Cheesecake with Matcha, White Chocolate Mousse and Raspberries

When I was invited to write an article for a Bulgarian food magazine, I wanted to come up with something different, to incorporate interesting ingredients and flavors. That’s why I decided to make a matcha green tea cheesecake topped with white chocolate mousse and finished with raspberries. I was amazed how well the ingredients complimented each other and I was very pleased with the overall result.

Cheesecake with Matcha, White Chocolate Mousse and Raspberries

For the crust:
130 grams ground chocolate cookies
50 grams sugar
50 grams melted unsalted butter

For the cheesecake:
700 grams cream cheese, at room temperature
250 grams sugar
3 eggs, at room temperature
30 grams flour
2 teaspoons matcha powder
120 grams sour cream

For the white chocolate mousse:
100 grams white chocolate
100 grams heavy cream
1 egg white

For the raspberry sauce:
100 grams raspberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon powder sugar
extra raspberries to decorate

Preheat your oven to 180°C.
To make the crust combine the ground chocolate cookies and the melted butter and stir until the mixture resembles “wet sand”. Butter a 18cm springform pan and put the crust mixture in it. Press down the crumbs evenly on the bottom of the pan.
Bake the crust for 10 minutes and then cool completely.

Meanwhile, prepare the cheesecake batter.
Put the cream cheese in a bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Add sugar and combine. Then add the eggs, one at a time, until thoroughly combined. Add matcha powder and then mix in the flour. Beat just until incorporated and then stir in the sour cream.

Cover the bottom and sides of the pan with two or three layers of aluminum foil. This prevents the batter from getting soaked in the water while baking.

Pour the cheesecake mixture over the crust and place the pan in a larger pan. Fill it half way with water and bake the cheesecake for 50-55 minutes, or until the top is set but the center is slightly wobbly when the pan is gently shaken. Let it cool completely in the oven, then chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours.

To make the mousse, melt white chocolate on a double boiler or in the microwave, then cool. Beat heavy cream and egg white together until soft peaks are formed. Fold them gently into the chocolate in 3-4 batches, trying not to deflate the batter. Spread the mousse over the cooled cheesecake and chill until set.

To make the raspberry sauce, blend together the raspberries, lemon juice and powder sugar. Strain it to remove any seeds and drizzle it over the chocolate mousse. Decorate with fresh raspberries and serve.