Japanese Cotton Cheesecake

A recipe for cotton soft, creamy melt in the mouth, light jiggly Japanese Cotton Cheesecake. Also known as Souffle Cheesecake or Baked Cheesecake, this is a delicious and easy to make Cheesecake.

 

What is Japanese Cheesecake?

A Japanese Cotton Cheesecake is a baked Cheesecake which is very light and has a custard like wobbliness. 

The fluffy and light texture comes from the meringue. Egg whites are beaten with some sugar to make soft peak meringue, then mixed with the batter made from the above ingredients.

My husband said it reminded him of burfee. Which is interesting...So I think I may try adding some cardamom next time because I think it would really work here. I can almost taste it. YUM.

Ingredients

Everything about this cheesecake is about subtlety and the flavours are gentle. 

• Unsalted butter
• Lemon Juice and Zest
• Vanilla Paste
• Eggs 
• Cream Cheese
• Sour Cream/Creme Fraiche/Double Cream
• Caster Sugar
• Plain Flour
• Salt

Tips to make the perfect Japanese Cotton Cheesecake

The instructions for this cheesecake are pretty simple but with this cheesecake, there are steps that you need to take to get it just right.

• Your tin needs to be lined or greased very well at just the bottom.
• Melting the cream cheese in a Bain marie (Bowl over water in pan) will help it become silky smooth. It also means that you aren't waiting around for thing to come to room temperature because I am not the type of person to remember to take ingredients out of the fridge in advance. I then add the Cream and some of the other ingredients too. 
• Make sure you whip the egg whites until all the sugar is incorporated and they are at soft peak stage. This will make the cake very light and airy. The eggs should be cold too.
•  Place the cake tin into a larger roasting tin. Preferably one that is a similar height to the cake tin.  Water creates steam around the cake and helps it rise like a souffle but it also prevents it from baking in direct heat and gives a uniform heat around the cheesecake making for a lighter texture.
• Once the baking time is done, leave the oven door slightly ajar so it can cool down slowly for 2 hours. This stage is crucial. If you take it out too soon, the cheesecake can crack. The height will reduce considerably during this time. 
• Cool it down further on a wire rack and then in the fridge before cutting. Trust me, don't be tempted to cut it too soon. I may have done that once..
• Dust with icing sugar before serving.

How to make Cotton Cheesecake

Preheat the oven to 200c/GM 6.

Place the rack in the centre of the oven. Line the bottom of the tin or grease throughly. Don't line/grease the sides.

Pop cream cheese in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Melt until silky smooth then whisk in sour cream and butter. Turn off heat and add lemon zest/juice, vanilla, egg yolks and 2 tbsp of the sugar. Sieve the Plain Flour/Corn Flour and salt and fold in gently.

Whisk egg whites. Add remaining sugar slowly and whisk until it is all incorporated. Continue to whisk for another 30 seconds until soft foamy peaks form. Pour some of the mixture into the cream cheese mix and fold through, then add the remaining mix in too. Adding slowly and gently.

Pour batter into prepared cake tin. 

Place into a larger roasting tin that is a similar height to the cheesecake tin.

Place in oven and fill largest tin with water that comes up 1/4 way up the side of the cheesecake tin.

Bake for 35 - 40 minutes or until golden brown.

Turn the oven off and open the door slightly. Leave the cheesecake in the oven to cool for a further 2 hours. It will deflate a little during this time. 

Remove from the oven and take the cheesecake tin out of the larger tin. Leave to rest on a cooling rack for another 2 hours where it will deflate quite a bit.

Remove Cheesecake from tine carefully, then place in the fridge for another 3 hours to cool completely.

Dust over some icing sugar before serving.  

Alternative recipe for a 6 inch Japanese Cotton Cheesecake 

To make a smaller Japanese Cotton Cheesecake/Souffle Cheesecake, follow the recipe below for a 6 inch version:

Line 6 inch tin with Baking Paper.

Preheat oven to 150 C/GM2.

Place a large roasting tin that is a similar height to the cheesecake tin in the oven with enough water in it to come 1/4 of the way up.

Heat 180 g Cream Cheese, 30g Butter and 100g Milk in a pan over medium heat. You can do this over direct heat or in a bowl over simmering water. Heat till melted but not boiling. Allow to cool a little.

Add 3 large Egg Yolks and whisk in.

Stir in 10g Plain Flour.

Whisk 3 Egg Whites with 1/2 tsp Lemon Juice. Whip on high until foamy.

Then add 60g Icing Sugar in 3 parts whisking in between each addition. Whisk until medium high peaks are formed.

Gently fold into the Yolk Mixture in 3 parts.

Bake for 30 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 110 C/Gas mark 1/4. Bake for 60 - 70 minutes.

If it isn't browning turn the temperature right up for 2 - 3 minutes.

Additions

Many people brush the cheesecake with apricot jam which adds sweetness but it also used to give a shiny appearance.

Add 3/4 tsp Ground Cardamom to the cake batter and the Zest of 1 Lime. I tried it and it was AMAZING!

Some people pour a  flavoured syrup over the top.

Some add elaborate icing sugar template designs to the top which look so pretty, but I wanted to keep the cheesecake simple. I think it looks quite bold just the way it is.

Storage Instructions

This cheesecake keeps really well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. 

More Japanese inspired recipes:

Hokkaido Milk Bread

Milk Buns

Stuffed Milk Bun Recipe

***If you make this recipe, don't forget to tag us on Social Media and comment below. 

Recipe adapted from Joanne Chang's book Pastry Love.