Fluffy and jiggly Japanese cotton cheesecake makes a perfect show-stopping cake that is so incredibly good. This Japanese souffle cheesecake will instantly melt in your mouth and keep you coming back for more.
Japanese cotton cheesecake has everything that makes tastebuds happy—a delicious rich cheesecake flavor and a bouncy, jiggly cotton soft cake-like texture. Ever since I drove for over an hour and waited in a long line to have a slice of the famous Uncle Tetsu souffle cheesecake, my life was never fully the same.
Japanese cheesecake is so freaking good. It has a lightly sweet, tangy, vanilla flavor, a fun bouncy texture, and is so soft that it melts instantly in your mouth. This very popular Japanese jiggly cheesecake may be very tricky to master, but the final product is 1000% worth the effort.
Japanese desserts really just light up my soul. They always have the perfect amount of light sweetness, a light and airy delicious texture with a bright positive vibe. If you love Japanese desserts, check out my fruit sandwich, Japanese strawberry shortcake, matcha basque cheesecake, Japanese cake roll, and matcha nama chocolate recipes.
What is Japanese Cheesecake?
Japanese cheesecake also referred to as Japanese cotton cheesecake, Japanese souffle cheesecake, or Japanese baked cheesecake is a crustless cheesecake that uses whipped egg whites and cake flour for a bouncy and cotton soft melt in your mouth texture. Japanese cheesecake has a sweet, vanilla, and subtly tangy flavor like a classic cheesecake.
Ingredients:
Cream cheese: 8 ounces (225 grams), softened
Milk: 1/2 cup (120 mL)
Butter: 1/4 cup (55 grams), softened
Egg yolks: 6
Sugar: 1/4 cup (50 grams), divided
Cornstarch: 2 tablespoons (16 grams)
Lemon juice: 1 tablespoon (15 mL)
Egg whites: 6
Cream of tartar: 1/4 teaspoon (1.25 mL)
Instructions:
Preheat the oven and prepare the pan:
Preheat your oven to 320°F (160°C). Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Wrap the outside of the pan with aluminum foil to prevent water from seeping in during baking.
Make the batter:
In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the cream cheese, milk, and butter together. Stir until smooth and remove from heat.
In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth. Gradually add the cream cheese mixture, whisking constantly to avoid cooking the yolks.
Sift in the cornstarch and whisk until well combined. Stir in the lemon juice.
Prepare the meringue:
In another clean bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. Gradually add half of the sugar and continue beating until soft peaks form.
Combine the mixtures:
Gently fold one-third of the meringue into the cream cheese mixture using a spatula. Repeat with the remaining meringue in two more additions until the batter is evenly mixed.
Bake the cheesecake:
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Place the pan inside a larger baking dish, and fill the dish with hot water about halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan.
Bake for 25 minutes at 320°F (160°C), then reduce the temperature to 280°F (140°C) and bake for another 55 minutes, or until set but still wobbly in the center.
Cool the cheesecake:
Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door ajar for 1 hour to cool gradually. This helps prevent the cheesecake from collapsing.
Chill and serve:
Chill the cheesecake in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Serve chilled, decorated with a dusting of powdered sugar or fresh fruit if desired.