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    Home » Recipes » All Recipes

    Japanese Cotton Cheesecake

    Published: Jul 17, 2020 / Modified: Jul 17, 2020 by Mei / This post may contain affiliate links / 16 Comments

    Jump to Recipe   Print Recipe
    Pin of Japanese Cotton Cheesecake.

    Japanese Cotton Cheesecake is the fluffy, lighter, and jiggly version of a classic cheesecake. It's mildly sweet, tangy, rich just like a good classic cheesecake, but has the texture of a soft, airy cloud.

    A slice of Japanese cotton cheesecake slightly pulled out.

    It's been years since we attempted making Japanese cheesecake, and we've just been itching to jump back in and finally learn to make it properly. And let's just say, it was A LOT of trial and errors. But, it was sooo satisfying to finally master making these amazingly delightful, fluffy, jiggly cotton cheesecakes! I absolutely love them!

    Now let's dive into some tips and FAQs for making this super fluffy, jiggly, Japanese Cotton Cheesecake!

    What is Japanese Cotton Cheesecake?

    Japanese cotton cheesecake is also known as Japanese jiggly cheesecake, Japanese soufflé cheesecake, Japanese light cheesecake, or simply as Japanese cheesecake. It uses less cream cheese and less sugar than the classic cheesecakes. It's also made to be light and fluffy with the incorporation of whipped meringue.

    A slice of Japanese cotton cheese cake a forkful taken.

    What are Japanese cheesecakes made of?

    The base ingredients that make up Japanese cheesecakes are eggs, sugar, cream cheese, flour, and butter. However, you can also add flavors from citrus zests and juice to flavoring extracts to powder flavorings for variations.

    What does Japanese cotton cheesecake taste like?

    Japanese cotton cheesecakes have a melt in your mouth texture that's sweet, tangy, and rich like a classic cheesecake, while also light and fluffy, similar to the texture of spongecakes and airy soufflé.

    A whole Japanese cotton cheesec.ake dusted with powdered sugar

    Why are Japanese cheesecakes so fluffy and jiggly?

    The secret to fluffy and jiggly Japanese cheesecakes lies in the incorporation of whipped meringue. The meringue acts as a leavening agent, lifting the cheesecake up, like it does in soufflés, while also lightening up the cheesecake's texture. This makes the cheesecake super airy inside, which makes it fluffy and jiggly!

    Why is my Japanese cheesecake dense and not fluffy?

    If you find your Japanese cheesecake to be dense rather than fluffy, there are a few possible causes:

    • The meringue may be over whipped.
    • Too much air was knocked out of the meringue when folding into the base batter.
    • The cheesecake wasn't baked long enough.

    A slice of Japanese cotton cheesecake on a plate.

    Whip the meringue to soft-medium peak

    For the best looking, fluffy Japanese cheesecake with a slight jiggle, make sure to whip the meringue to a soft-medium peak. When the meringue gets to this stage, it will look glossy and shiny. The meringue should hold a peak that curves down and hooks, not standing up.

    You want to avoid whipping the meringue to a stiff peak because the meringue will not get properly incorporated into the batter base and will result in a dense cheesecake. A soft-medium peak will give the cheesecake the best, most even fluffiness throughout and will have the least amount of shrinkage.

    However, if you don't care too much about the shrinkage, you can whip the meringue to a soft peak. The cheesecake will still have a pretty even fluffy texture and have extra jiggles! So, that's the give and takes of using different stiffness of meringue.

    Dusting powdered sugar on Japanese cotton cheesecake.

    Why does my Japanese cheesecake taste eggy?

    Similar to dense Japanese cheesecakes, eggy ones are usually due to the same issues like over whipped meringue, deflated meringue, or not baking the cheesecake long enough. The other possible cause is that more flavoring is needed.

    Why did my Japanese cheesecake crack?

