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The Best Japanese Cheesecake recipe

Japanese Cheesecake,also known as Japanese Souffle cheesecake or Japanese Cotton Cheesecake, is so soft, cottony, airy, and fluffy cheesecake that melts in your mouth.
Prep Time30 minutes
Bake Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Cake, Cheesecake
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: Japanese Cheesecake, Japanese Cotton Cheesecake, Japanese Souffle Cheesecake
Servings: 4 to 6 people
Author: kanthi

Equipment

  • 15 cm (6-inch) Removable bottom pan
  • A larger deep baking pan for a hot water bath

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 the Meringue

  • 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

Instructions

Preparation

  • Gather the ingredients and let them come to room temperature
  • Separate the eggs, putting the whites in a clean large bowl and the yolks in a separate small bowl.Sift the flour and cornstarch together.
  • 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 to avoid any leakage.
  • Preheat the oven to 170°C.

Make the Cream Cheese Mixture

  • Cut the cream cheese and butter into small cubes and 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.

Make the Meringue

  • In a clean mixing bowl, whip egg whites until foamy for about 1 minute.
  • Add the cream of tartar. Whip until frothy and pale for about 1 minute.
  • Add sugar (40 g), a tablespoon at a time, and beat for about 2 minutes.
  • Beat until the meringue reaches a soft peak stage and has a glossy texture. Be careful not to over-whip.
  • 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 about one-third of the rest of the meringue and gently fold it into the batter being careful not the deflate the whites
  • Finally, place all the cream cheese mixture into the bowl with the rest of the meringue and continue folding in combined until all of the white lumps of meringue have disappeared.

Bake

  • Place the prepared pan into a deep baking dish. Place it in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes before pouring the batter.
  • Remove the heated pan from the oven and gently pour the batter into the 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.

Cool

  • Turn off the oven and remove the water bath. Leave the oven door slightly open and let the cake cool for about 30 minutes.
  • 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.
  • And then chill the cake in the fridge for about 4 hours.
  • Transfer the cake to a serving plate. Serve & Enjoy!