Black Sesame Cheesecake (Japanese Kuro Goma Cheesecake)

This is a baked black sesame cheesecake: firm, rich, and deeply satisfying. It’s a gently sweet Japanese twist on the classic, with a toasty depth and grey swirls from black sesame paste. You can easily make it at home using black sesame paste and an 18 cm (7-inch) pan.

I’ve been intrigued by the idea of a black sesame cheesecake since last year. I’d never actually tried one until my first test bake. I always have my doubts before a recipe’s first attempt, but somehow I still have a feeling it’ll turn out good.

My first test bake did not look pretty. But the taste? A-mazing. A few tests later, a couple small adjustments, and the foil trick for the over-browning, it finally turned out just right.

Love and sesame 🖤
Matt

If you loved this cheesecake, you'll also love my yuzu cheesecake, a brighter, citrus take on the same baked style.

Why You'll Love This Black Sesame Cheesecake

Rich and Nutty

Toasty black sesame adds depth, another layer of flavor, while keeping the same creamy, satisfying texture of a classic baked cheesecake.

Three Layers, Perfectly Balanced

Three layers of color, taste, and texture. I tested this recipe multiple times to get the ratios of flavors and sweetness just right.

Striking, Elegant Color

Black sesame paste marbles through in dark streaks against the pale cream filling, a contrast that looks as elegant as it tastes.

Easy to Make at Home

No hard-to-find Japanese ingredients needed. Black sesame paste is shelf-stable and sold at Japanese or Asian grocery stores and online.

Ingredients for Black Sesame Cheesecake

For the Oreo Crust

• Oreos – 10 cookies (about 110 g)
• Unsalted butter, melted – 25 g
• Black sesame powder (surigoma) – 5 g (about 2.5 teaspoons)

For the Cheesecake Base Batter

• Cream cheese, softened – 200 g
• Sour cream – 100 g
• Granulated sugar – 60 g
• Egg yolks – 2 (about 36 g)
• Heavy cream – 100 g
• Cake flour (low-protein flour) – 45 g

To Divide and Flavor the Batter

• Half the batter → black portion: mix in about 30 g black sesame paste (nerigoma)
• Half the batter → white portion: no added sesame paste

Ingredient Notes & Tips

Cream Cheese: Use full-fat and let it soften completely at room temperature for a smooth, lump-free filling.

Oreos: Use the whole cookie, filling included. Crush into fine crumbs, I just put mine in a zip-top bag and smash with a rolling pin (or anything heavy), no food processor needed.

Black Sesame Paste (Nerigoma): Look for 100% roasted black sesame paste with no added sugar or oil, so you control the sweetness and texture yourself. Don’t confuse this with black sesame powder (surigoma), they’re different products used in different parts of this recipe.

Cake Flour: Keeps the cheesecake tender. Reduce slightly if using all-purpose flour.

Making the Crust

Note: Let cream cheese soften at room temperature. Keep eggs chilled until ready. Preheat oven to 170 °C (340 °F).
Tip: If your oven runs hot, reduce to 320 °F (160 °C).

1. Crush the Oreos

Place the Oreos, filling included, in a sturdy zip-top bag. Use the bottom of a mug or a rolling pin to crush them into fine crumbs.

2. Mix with Black Sesame Powder and Butter

Transfer Oreo crumbs to a bowl. Add black sesame powder and mix well. Then melt the butter, add it to the bowl, and mix until evenly moistened.

3. Add to pan

Pour crumb mixture into a prepared springform pan.

4. Press crust Firmly

Cover a mug’s bottom with plastic wrap, then press crumbs evenly, working around the edge in a circular path. Refrigerate 15–20 minutes before adding filling.

Making the Batter

5. Soften the dairy

Place the cream cheese and sour cream in a mixing bowl. Using a rubber spatula, press and mix until completely smooth and free of lumps.

