the matcha shortbread

• 165g butter, softened
• 50g granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon miso
• About 180g all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 tablespoon matcha
• 35g pistachios, finely chopped

For the berry cream 

• ¼ cup water
• 2¼ teaspoons powdered gelatin (one standard packet)
• About 2 cups  full-fat coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons condensed milk or honey, adjust to taste
• ½ teaspoon miso
• 4 tablespoons raspberry or strawberry jam
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest or lemon juice
• 1 drop red food colouring gel (optional)
• ⅓ cup dried  cranberries (optional)

For the optional toppings

• Matcha or strawberry powder
• Fresh raspberries or sliced strawberries
• Edible gold flakes

Method

Make the matcha shortbread. Preheat the oven to 180°C and place a rack in the centre. Grease or line a 23 x 23 cm baking pan with parchment paper.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, and miso until well incorporated and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the flour and matcha and mix on medium-low speed until a dough forms. Fold the pistachios into the dough until evenly distributed.

Transfer the shortbread dough to the prepared pan. Using the back of a spoon or clean fingers, firmly press the mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan, covering all edges and the sides. Use a fork to poke holes across the entire surface of the dough.

Bake for 15 minutes, until lightly browned and puffy. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the berry cream. In a bowl, add the water and gelatin. Let the gelatin bloom (absorb water) for a few minutes and then microwave for 10 seconds, until melted.

In a large bowl, add the coconut milk, condensed milk or honey, miso, jam, lemon juice or zest, and optional food colouring and whisk until homogeneous. Stir in the melted gelatin and mix until combined. Fold the optional dried cranberries into the mixture. Take the pan out of the refrigerator. Pour the berry cream on top of the shortbread. Tap gently against the counter and smooth out the top with a spatula.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Cut into twelve to sixteen even pieces. Garnish with the optional toppings. Enjoy! Refrigerate leftovers and consume within a few days.