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–+ servings
Whole marbled black sesame cheesecake on a cutting board with metal server.

Black Sesame Cheesecake

Matt
A baked black sesame cheesecake with a gently sweet, toasty flavor and striking marbled swirls. Firm, rich, and deeply satisfying, with a Japanese twist from black sesame paste and surigoma, and an Oreo crust for a hint of cocoa.
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Course Dessert
Cuisine American, Japanese
Servings 1 cheesecake

Equipment

  • 1 18 cm (7-inch) springform pan

Ingredients
  

For the Oreo Crust

  • 10 Oreos about 110 g
  • 25 g Unsalted butter, melted
  • 5 g Black sesame powder (surigoma) about 2 ½ tsp

For the Cheesecake Base Batter

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

Instructions
 

Make the Crust

  • Crush the Oreos
    Place the Oreos in a sturdy zip-top bag. Use the bottom of a mug or rolling pin to crush them into fine crumbs.
  • Mix with melted butter
    Transfer the crumbs to a bowl. Add the black sesame powder and mix. Pour over the melted butter and mix until the crumbs are evenly moistened and look like wet sand.
  • Add to the pan
    Pour the crumb mixture into the prepared springform pan.
  • Press firmly
    Cover a mug’s bottom with plastic wrap, then press crumbs evenly, working around the edge in a circular path.
  • Chill crust
    Once pressed, place the crust in the refrigerator for 15–20 minutes to help it set before adding the cheesecake filling. This step helps prevent a crumbly base.

Make the Batter

  • 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.
  • Add the sugar
    Add the sugar. Switch to a whisk and mix until the sugar is fully incorporated and the mixture looks creamy and uniform.
  • Add the egg yolks
    Add the egg yolks and whisk gently until just combined. Avoid overmixing at this stage.
  • Add cream
    Pour in the heavy cream. Whisk until smooth and silky, stopping as soon as everything is evenly blended.
  • Sift the flour
    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.
  • Divide the batter
    Pour ½ into one bowl. Keep ½ in the original bowl. Mix the black sesame paste into one of the bowls.
  • Pour the batter
    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.
  • 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

  • Bake in the oven
    Bake in the oven at 340°F (170°C) for approximately 40 min. 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Refrigerate
    Cover with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, ideally overnight, to fully set and develop flavor.

Notes

 
  • Use nerigoma (black sesame paste) in the batter and surigoma (black sesame powder) in the crust. Know that these are different products so you don’t mix them up when shopping.
  • The crust should pass the squeeze test: pressed crumbs should hold together without crumbling or feeling greasy.
  • Swirl the batters gently, just a few strokes. Overmixing blends the colors into gray instead of leaving visible marbling.
  • Ovens often run hotter than their dial shows. If yours tends to run hot, check a few minutes early.
  • The center should still wobble gently when you shake the pan, that’s doneness, not a fully set center.
  • Let the cheesecake cool gradually at room temperature before refrigerating. Going straight from a hot oven into the fridge can cause cracking.
  • Stick to the 18 cm (7-inch) pan size, a different size will throw off both texture and bake time.
  • Refrigerate tightly covered for 3–4 days. For best results, make it a day ahead and let it chill overnight before serving.
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