6. Add sugar And Mix

Add the sugar. Switch to a whisk and mix until the sugar is fully incorporated and the mixture looks creamy and uniform.

7. Add egg yolks And Mix

Add the egg yolks and whisk gently until just combined. Avoid overmixing at this stage.

8. Add cream And Mix

Pour in the heavy cream. Whisk until smooth and silky, stopping as soon as everything is evenly blended.

9. Sift the flour and Mix

Sift the cake flour over the cheesecake mixture. Use a spatula or whisk to gently fold it in until smooth and fully incorporated. This helps keep the cheesecake light and lump-free.

10. Divide Batter and Add Black Sesame Paste

Pour half into one bowl. Keep half in the original bowl. Mix the black sesame paste into one of the two portions with your whisk.

11. Spoon Batter into crust

Start around the edges of the pan. Spoon the black and plain batters into the crust in alternating dollops. Then, slightly lift the pan and drop it on the counter a few times until the batter flattens to a uniform surface.

12. Swirl the batter

Drag a skewer or toothpick through them in a few light strokes to create a marble pattern. Stop as soon as you see streaks, overmixing blends the colors into gray.

Baking and Cooling

13. Bake in the Oven

Bake at 340°F (170°C) for approximately 40 minutes. To check doneness, gently shake the pan, the edges should be firm, while the center should jiggle slightly, like soft custard. You can also insert a toothpick near the center, it should come out mostly clean, with a few moist crumbs but no raw batter.

14. Watch for Browning

At around the 25-minute mark, check the top for browning. If it’s starting to brown, cover loosely with foil for the rest of the bake to prevent the top from burning.

15. Cool

Remove from the oven and let the cheesecake cool on the countertop until it is no longer warm to the touch. This gradual cooling helps prevent cracks.

16. Refrigerate

Cover with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, ideally overnight, to fully set and develop flavor.

Tips for Success

Check the crust with a squeeze test: Press a small handful of the Oreo crumb mixture together in your hand. If it holds its shape without crumbling apart or feeling greasy, your butter ratio is right. 25 g of butter is the amount that passed this test for me.

Flavor intensity: I tasted the batter raw to check the sesame flavor before baking, and adjust the paste up or down from there. Skip this if you have any concerns about eating raw egg.

Swirl, don’t stir: Once you’ve spooned the black and plain batters into the crust in alternating dollops, drag a skewer or toothpick through them in a few light strokes. Stop as soon as you see a marble pattern. Overmixing blends the colors into gray and you lose the contrast.

Oven running hot: Ovens often run hotter than their dial shows. If yours tends to run hot, use an oven thermometer and check a few minutes early, it’s easy to overbake or crack a cheesecake if the actual temperature is higher than expected.

Watch the surface: Keep an eye on the top of the cheesecake as it bakes. As soon as you notice any browning, cover it loosely with aluminum foil to prevent the top from burning.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Not softening the cream cheese fully: cold or partially softened cream cheese leaves lumps that won’t smooth out later, even with vigorous mixing. Pull it out well ahead of time rather than rushing it in the microwave.

Using the wrong size pan: swapping in a pan larger or smaller than the 18 cm (7-inch) this recipe calls for throws off both texture and bake time. A bigger pan spreads the batter thinner and bakes faster, risking overbaking. A smaller one makes it thicker and denser, and may need more time in the oven to set properly.

Overbaking past the jiggle point: pulling the cheesecake once it looks fully set gives you a dry, cracked texture instead of the soft custard center you’re after. The center should still wobble when you gently shake the pan.

Cooling it too fast: pulling the cheesecake straight from a hot oven and putting it right into the fridge shocks it and causes cracking. Let it cool gradually at room temperature before refrigerating.

Storage and Make Ahead Tips

Refrigerate: Keep tightly covered in the fridge for 3–4 days.

Make Ahead: I recommend making this cheesecake a day ahead and letting it set in the fridge overnight before serving.