The Best Japanese Souffle Cheesecake Recipe

Japanese Souffle Cheesecake (or Japanese Cotton Cheesecake) is a soft, airy, and fluffy cheesecake that melts in your mouth. It’s the most popular cheesecake here in Japan and is called Souffle Cheesecake or スフレチーズケーキ in Japanese. ,

What is Japanese Cheesecake

Japanese Cheesecake is so special and unique. It has a distinctive look, taste, and texture. It is different than other popular baked cheesecakes like New York Cheesecake.

Well, Japanese cheesecake is just like a combination of Chiffon cake and Cheesecake. Soft, light, and fluffy like a Chiffon Cake. It is also rich, moist, and creamy at the same time like a Baked Cheesecake. And it’s not overly sweet and so perfect.

Just like Japanese Souffle Pancakes, Japanese cheesecake is made light and fluffy by whipping up egg whites. So, it’s also called Japanese Souffle Cheesecake.

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How Japanese Cheesecake Gets
Its Unique Texture & Taste?

This Japanese Cheesecake has a light and fluffy texture with a rich creamy taste.

This souffle cheesecake is made by combining two components; cream cheese mixture and whipped egg whites. This mixture gives this cheesecake that distinctive taste and texture.

The cream cheese mixture is made with cream cheese, butter, milk, sugar, egg yolks, and flour. The ingredients in the cream cheese mixture give this cake a rich, creamy cheesecake-like taste.

The egg whites are whipped until soft peaks form and then folded into the cream cheese mixture. Whipped egg whites give it a super fluffy and light texture just like a chiffon cake.

The cake is baked in a hot water bath. It also helps to get the perfect texture.

About the Japanese Cheesecake recipe

You will find a lot of different recipes all over the web. I have also tried a few different versions. This is my version of the Japanese cheesecake recipe and I am happy with it.

This is a cake recipe that takes time and care but trust me it’s worth it! If you love cheesecake, as much as I do, do try this recipe. It’ll be one of the most amazing cheesecakes you’ll ever make.

From my experience, making a perfect Japanese Cheesecake can be a bit tricky. It takes time to learn the tricks to make it the right way. So, don’t be upset if you are not satisfied with your first Japanese cheesecake. Just try it again and again, until you make your perfect Japanese Cheesecake.

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe. For the quantities of each ingredient, check out the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

• Cream Cheese: Use full-fat white cream cheese like Philadelphia cream cheese.
• Sugar: Use white granulated sugar. Sugar is divided into two parts. One part makes the cream cheese mixture. The other part creates the meringue.
• Eggs: Use large-size eggs. Egg yolks add some moisture and more richness to the cake. Egg whites are beaten to create a meringue. This creates an incredibly fluffy and light cheesecake.
• Butter: Use unsalted butter to add a nice buttery flavor, richness, and some moist.
• Milk: Use full-fat milk to add a nice flavor and some moisture.
• Cake Flour: Cake flour has a lower protein content than all-purpose flour. This lower protein content keeps cakes more tender.
• Corn Starch (NOT corn flour): Corn starch is used to make the cake lighter and fluffier.
• Cream of Tartar: Cream of tartar to stabilize the egg whites. As a substitute, you can use 1 teaspoon of lemon juice.
• Salt: Adding a pinch of salt balances out all other flavors.

Cake Flour Substitute

100 g of cake flour can be made by combining 85 g of all-purpose flour with 15 g of cornstarch. Make sure to sift the two ingredients together 3 times before using them.

A small cake ( 15 cm or 6-inch)

In Japan, it is very common to make small-size cakes. A 6-inch (15 cm) round cake is the perfect size for making this fluffy cheesecake. So, how about making a small ( 15 cm or 6-inch) cheesecake and eating the whole thing?

Prepare the Pan

A pan with a removable bottom (removable bottom pan or loose bottom pan) or a round springform pan is recommended. It helps to remove the cheesecake very easily.

You need to line the pan with parchment paper. It should extend about 2 cm above the pan. This is necessary as the cake rises during baking. But if you use parchment paper too high above the pan, it will prevent the cake’s top from browning properly.

The pan has a removable bottom. So, you need to cover it with 2 or 3 layers of aluminum foil to avoid any leakage. Make sure the foil comes up all around the sides at least 2/3 of the height of the pan.

How to make a DIY double boiler?

A double boiler is essential whenever you’re warming up temperature-sensitive ingredients that require gentle, indirect heat like melting chocolate.

