Black Sesame Lava Cheese Tart

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Bite into this ooey gooey lava cheese tart that’s made with aromatic and nutty black sesame seeds. These cheese tarts are surprisingly simple to make and taste like they came straight out of a bakery!

If you like cheesecake, chances are you’ll probably indulge in lava cheese tarts, flaky tartlets filled with molten, flowing cheese custard. I discovered these delicious pastries during my 2017 trip to Hokkaido, Japan, where these tarts originate from, and my first bite was a VERY memorable one. How have I been missing out on these delicious gems? I frequented the shops, BAKE Cheese Tart (Hokkaido) and PABLO (Osaka), during my time there, but was unable to find a bakery making the tarts when I returned to the states. Fear not, I’ll just make them myself.

While the original vanilla flavored tart remains the most popular one, I decided to create a black sesame flavored one so that the nuttiness helps balance out the sweetness and creaminess. These tarts are quite simple and relatively cheap to make. Similar to steak, you can achieve 3 different tart textures: rare, medium rare, and well-done. People have different preferences, so you can make all 3 textures from just one recipe!

Rare: Fresh out of the oven. Once you cut the tart open, the interior oozes out. Messy to eat, but is the most popular!

Medium rare: Out of the oven and placed in the fridge for 10 min. The tart becomes firmer, but still slightly gooey. I prefer this texture and it is less messy.

Well done: Placed in the fridge for at least 1 hour. The tart becomes firm like a cheesecake.

This is a recipe where you can mess up the steps and still end up with a delicious product. Here are some frequently asked questions I’ve received regarding this recipe:

Is the lava tart safe to eat?

Yes. The ingredients in the actual tart do not consist of any eggs so the cream cheese mixture can actually be eaten raw.

The tarts look too runny after the baking time; do I still take them out?

Different ovens can result in different outcomes. The tarts should be slightly jiggly and slightly firm before you take it out. I recommend 8 minutes of baking at 380 °F, but you may need more or less time depending on your oven. Keep a close eye on them. Keep in mind that even if the tart looks too runny, the tarts will firm up slightly at room temperature before you cut them open.

What is black sesame paste?

Black sesame paste is simply ground up black sesame. It is the black version of tahini. There are no added oils as sesame seeds naturally release oils when ground up. I use store-bought black sesame paste for this recipe, but you may make your own by grinding up sesame seeds in a food processor.

Black Sesame Lava Cheese Tart

Cooking Method:Baking Courses:Dessert

Difficulty:IntermediatePrep time:1 hour 10 minutesCook time: 25 minutesTotal time:1 hour 35 minutesServings:18 tartletsCalories Per Tartlet:300 kcal

Description

A buttery crust with a molten cheesy center equals the ultimate dessert crossover: part pastry, part cheesecake, all delicious.

Ingredients

• 3 store-bought pie crusts, thawed (use gluten-free crust if GF)
• 228 grams or 1 block full-fat cream cheese, softened
• 80 grams or 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons black sesame paste
• 35 grams or 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon milk (any fat %)
• 120 grams or 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 75 grams or 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (may use a more if you prefer a sweeter filling)
• 6 grams or 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 5 grams or 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 4 grams or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, whip the cream cheese and sesame paste together using an electric hand mixer.
2. Add in the milk and heavy cream and use a spatula to gently whip the mixture together until smooth. Do not use the mixer for this step.
3. Add in the granulated sugar and whip on medium speed with the mixer for 30 seconds.
4. Continue whipping on medium speed while adding the cornstarch, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. The mixture should be smooth now. Cover and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
5. Preheat oven to 380 °F.
6. Roll out the pie crusts and use a 2-inch cookie cutter or circular object to cut out 18 circular pieces of dough. When you run out of space on the dough, re-roll the dough out and repeat the cutting process until you end up with 18 rounds.
7. Press the dough rounds in a muffin tin and gently poke holes on the bottom using a fork, without completely piercing the dough.
8. Add a small piece of parchment paper on top of each dough. Press the dough down with baking weights (or dry beans) and bake in the oven for 10 minutes at 380 °F on the middle rack.
9. Take the pastry shells out and remove the parchment paper and baking weights. Bake the shells in the oven for an additional 5 minutes and remove the shells from the oven.
10. To assemble the tarts, add the black sesame cream cheese filling into a large pastry bag. Generously pipe the filling into the shells and bake the tarts in the oven for 8 minutes at 380 °F.
11. Remove the tarts from the oven and allow them to cool for at least 5 minutes. For a rare cheese tart, eat immediately. For a medium rare tart, place the tart in the fridge for 10 minutes. For a well-done tart, place the tart in the fridge for at least 1 hour. You can reheat the tart in the microwave for 15-20 sec. to bring back the lava effect once the filling has firmed up in the fridge if desired.

Notes

• Gluten-free option is included in the recipe.

Keywords:sesame, tart, cheese