Dreamy Matcha Cloud Cheesecake Cups

Have you ever imagined a dessert that’s as light as a cloud but packed with sophisticated flavor? Look no further. These little cheesecake cups are a baker’s dream, delivering a texture so moist, fluffy, and delicate it will feel like you’re eating a sweet, creamy cloud. The secret lies in the gentle water bath baking method, which creates an incredibly soft and tender crumb. This recipe strikes a perfect harmony between the earthy, slightly bitter notes of premium matcha and the rich, savory tang of cream cheese. Best of all, despite its elegant appearance and divine taste, this dessert is surprisingly simple to make, taking just about an hour from start to finish. It’s the perfect project for a quiet afternoon and a guaranteed showstopper for anyone who tries it, even for baking beginners. Get ready to fall in love at first bite!

Before you begin, let’s gather our ingredients. Precision is key in baking, so using a kitchen scale is highly recommended for the best results. For this recipe, you will need:

For the Matcha Cheese Batter:

• Cream Cheese: 130g (about 4.5 oz), full-fat, softened to room temperature
• Warm Milk: 80g (about 1/3 cup)
• Unsalted Butter: 40g (about 3 tbsp)
• Large Eggs: 4, separated into yolks and whites
• Cake Flour: 20g (about 2.5 tbsp). Cake flour creates a finer, more tender crumb. If you can’t find it, you can substitute it with all-purpose flour, but the texture might be slightly denser.
• Cornstarch: 20g (about 2.5 tbsp)
• Matcha Powder: 10g (about 1.5 tbsp). Use a good quality culinary grade matcha for the best color and flavor.

For the Meringue:

• Egg Whites: From the 4 large eggs you separated
• Granulated Sugar: 70g (about 1/3 cup)
• Lemon Juice: A few drops (about 1/4 tsp). This helps stabilize the egg whites. You can substitute it with an equal amount of white vinegar or a pinch of cream of tartar.

Now, let’s get baking! This process is all about gentle techniques and patience. Follow these steps closely, and you’ll be rewarded with perfect, cloud-like cakes.

1. Pre-preparation is key. Separate your 4 eggs, placing the yolks in one bowl and the whites in another. For a super stable meringue, you can place the bowl of egg whites in the freezer for about 10 minutes while you work on the batter. In a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water (a bain-marie), combine 130g of room-temperature cream cheese and 80g of warm milk. Whisk gently until the cream cheese has completely melted and the mixture is smooth.
2. Melt 40g of unsalted butter and pour the liquid butter into the cream cheese mixture. Whisk until fully incorporated.
3. Add the 4 egg yolks to the bowl, one at a time, whisking well after each addition until the batter is smooth and uniform.
4. In a separate small bowl, sift together 20g of cake flour, 20g of cornstarch, and 10g of matcha powder. Sifting is crucial to prevent lumps. Add the sifted dry ingredients to your wet batter and whisk until the mixture is silky smooth and the color is an even, beautiful green.
5. For an extra-fine texture, pour the batter through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. This will catch any tiny lumps that remain. Keep the bowl sitting over the warm water to prevent the batter from thickening and setting. Set it aside.
6. Now for the meringue! In a clean, dry mixing bowl, add your 4 chilled egg whites and a few drops of lemon juice. Using an electric mixer, beat on low speed until frothy.
7. Gradually add the 70g of sugar in three parts as you continue to beat the egg whites: first when you see large bubbles, second when the bubbles become finer, and third when soft lines start to appear. Continue beating until the meringue reaches a “soft peak” stage. This means when you lift the beaters, the meringue forms a peak that gently curls over on itself, like a soft hook. Be careful not to overbeat!
8. To combine the two mixtures, first lighten the dense yolk batter. Take about one-third of the meringue and add it to the matcha batter.
9. Gently fold them together with a spatula using a scooping and lifting motion until just combined.
10. Now, pour this lightened matcha mixture back into the bowl with the remaining two-thirds of the meringue.
11. Continue to fold everything together gently until the color is uniform and you see no more white streaks. The final batter should be airy and smooth.
12. Transfer the batter into a piping bag for easy and clean filling. Squeeze the batter into your molds (cupcake liners in a muffin tin work wonderfully) until they are about 70% full.
13. Prepare the water bath. Place your filled molds into a larger, deep baking pan. Pour cold or room-temperature water into the larger pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of your molds.
14. Preheat your oven to 150°C (300°F). Carefully place the baking pan in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 60 minutes.
15. Once baked, carefully remove the pan from the oven. Let the cheesecake cups cool down in their molds on a wire rack.
16. Your beautiful Matcha Cloud Cheesecake Cups are now complete!

The first bite is a true revelation. The texture is so incredibly moist and fluffy, it practically melts on your tongue, truly living up to its “cloud-like” name. Each mouthful is a delightful surprise, a perfect dance of earthy matcha and tangy cheese that is sweet but not overwhelming. The aroma of tea and cream is absolutely heavenly. For an even more spectacular experience, I highly recommend chilling them in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving. When chilled, they transform into a stunning dessert duo: a cool, dense, almost ice-cream-like cheese core surrounded by a soft, moist cake. It’s an unforgettable sensation! I dare you to try this recipe and not “fall in love.” Let me know how yours turn out in the comments below