The light and fluffy Japanese Cheesecake is a real culinary delight for every cheesecake lover. The delicately melting combinationcreamy cheesecakeand airy soufflé is what makes this dessert so special. A Japanese cheesecake isn't that difficult to make at home if you know the basics. Here you will find the original recipe for the airy soufflé cheesecake from Japan as well as a simpler version with only 3 ingredients. Try these recipes yourself and treat yourself to a real taste experience.
The Japanese cheesecake went viral on social media a few years ago. Numerous videos of fluffy soufflé cheesecake have taken over our feeds and made us dream of a piece of cake. However, you have todefinitely go to Japanto taste the incredibly airy dessert? We say no! Because with the following recipe you can also prepare the original Japanese cheesecake at home.
Necessary ingredients and kitchen utensils
The ingredients for the original Japanese cheesecake:
- 15 g unsalted butter (for greasing the pan & baking paper)
- 6 large eggs, separated
- 300 g cream cheese
- 60 g unsalted butter
- 200 ml whipped cream
- 60g sugar
- 80g cake flour
- the zest of 1/2 lemon
- 30 ml lemon juice (from about 1/2 large lemon)
- 100 g sugar (for whipping the egg whites)
- optional: 2 tbsp apricot jam and 2 tsp hot water (for the glaze)
This is what you still need:
- Cake baking tin (a 26 cm baking tin with a 10 cm rim is used for this recipe, a 26 cm springform tin also works)
- baking paper
- 3 large mixing bowls
- Fine-mesh kitchen strainer
- Whisk
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer for the egg whites
- large baking sheet with rim
Prepare baking pan
Cut baking paper for the bottom and sides of the cake pan. You will need a 10" x 30" round paper for the bottom, a 4" x 30" piece for the side of the cake pan, and two 2" x 30" paper strips to use to remove the cake from the pan.
Grease the cake tin and the baking paper (for the bottom and sides) with butter (15 g). You don't have to use the entire amount.
Place the 2 paper strips criss-cross on the bottom of the cake pan. Then line the bottom and sides with baking paper. The fat side of the 26 cm paper should face up and the fat side of the 10 x 76 cm paper should face inwards.
Preheat oven and prepare all ingredients
Preheat the oven to 180°C. They will bake at 160°C, but when you open the oven to place the cheesecake you will lose some heat, so start a little higher.
Please note that it is very important that all ingredients are measured before you begin. Separate the 6 eggs into yolks and whites. Store the egg whites in the refrigerator.
Mix cream cheese mixture in a water bath
Fill a medium saucepan with 2 inches of water and bring to a simmer. Place cream cheese, butter, heavy cream, and granulated sugar in a large bowl. Place the bowl over the saucepan.
Mix the cream cheese and butter with a silicone spatula. Once melted, stir everything together with a whisk. Remove from heat.
Mix on the counter
Gradually add the 6 egg yolks to the warm cream cheese mixture, stirring in each yolk with a whisk. Make sure each egg yolk is well mixed before adding the next.
Then sift the cake flour into the dough through a fine-mesh sieve and mix well. Then strain the dough through the same fine-mesh sieve into a clean large bowl to give it a silky consistency.
Add the zest of half a lemon to the dough. Make sure you only peel off the yellow part of the peel, not the bitter white part. Then squeeze half the lemon in a small bowl. Measure the lemon juice (30 ml) and add it to the dough. Mix well with a whisk and set aside.
Prepare water bath for baking
A Japanese cheesecake is baked in a water bath. To do this, place the baking tray in the oven and pour hot water halfway or 2 cm deep. Close the oven.
Beat the egg whites and fold in
Place the cold egg whites in a large, clean mixing bowl (e.g. a stand mixer). Make sure there is no oil or water in the bowl. Begin beating on medium speed until the egg whites become opaque and foamy, about 2 minutes. Then slowly add 100g granulated sugar, a third portion at a time, while the mixer is running.
Once all the sugar has been added, increase the mixer speed to high and beat the egg whites to “soft” to “medium” peaks. If you turn the whisk upside down, the egg whites should stick to the whisk and hold its shape for a few seconds, but then start to fall away.
Using a whisk, stir a third of the egg whites into the cream cheese mixture until incorporated. Then carefully fold another third into the mixture. Finally, pour the mixture back into the mixing bowl (with a third of the egg whites still in it) and fold in very carefully.
Pour the mixture into the baking pan all at once, avoiding any air pockets. Tap the cake pan on the kitchen counter a few times to release any air bubbles in the dough.
Bake Japanese cheesecake
Place the cake pan on the baking sheet that is already in the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 160°C and bake for 70-75 minutes. Then reduce the oven temperature to 150°C and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the skewer inserted comes out clean. For a convection oven, reduce the baking temperature by 15°C.
Be sure to let the cake cool down
Turn off the oven and leave the oven door ajar for 15-20 minutes while the cake is in the oven. If you remove the cake immediately, the sudden change in temperature could cause your Japanese cheesecake to shrink or collapse. You want the cake to slowly shrink to half its height, approximately from 10cm to 5cm. Then take the mold out of the oven. Carefully pull out the cake using the 2 strips of baking paper.
Remove the parchment paper from around the cake (leave the bottom there). Stir together the apricot jam and hot water in a small bowl and spread the apricot mixture over the top of the cheesecake. Allow to cool to room temperature.
Serve
You can serve the Japanese cheesecake at room temperature (this is the fluffiest way!) or refrigerate the cake for 1 to 2 hours before serving.
Japanese cheesecake recipe with only 3 ingredients
You've already seen the original recipe for a Japanese Cheesecake. However, what if we told you that you can make a similar cake using 3 ingredients? The following recipe is simple and the result is a Japanese cheesecake that is very similar to the original.
Ingredients:
- 5 large eggs at room temperature
- 225 g cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
Preheat the oven to 160°C.
How to prepare the form: You need a springform pan with a diameter of 20 cm and a depth of at least 6 cm. Cut a 9cm wide strip and a 20cm circle from baking paper. Line the sides and bottom of the springform pan with the prepared baking paper. Set aside.
To prepare the dough: First separate the egg whites and yolks as for thePreparation of Japanese pancakes. In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a whisk or an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add condensed milk and beat for another minute. Then add the egg yolks and continue beating until well combined (2-3 minutes).
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Make sure the bowl and beaters are sparkling clean, dry and free of grease.
Fold half of the beaten egg whites into the cream cheese mixture. Then add the remaining egg white and fold gently until well mixed and no white streaks are visible.
Pour the dough into the prepared pan and tap it on the work surface a few times to remove any air bubbles.
To bake: Place a baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven and pour in about 500 milliliters of boiling water. Place cheesecake pan on middle rack above rack with bain marie. Bake 45 minutes. Then turn off the oven and let the cake cool in the oven for 40 minutes.
Then take the cheesecake out of the oven. Remove the sides of the springform pan and carefully peel the baking paper away from the sides. Allow the cake to cool completely on the counter, then place it in the refrigerator for at least 2 to 3 hours, or preferably overnight. This will affect the taste and texture of the finished cheesecake.
When ready to serve, carefully remove the parchment paper from the base. Make sure the cheesecake is completely cool and set. Transfer the cheesecake to a serving platter. If desired, dust with powdered sugar and top with fresh fruit.
