Yuzu Cheesecake with Black Sesame Crust

I came across this stunning dessert on the America’s Test Kitchen website, and it was definitely calling to me. After a shopping trip at Sanko, I was all set to go.

The recipe has three components: a crust, the filling, and a curd. Instead of graham or animal crackers, this one uses a blend of ground black sesame and AP flour. Since I love the graham crust of traditional cheesecakes, I subbed in a bit for the flour. I didn’t make mine thin enough, so it didn’t reach 1½” up the sides.

This cheesecake is relatively tall, so it needs a lot of cream cheese, and eggs. But what makes it unmistakeably yuzu is the ½ cup of pure yuzu juice. This is definitely an indulgent splurge: 200mL was $20 CAD. More of that juice is used in the curd, and the two egg yolks give it an intense, vibrant colour.

We didn’t have enough time to chill it thoroughly before serving it to guests, but wow, was it ever delicious. The nuttiness of the black sesame is immediately apparent, as is the tart, complex flavour of yuzu in the curd. Its fragrance reminds me of black pepper, and it’s got a different flavour than the zest (which I also bought, frozen, from the Japanese goods store). I froze the leftovers as individual slices, and now get to enjoy a piece over the next little while.

Highly recommended!