This Japanese cheesecake is full of cream cheese flavour and is light and jiggly. Decorate the top before baking with fun pictures. This cake can be served warm or cold!
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🍰A fluffy, "souffle-like" cheesecake
Cheesecakes are definitely one of my top favourite desserts! While I mostly prefer New York style cheesecakes, I do have a Sicilian cheesecake recipe on my website. I recently discovered Japanese cheesecakes, and I had to try one.
Japanese cheesecakes are very different than New York style cheesecakes. They are very light, airy, and have a souffle-like, cakey texture. Whipped egg whites is what gives these cakes at airy texture.
The most difficult part of getting these cheesecakes right, is the technical parts in this recipe. I have included lots of photos and tips, so you should have no problem making your first Japanese cheesecake!
🥘Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Whole milk - You can substitute with 2% milk. I don't recommend using a lighter fat milk than that for best taste.
- Lime juice - You can substitute with lemon juice. I forgot to buy a lemon and used lime. It doesn't effect taste.
- Unsalted butter - This can be substituted for salted butter. Do not add in the extra salt listed in the recipe.
🔪Instructions
Boil 2 inches of water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Lower the heat to a simmer. Place cream cheese and milk into a large bowl. Place that on top of the saucepan with simmering water. This will gently heat and melt the ingredients.
When ingredients are melted, add butter and mix until melted. Remove bowl from the saucepan and place on a work surface. Add egg yolks and whisk until combined. Then add lemon juice and vanilla and whisk. Sift in flour, cornstarch, and salt, and mix to combine. Set batter aside.
Whisk egg whites in a large bowl on high. Add ⅓ amount of sugar when bubbles start to form. Then add another ⅓ of the sugar when lots of bubbles have formed. Add the remaining sugar when egg whites are frothy. Then whip to soft peaks.
Assembly
Fold ⅓ of egg whites into the cheesecake batter. Then fold another ⅓ egg whites into the batter, making sure to not deflate the egg whites. Fold the final ⅓ egg whites into the batter until combined.
Remove 3 tablespoons of batter into a small bowl. Pour the rest of the batter into a greased 6 inch pan that has the bottom lined with parchment paper. Add food colouring to the batter in the small bowl and mix to combine. Place batter into a small piping bag or a ziplock bag. Cut the end (or corner if using a bag) and draw flowers on top (or any design you choose).
Place cheesecake pan into a larger 9 inch cake pan. Pour water in the 9 inch pan to go part way up the smaller cake pan. This makes a water bath which helps cheesecakes bake evenly and without cracks. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until cheesecake has a slight wiggle in the center.
✔️Expert Tips
- Make sure to get the egg whites to soft peaks. The whipped egg whites is what gives the cheesecake that airy, jiggly texture.
- Fold the egg whites in carefully. You don't want to deflate the egg whites or the cheesecake will be dense.
- To remove the cake from the cake tin, invert it onto a cake plate. Then flip it back right side up.
- This cheesecake is jiggly when it comes straight out of the oven. You can serve it this way, or store in the refrigerator and serve cold. The cheesecake is more creamier than airy after it settles and chills.
- You can also decorate the tops with a dusting of powdered sugar or add berries and whipped cream on top.
💭FAQs
A Japanese cheesecake is light, fluffy, and less sweet than New York cheesecakes. New York cheesecakes are more dense, have a crust, and have more flavour.
Japanese cheesecakes are also called cotton cheesecake or souffle cheesecake.
🔖Related Recipes
📋 Recipe
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Japanese Cheesecake
Equipment
- one 6" cake pan with 3" sides
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup cream cheese room temperature
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 large eggs room temperature, divided
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice or lime juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons cake & pastry flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 drop food colouring
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Line the bottom of a 6" cake pan with parchment paper and grease the sides.
- Boil 2 inches of water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Lower the heat to a simmer.
- Place cream cheese and milk into a large bowl. Place that on top of the saucepan with simmering water. This will gently heat and melt the ingredients.
- When ingredients are melted, add butter and mix until melted.
- Remove bowl from the saucepan and place on a work surface. Add egg yolks and whisk until combined. Then add lemon juice and vanilla and whisk.
- Sift in flour, cornstarch, and salt, and mix to combine. Set batter aside.
- Whisk egg whites in a large bowl on high. Add ⅓ amount of sugar when bubbles start to form. Add another ⅓ of the sugar when lots of bubbles have formed. Add the remaining sugar when egg whites are frothy. Then whip to soft peaks.
- Fold ⅓ of egg whites into the cheesecake batter. Fold another ⅓ egg whites into the batter, making sure to not deflate the egg whites. Fold the final ⅓ egg whites into the batter until combined.
- Remove 3 tablespoons of batter into a small bowl. Pour the rest of the batter into the prepared pan.
- Add food colouring to the batter in the small bowl and mix to combine. Place batter into a small piping bag or a ziplock bag. Cut the end (or corner if using a bag) and draw flowers on top (or any design you choose).
- Place cheesecake pan into a larger 9 inch cake pan. Pour water in the 9 inch pan to go part way up the smaller cake pan. This makes a water bath which helps cheesecakes bake evenly and without cracks.
- Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until cheesecake has a slight wiggle in the center. Do not open the oven door while cheesecake is baking.
- Cheesecake can be served warm or cold. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Make sure to get the egg whites to soft peaks. The whipped egg whites is what gives the cheesecake that airy, jiggly texture.
- Fold the egg whites in carefully. You don't want to deflate the egg whites or the cheesecake will be dense.
- To remove the cake from the cake tin, invert it onto a cake plate. Then flip it back right side up.
- This cheesecake is jiggly when it comes straight out of the oven. You can serve it this way, or store in the refrigerator and serve cold. The cheesecake is more creamier than airy after it settles and chills.
- You can also decorate the tops with a dusting of powdered sugar or add berries and whipped cream on top.
Did you try this recipe? Comment below to let me know ☺️