Black sesame mochi basque cheesecake

For the longest time, I’ve wished cafés would give black sesame the same love they give matcha. Don’t get me wrong—I adore matcha. But black sesame has this deep, nutty, almost toasty flavour that’s comforting in a way that’s hard to describe. It’s the kind of flavour that reminds me of my childhood, warm desserts after a meal, and little Asian bakeries where everything somehow feels nostalgic.

So if I couldn’t order my dream dessert at a café…I figured I’d just make it myself.

When I first started sketching ideas for this recipe, I realised I didn’t want to stop at just a black sesame cheesecake. I wanted texture.I wanted surprise.

I wanted every bite to feel a little different. So underneath the creamy basque cheesecake is a buttery Oreo crust that stays wonderfully crisp. It might sound unexpected, but the bittersweet cocoa from the Oreos balances the rich nuttiness of the black sesame beautifully. Then hidden inside is one of my favourite little surprises—a layer of soft, chewy mochi.

If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ll know I have a slight obsession with adding mochi to desserts. There’s something about that stretchy, pillowy texture that makes every bite so much more fun. Instead of disappearing into the cheesecake, it creates these chewy little moments that contrast with the creamy filling.

Black seame mochi basque cheesecake

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Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

Oreo Base

• 130 g Oreo cookies
• 35 g unsalted butter (melted)

Black Sesame Cheesecake

• 450 g cream cheese (softened)
• 120 g castor sugar 
• 3 eggs (room temperature)
• 100 g black sesame paste 
• 150 ml heavy whipping cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• 15g g cornstarch
• A pinch of salt

Mochi

• 70 g glutinous rice flour
• 20 g cornstarch
• 140 ml milk
• 15 g castor sugar
• 15 g unsalted butter

Method

 

Oreo Base

1. Preheat your oven to 170°C and line a 6-inch pan
2. Crush your oreos into crumbs
3. Optional: Save a few tablespoons for decoration
4. Mix the crumbs with the melted butter 
5. Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of your prepared pan
6. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove and set aside to cool while making the filling

Mochi

1. Put all the mochi ingredients in a bowl, except for the butter⁣⁣⁣
2. Microwave for 1 min, take it out and mix. Microwave for another 30 sec until the liquid is gone⁣⁣⁣
3. While hot, mix in the butter until combined⁣⁣⁣. The butter will make it easier to handle
4. Set aside to cool⁣⁣⁣
5. When cooled, use a rolling pin to roll the mochi to the size of your cake pan in between two pieces of cling wrap
6. Set aside to use

Black sesame cheesecake:

1. Beat the softened cream cheese and sugar together until smooth and creamy
2. Add the black sesame paste and vanilla extract
3. Add the eggs one at a time, incorporating each fully before adding the next egg
4. Gently whisk in the heavy cream and a pinch of salt
5. Sift in the cornstarch and mix gently until just combined

Assemble

1. Pour some of the cheesecake batter over the cooled oreo crust. 
2. Layer with the mochi layer
3. Follow with the rest of the cheesecake batter
4. Preheat oven to 200°C fanbake
5. Bake for 35–40 minutes
6. Move pan to upper rack 
7. Increase oven to 210–215°C fan
8. Bake 2–5 minutes only for even browning
9. Leave the door ajar for 10min, then take cake out to cool
10. Refrigerate overnight, and serve with optional kinako cream and tang yuan on top

Tag your mochi basque cheesecake cake with @ultimateomnoms on Instagram, it would make my day to see them!