A cheesecake made ahead can leave more room for enjoying a holiday meal. This recipe steeps White Cap Chai in cream, then blends the infusion into a filling with cinnamon and vanilla over a graham cracker crust.
We hand-mix our teas in small batches on Washington’s Long Beach Peninsula, with a kiss of Pacific Ocean air. This dessert gives a chai blend a place at the table beyond the teacup.
White Cap Chai Cheesecake
Yield: One 9-inch cheesecake.
Allow 10 minutes for the cream infusion, 8–10 minutes to bake the crust, and about 50–65 minutes to bake the cheesecake, plus preparation and gradual cooling. Refrigerate overnight as directed.
Crust ingredients
2 cups graham cracker crumbs; 6 tbsp melted butter; 2 tbsp brown sugar.
Filling ingredients
24 oz cream cheese, softened; 3/4 cup sugar; 3 eggs; 1 cup sour cream; 1 tsp vanilla; 2 tbsp White Cap Chai; 1/2 cup heavy cream; 1/2 tsp cinnamon.
Instructions
- Heat cream until steaming, steep White Cap Chai for 10 minutes, strain, and cool.
- Combine crust ingredients, press into a 9-inch springform pan, and bake at 350°F for 8–10 minutes.
- Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Mix in sour cream, vanilla, cinnamon, and 1/3 cup chai-infused cream. Add eggs one at a time on low speed.
- Pour over crust and bake at 325°F for about 50–65 minutes, until edges are set and center has a slight wobble.
- Cool gradually, then refrigerate overnight.
Measure the infused cream
Begin with 1/2 cup heavy cream for steeping. The filling uses 1/3 cup chai-infused cream after straining and cooling. Keep those amounts distinct rather than pouring all the starting cream into the batter.
Use an infusion, not finely ground tea mixed directly into the filling. Strain out the loose tea before measuring the cream.
Keep the two baking stages separate
The crust bakes at 350°F, while the cheesecake filling bakes at 325°F. Read through the recipe before beginning so the temperature change fits into your preparation.
Add eggs one at a time on low speed. Bake until the edges are set and the center has a slight wobble.
Plan for overnight refrigeration
This is not a last-minute dessert. Include cooling and overnight refrigeration in your meal plan rather than treating the oven time as the whole process.
Do not interpret “cool gradually” as permission to leave the cheesecake out overnight; the overnight step is refrigeration.
Why White Cap Chai belongs here
White Cap Chai has a white tea base with chai spices and contains caffeine. Its spice character joins the separate cinnamon and vanilla in the filling.
The tea infusion is part of the recipe, not a replacement for the sour cream or cream cheese.
Serve as one thoughtful dessert
A nine-inch cheesecake can be the dessert you choose for a shared meal without making several sweets around it. Let guests select drinks they enjoy, and keep serving arrangements simple.
Portion according to your gathering.
Check ingredients before sharing
The recipe includes dairy, eggs, and graham cracker crumbs. Check current full tea ingredients and the labels for other ingredients against guests’ needs.
Do not describe the finished cheesecake as dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, or caffeine-free.
Shop the featured tea
Explore White Cap Chai for the blend used in the cream infusion and its current product details.
