It sure took me long enough to appreciate the basque cheesecake. For one – there is minimal cleanup. Homebakers rejoice! In fact for a normal basque cheesecake, you can prepare it all in one bowl. Second, there’s no need to decorate. The scrunched sides are ideal, giving it that signature rustic look. It’s not just a baking trend over lockdown, it’s here to stay.
When I first got the idea for a tea infused cheesecake, it was a no-brainer to add boba pearls on top. Get this: sweetened milk tea cream, and chewy tapioca pearls on top of the famous creamy and caramelised basque cheesecake. It’s a texture collision yearning to happen!
Tips on creating the tea-infused cream
- Use strong tea bags – like English breakfast tea
- If you want to eat dessert at all hours, consider use a decaf tea alternative
- Little bits of tea leaves in the cream are totally ok
- If too much of the cream gets absorbed by the tea leaves, top it up with normal cream so 270ml cream goes into the batter. Otherwise it’ll be a very dry basque cheesecake!
Why cake flour?
I’ve played around with different flours and to me cake flour is the best. Cake flour has less protein than all-purpose flour, which means it produces less gluten when mixed into the batter. Less gluten formation means a lighter and more tender texture. It also has a finer texture and a higher starch content than all-purpose flour. This results in improved moisture retention, which is essential for achieving the creamy, custardy interior that basque cheesecakes are known for.
So what are you waiting for? That creamy caramelised goodness topped with chewy boba pearls is yours to make. If you’re looking for even more of a step up – try the ube mochi brownie basque cheesecake. It is texture galore! Tag your basque cheesecake with @ultimateomnoms on Instagram so I can feature you!
Ingredients
Method
- Open the tea sachets and pour the tea leaves into the cream
- Heat over low-medium heat to infuse the cream. Small bubbles around the saucepan are ok but make sure it doesn't boil!
- Strain the tea leaves from the cream into a bowl
- Whip the cream cheese in a large bowl until soft and fluffy
- Slowly whisk in the sugar and vanilla extract
- Add in the eggs one by one, whisking until fully combined
- Whisk in the tea infused cream
- Pour into the prepared 6" cake tin and bake for 35-40min at 220°C on the lower-middle rack
- Let the cake sit for 10min in the oven
- Cool to room temperature and put in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight
- To serve, infuse the additional cream with the tea bag in the same way as for the cheesecake
- Whip the infused cream with icing sugar until soft peaks
- Prepare the boba by boiling it and mixing with a bit of brown sugar as it cools
- Add your toppings on the cheesecake and enjoy!
