1. Heat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease a 23cm (9-inch) springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. 2. In a food processor, blitz 300g (10.5oz) biscuits until finely ground. Add 1 tablespoon brown sugar and ¼ teaspoon salt, and process until combined. Slowly pour in 120g (½ cup / 1 stick) melted butter and process again until combined – the mixture will look like wet sand. (If you don’t have a food processor, place biscuits, sugar and salt in a ziplock bag and crush with a heavy plate or rolling pin, before pouring butter into bag and massaging the bag until the butter coats the crumbs.) 3. Press the mixture into the bottom and of the prepared pan with a flat-bottomed measuring cup or mug. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature.
Filling & assembly:
1. Cut 3 pieces of heavy-duty kitchen foil and put them in criss cross on the work surface. Set springform pan in the middle and wrap the edges of the foil around the sides of the pan. This will prevent the water from the water bath seeping in. Keep the oven at 175°C (350°F). 2. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, in a large bowl, beat 680g (24oz) cream cheese until fluffy. Add 4 eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add 200g (1 cup) of sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. 3. In a small cup, mix 2 tablespoons of hojicha powder with 2 tablespoon of water until a thick paste forms. Scoop 4 tablespoons of cheesecake mix into the cup and mix with the hojicha paste until combined. Pour the hojicha mix into the large bowl and stir into cheesecake mix until combined. The mixture will be a light shade of brown. 4. Pour the filling into the prepared crumb crust. Place the pan (with aluminium foil on the outside) on a high-walled baking sheet and into the oven. Pour hot water into the baking sheet so the water comes up to the halfway mark of the springform pan. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until the cake is just set in the center. Gently remove the cake from the oven but do not turn the oven off. 5. In a medium bowl, whisk 450ml (16 oz) sour cream and 1 tablespoon of sugar. To a smaller bowl, scoop out 2 tablespoons of sour cream and sift 2 teaspoons of matcha powder; mix until combined. Add this matcha-sour cream mix to the medium bowl and stir to combine. Spoon the sour cream mixture onto the cheesecake and spread with the back of the spoon. Return pan to the oven and continue to bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the sour cream layer is set and warmed through. 6. Switch off the oven and open the oven door an inch or so. Leave the cake in the oven until it cools to room temperature (around 1h) to prevent cracks. Remove cheesecake from the oven and store it in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours, or ideally overnight.
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[Recipe with notes here](https://earlgreythursday.wordpress.com/2023/01/05/cha-cha-cheesecake-hojicha-cheesecake-with-matcha-sour-cream-topping/)
**Ingredients**
Crust:
* 300g (10.5oz) digestive biscuits
* 1 tablespoon brown sugar
* ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
* 120g (½ cup / 1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Cheesecake:
* 680g (3x 8oz package) cream cheese, room temperature
* 4 large eggs
* 200g (1 cup) granulated sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 10g (2 tablespoons) hojicha powder
* 2 tablespoon water, room temperature
Sour cream topping:
* 450ml (16 oz) sour cream, room temperature
* 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
* 2 teaspoons matcha powder
**Directions**
Crust:
1. Heat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease a 23cm (9-inch) springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
2. In a food processor, blitz 300g (10.5oz) biscuits until finely ground. Add 1 tablespoon brown sugar and ¼ teaspoon salt, and process until combined. Slowly pour in 120g (½ cup / 1 stick) melted butter and process again until combined – the mixture will look like wet sand. (If you don’t have a food processor, place biscuits, sugar and salt in a ziplock bag and crush with a heavy plate or rolling pin, before pouring butter into bag and massaging the bag until the butter coats the crumbs.)
3. Press the mixture into the bottom and of the prepared pan with a flat-bottomed measuring cup or mug. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature.
Filling & assembly:
1. Cut 3 pieces of heavy-duty kitchen foil and put them in criss cross on the work surface. Set springform pan in the middle and wrap the edges of the foil around the sides of the pan. This will prevent the water from the water bath seeping in. Keep the oven at 175°C (350°F).
2. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, in a large bowl, beat 680g (24oz) cream cheese until fluffy. Add 4 eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add 200g (1 cup) of sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
3. In a small cup, mix 2 tablespoons of hojicha powder with 2 tablespoon of water until a thick paste forms. Scoop 4 tablespoons of cheesecake mix into the cup and mix with the hojicha paste until combined. Pour the hojicha mix into the large bowl and stir into cheesecake mix until combined. The mixture will be a light shade of brown.
4. Pour the filling into the prepared crumb crust. Place the pan (with aluminium foil on the outside) on a high-walled baking sheet and into the oven. Pour hot water into the baking sheet so the water comes up to the halfway mark of the springform pan. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until the cake is just set in the center. Gently remove the cake from the oven but do not turn the oven off.
5. In a medium bowl, whisk 450ml (16 oz) sour cream and 1 tablespoon of sugar. To a smaller bowl, scoop out 2 tablespoons of sour cream and sift 2 teaspoons of matcha powder; mix until combined. Add this matcha-sour cream mix to the medium bowl and stir to combine. Spoon the sour cream mixture onto the cheesecake and spread with the back of the spoon. Return pan to the oven and continue to bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the sour cream layer is set and warmed through.
6. Switch off the oven and open the oven door an inch or so. Leave the cake in the oven until it cools to room temperature (around 1h) to prevent cracks. Remove cheesecake from the oven and store it in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours, or ideally overnight.