In this recipe, I used a double broiler to make the cream cheese mixture. You can easily assemble a double boiler in your kitchen. You just need a medium-sized pot/saucepan and a heatproof metal or glass mixing bowl.

Fill a saucepan/ pot with about an inch of water. Bring the water to a simmer, not boiling water, as we need to gently heat the ingredients. Place the bowl with your ingredients inside over top. Make sure the mixing bowl can sit over the saucepan or pot. The base of the mixing bowl should be about an inch above the water level. If it dips into the water, it will get too hot.

Tips, Tricks, & Techniques for Making
the best Japanese Cheesecake

MEASURE THE INGREDIENTS PROPERLY

It is important to measure the ingredients properly.  I use a scale for the dry ingredients. I use a measuring cup for the wet ones. Sometimes, I use a scale to measure even wet ingredients depending on the recipe. For small quantities of ingredients, I use teaspoons and tablespoons.

PREPARE THE INGREDIENTS

Make sure to bring cream cheese, butter, eggs, and milk to room temperature before combining them. Eggs are easy to separate when they are cold. Separate the eggs while they are cold and then let them come to room temperature.

PREPARE THE PAN

You will need to prepare the pan before you start making the cake. (check the section; prepare the pan.) I usually heat the prepared pan in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes. I do this before pouring the batter. I found that this prevents leakage.

FIRST, MAKE THE CREAM CHEESE MIXTURE

Make sure to make the cream cheese mixture before you whip the egg whites.

BEAT THE EGG WHITES TO SOFT PEAKS

You need to whip the egg whites to create soft peaks NOT stiff peaks. When you turn your whisk upside down, the peaks are just starting to hold. They’re soft and go back into the mixture after a few seconds. Be careful not to over-whip.

DO NOT OVER-MIX

If you over-mix the batter, the cake will not rise. When you fold the whipped egg whites into the cream cheese batter, be careful. Do not deflate the air in the whites. I prefer using a balloon whisk instead of a spatula to gently fold them in. This way, you can keep as much air in the batter as possible.

DO NOT UNDER-MIX

If you under-mix it, your cake will have an uneven texture. The egg white will float to the top. So, you’ll have a light and airy cake at the top. But, there will be a dense cheesecake at the bottom.

BAKE IN A HOT WATER BATH

Japanese cheesecake is a very delicate cake, so you’ll need to bake it in a hot water bath.

KEEP AN EYE ON THE CAKE THROUGH THE BAKING PROCESS

The oven temperatures vary depending on your oven so the baking time can be varied. Keep an eye on the cake through the baking process. Make sure to adjust the oven temperature and time as needed.

BAKE THE CAKE AT DIFFERENT TEMPERATURES

Changing and controlling the temperature is very important when baking this cheesecake. I changed the oven temperature several times.

First, I preheated the oven to high. Then I baked the cake for 5 minutes at high to help it rise with a lot of heat. Then I baked it at a lower temperature slowly to bake it evenly with a light brown top without cracks.

ADJUST THE TEMPERATURE AS NEEDED

Around 25 minutes, the cake should rise. If your cake is not rising, your oven temperature is too low. Raise by 10 to 20 degrees and give it time to rise. If the cheesecake starts to crack on top, your oven is too hot. Lower the temperature by 10 to 20 degrees.

SLOW COOLING

When the cake comes out of the oven, it is tall and fluffy. But it will ‘fall’ after 5 to 10 minutes.

After the cake is done, turn off the oven. Leave the cake inside without opening the door for another 30 minutes. Next, open the oven door and remove the water bath. Place the cake back into the oven. Leave the door slightly open. Let the cake cool for another 30 minutes. This will ensure that the cake cools gradually preventing cracks and minimizing shrinkage.

Please note that this souffle cheesecake will shrink a little bit after cooling and it’s normal.

HOW TO MAKE A JIGGLY SOUFFLE CHEESECAKE

It should be soft, fluffy, and jiggly while it’s still warm before cooling it. So, if you like a jiggly souffle cheesecake, remove it from the pan once it’s cool enough to touch. Enjoy the jiggly shake you’ve probably seen on the internet.

SeRVING SUGGESTIONS

This cake is at its best on the day of preparation. Chill it for a few hours in the fridge before serving. But, you can also serve it when the cake is still warm and giggly.

You can also dust it with some powdered sugar if you like or serve it with some ice cream. It is perfect for serving just plain with a cup of hot coffee.

STORING SUGGESTIONS

In the Refrigerator: You can store it in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for about 3 days.

