Japanese Cotton Cheesecake

About This Recipe

Japanese Cotton Cheesecake — known in Japan as スフレチーズケーキ (soufflé cheesecake) — is the most dramatic and texturally unique cheesecake in the world. Where a New York cheesecake is dense, rich and firm, a Japanese cheesecake is impossibly light: it wobbles when touched, jiggles like a soft jelly and dissolves on the tongue like a sweet cloud. The texture is achieved by folding stiffly beaten egg whites into the cream cheese batter — the same principle as a soufflé — producing a cake that is more aerated than dense, more cotton than custard. The recipe became an internet sensation through viral videos of the 'jiggly cheesecake' from Uncle Tetsu's Japanese Cheesecake shops in Tokyo and later their global branches. The shake test — holding the cake and watching it undulate — became a universal symbol of the perfect Japanese cheesecake and spawned hundreds of home baking videos. Technically, this is a challenging recipe. The meringue must be folded with extreme care to preserve every air bubble. The cake is baked in a water bath (bain-marie) at a low temperature — steam prevents the delicate texture from cracking. Even opening the oven door during baking can cause it to collapse. But the result — a golden-domed, trembling, golden-caramelised cake that tastes of cream cheese, eggs and air — is worth every bit of effort.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 250 gfull-fat cream cheese(at room temperature)
• 60 gunsalted butter
• 100 mlwhole milk
• 6 largeeggs(separated)
• 60 gcake flour or plain flour(sifted)
• 20 gcornstarch
• 120 gcaster sugar(divided: 60g for yolks, 60g for meringue)
• 1 tbsplemon juice
• ½ tspcream of tartar(or ¼ tsp white vinegar)
• 2 tbspapricot jam(warmed, for glazing — optional)

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare

   Preheat oven to 150°C (300°F). Line the base and sides of a 20 cm round tin with parchment paper. Place the tin in a large roasting tray. Boil a kettle of water.

2. 2

   Make the cream cheese base

   Melt cream cheese, butter and milk together in a bowl over hot water, stirring until smooth. Cool to room temperature. Whisk in egg yolks one at a time, then lemon juice. Fold in sifted flour and cornstarch until smooth.

3. 3

   Make the meringue

   Whip egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy. Gradually add 60g caster sugar, whipping to firm but not stiff peaks. The meringue should hold its shape but still look glossy and slightly soft.

   Japanese cheesecake meringue should be slightly softer than the meringue used for other cakes. Stiff peaks will create cracks.

4. 4

   Fold

   Fold one-third of the meringue into the cream cheese base to loosen it. Fold in remaining meringue in two additions with a light, scooping motion. The batter should be airy, uniform and pale. Any white streaks mean insufficient folding; any deflation means over-folding.

   This is the most critical step. Use a large silicone spatula and fold gently — preserve every air bubble.

5. 5

   Water bath bake

   Pour batter into the prepared tin. Tap gently on the counter once to pop large bubbles. Place tin in the roasting tray. Pour boiling water into the roasting tray to come 2.5 cm up the side of the cake tin. Bake for 60–65 minutes until the top is golden and the cake wobbles as a whole unit when shaken.

6. 6

   Cool in the oven

   Turn off the oven. Open the door slightly and leave the cheesecake inside for 15 minutes — this gradual cooling prevents collapse.

   Do not open the oven during baking. The temperature change can cause the delicate soufflé structure to fall.

7. 7

   Cool and glaze

   Remove from oven and water bath. Cool in the tin on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Brush the top with warm apricot jam for a professional glaze, if desired. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Variations

• •

  Matcha Japanese cheesecake: add 2 tablespoons matcha powder sifted with the flour.

• •

  Chocolate Japanese cheesecake: melt 60g dark chocolate with the cream cheese and reduce flour by 10g.

• •

  Yuzu Japanese cheesecake: add 2 tablespoons yuzu juice in place of the lemon juice.

Storage

Keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Serve at room temperature for best texture. Does not freeze well.

Frequently Asked Questions