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Japanese Cotton Cheesecake

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A light and airy cheesecake with a souffle-like sponge, famous for its jiggly, cotton-soft texture.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 5 egg whites
  • ¼ tsp cream of tartar (or vinegar or lemon juice)
  • ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 8 oz (225 g) cream cheese, softened
  • ¼ cup (55 g) unsalted butter
  • ½ cup (125 ml) milk
  • ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
  • 2 Tbsp (15 g) cornstarch
  • ¼ cup (34 g) cake flour (or rice flour for gluten-free)
  • Optional: vanilla extract, lemon juice, fresh berries, confectioner’s sugar

Instructions

  1. Separate 5 eggs. Place yolks in one bowl and whites in mixer bowl.
  2. In a small pot over low heat, melt butter, cream cheese, and ¼ cup sugar, stirring until smooth.
  3. Remove from heat; whisk in egg yolks gently until combined.
  4. Sift in cornstarch and flour; mix until no lumps remain.
  5. Stir in milk (and vanilla or lemon if using) until batter is smooth.
  6. Beat egg whites with cream of tartar to soft peaks, then gradually add remaining ¼ cup sugar and beat to stiff peaks.
  7. Fold one-third of the meringue into the batter to lighten, then gently fold in the rest until just combined.
  8. Preheat oven to 330 °F (165 °C) and set up a bain-marie (water bath) in a deep baking dish.
  9. Line an 8″ (or two 6″) cake pan with parchment paper; pour in the batter.
  10. Bake in the bain-marie at 330 °F (165 °C) for 25 minutes, until the cake has risen.
  11. Crack the oven door for 10 seconds, reduce temperature to 255 °F (125 °C), and bake for another 45 minutes.
  12. Turn off the oven and let the cake rest inside for 10 minutes.
  13. Remove cake; invert onto a plate using parchment and another plate to flip, then remove pan.
  14. Serve warm for maximum jiggle, or chill before slicing for a denser texture.

Notes

  • Bring all dairy and eggs to room temperature for smoother batter.
  • Use a water bath to prevent cracking and retain moisture.
  • Fold gently—overmixing deflates the meringue and under-mixing leaves streaks.
  • Substitute rice flour for cake flour to make the cake gluten-free.
  • Add 2 Tbsp matcha or cocoa powder into the yolk batter for flavored variations.

Nutrition

Keywords: Japanese cotton cheesecake, soufflé cheesecake, jiggly cheesecake, cotton cheesecake, Japanese cheesecake

Find it online: https://zesticook.com/japanese-cotton-cheesecake/