In the Freezer: You can freeze the whole cake or individual slices for about 1 month. Wrap the whole cake (or individual slices separately) with plastic wrap and then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag.

Thawing: Transfer the wrapped cakes from the freezer to the refrigerator. Do this one day before serving. Do not unwrap them from the plastic wrap.

MORE CHEESECAKE RECIPES

I am a big fan of cheesecake and I have tried pretty much many cheesecake recipes. I have shared several cheesecake recipes on this blog and many more to come…

Japanese Souffle Cheesecake
(Step-by-Step Recipe)

(Check out the printable recipe card at the end of the post)

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Bake Time: 60 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Yield: 15 cm (6 inches) Cheesecake

Ingredients

For the Cream Cheese Mixture
150 g cream cheese, at room temperature
20 g butter, at room temperature
80 g milk, at room temperature
20 g sugar
3 large egg yolks, at room temperature
30 g cake flour
15 g cornstarch

For Making Whipped Egg Whites
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar or 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Pinch of salt
40 g sugar

For Hot Water Bath
Hot water, as needed

Preparation

• Gather the ingredients, and let them come to room temperature
• Separate the eggs. Place egg yolks in a small bowl, and egg whites in a large bowl
• Sift the flour and cornstarch together
• Prepare a deep rectangular baking pan or dish and hot water for making a hot water bath (bain-marie)
• Preheat the oven to 170°C

Separate the eggs, putting the whites in a clean large bowl and the yolks in a separate small bowl.

Lightly butter and line the bottom and sides of a 15 cm (6 inches) pan with parchment paper.

If the pan has a removable bottom, cover it with 2 or 3 layers of aluminum foil. This will avoid any leakage.

Place the prepared pan into a large deep baking dish. Place it in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes before pouring the batter.

Make the Cream Cheese Mixture

Cut the cream cheese and butter into small cubes. Place them in a heatproof mixing bowl with the milk and sugar (20 g).

Make a double boiler placing the bowl on top of a pot of simmering water.

When the cream cheese and butter are soft, whisk until smooth and creamy with a balloon whisk.

Remove from the double boiler and stir until everything is smooth and incorporated. Let cool completely.

When the cream cheese mixture is cooled, add egg yolks and mix until smooth and combined.

Sift in the flour mixture and whisk until thoroughly combined.

Strain the batter into another bowl through a sieve to remove any lumps. (optional)

Make the Meringue

In a clean mixing bowl, whip egg whites with cream of tartar and salt until foamy. Whip them for about 1 minute on medium-high speed.

Add sugar, a tablespoon at a time. Continue beating for about 2 minutes at high speed. Beat until the meringue reaches a soft peak stage and has a glossy texture.

Finally, beat on low speed for about 1 minute. Be careful not to over-whip.

Make the Batter

The cream cheese batter and the meringue are ready.

First, add one-third of the meringue to the cream cheese mixture and stir them completely into the batter. This will lighten the batter and make it easier to fold the rest of the egg whites in.

Next, add half of the remaining whites and whisk into the yolk batter, being careful not to deflate the whites.

Finally, transfer the egg yolk mixture to the bowl with the remaining egg whites. Continue folding gently until all of the white lumps have disappeared.

Baking

• Place the prepared cake pan in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes. Do this before pouring the batter.
• Place a kitchen towel into a large deep baking dish. Put the heated cake pan on top. This ensures the cheesecake doesn’t have any contact with direct heat.
• Gently pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Carefully pour the hot water into the baking dish about 1/3rd of the way up the pan.

Place it in the preheated oven. Bake for 10 minutes at 170°C. Then, lower the temperature to 150°C and bake for about 50 minutes.

Cooling

• After the cake is done, turn off the oven.
• Leave the cake inside without opening the door for another 30 minutes.
• Next, open the oven door and remove the water bath.
• Place the cake back into the oven. Leave the door slightly open. Let the cake cool for another 30 minutes.
• This will ensure that the cake cools gradually preventing cracks and shrinkage.

Remove the pan from the oven and place it onto a cooling rack. Let it sit to cool.

Remove the cheesecake from the pan and then remove the parchment paper.

Chilling

You can serve it warm, after cooling or chilling it in the fridge as you like.

Transfer the cake to a serving plate

Serve & enjoy!

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I love hearing from you so feel free to leave a comment on the post. If you make any of my recipes, I’d love to see pics of your creations #joyofeatingtheworld or @joyofeatingtheworld

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