    The main reason why a Japanese cheesecake might crack is most likely due to the baking temperature being too high. If the baking temperature is too high, the outside will cook and harden before the max height and rise is achieved, which will result in a cracked top.

    For this recipe we bake the cotton cheesecake at 400F for 15 minutes then decreased the oven temperature and let it bake for another 30-35 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the top of the cheesecake bounces back when gently pressed on.

    Cheesecake batter in a cake pan set in a water bath.

    Bake the Japanese cotton cheesecake in a water bath

    Another tip to prevent cracked cotton cheesecakes is to bake it in a water bath. Water baths help regulate heat more evenly and bake things more slowly than direct heat. This way, the Japanese cotton cheesecakes gets baked gently and evenly.

    How do I keep my Japanese cheesecake from shrinking?

    Unfortunately, Japanese cheesecakes will shrink a little no matter what. However, there are three things you can do to prevent significant shrinkage.

    First, make sure the meringue is whipped to no more than a medium peak. At medium peak, the cheesecake will have good structure, will be fluffy, and slightly jiggly. You can use soft peak meringue if you want more jiggly, but do note, the cheesecake will shrink a bit more. So, softer the peak, the more shrinkage there will be but also the jigglier the cheesecake will be.

    A Japanese cotton cheesecake with a slice missing.

    Second, the cheesecake must be baked through. Like any other cakes, if they are not baked all the way, they will sink and shrink, especially meringue based cakes. So make sure the cheesecake is baked through before removing from the oven. To check if the cheesecake is done, you can stick a toothpick into the center, and it should come out almost clean. You should also be able to gently press on the cheesecake and it should spring back.

    Lastly, you must temper the cheesecake in the oven after baking. After the baking time is up, turn off the heat and leave the cheesecake in the oven for 15 minutes with the oven door closed. When 15 minutes is up, remove the water bath, crack the oven door open, and let the cheesecake sit in there for at least 30 minutes. This tempering technique prevents baked items from being shocked from the temperature difference, which can prevent shrinkage and wrinkling. So, if you don't care about the shrinkage or the wrinkling, feel free to skip this step.

    Up close, side shot of Japanese cotton cheesecake.

    What is the best temperature to eat Japanese cheesecake?

    The great thing about Japanese cheesecake is that it can be enjoyed hot or cold! When the cheesecake is still warmish or hot, the fluffiness is at its prime. It's like eating literal cheesecake clouds. But because it is hot, the eggy and dairy flavor will be more prominent.

    If you eat the cheesecake cold, it is absolutely a treat! You taste more of that creamy cheesecake texture and cream cheese flavor, while maintaining a nice lightness. However, the cheesecake will have deflated a touch, so it won't be the fluffiest.

    We recently also discovered that it tastes really good semi-frozen as well! It's almost like eating space ice cream! Just make sure to cover or at least wrap the cheesecake, so that the cheesecake won't taste like the freezer.

    If you're looking for other sweet Asian goodies, you may like these:

    • Japanese Jiggly Soufflé Pancakes
    • Ube Mochi with Black Sesame Filling
    • Sweet Potato Mochi Pancakes/ Hotteok(호떡)
    • Brown Sugar Boba Ice Cream Bars

    A slice of Japanese cotton cheesecake half eaten.

    Bake with love!
    Mei ❤️

    If you’ve made this recipe or any recipe from our blog, please tag us on Instagram @two_plaid_aprons! We would love to see your creations! It absolutely makes our day! 🥰

    A slice of Japanese cotton cheesecake slightly pulled out.
    4.6 from 14 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe

    Japanese Cotton Cheesecake

    Japanese Cotton Cheesecake is the fluffy, lighter, and jiggly version of a classic cheesecake. It's mildly sweet, tangy, rich just like a good classic cheesecake, but has the texture of a soft, airy cloud.
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time40 mins
    Cool Time45 mins
    Total Time1 hr 35 mins
    Yield: 8 servings
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients
     

    For the cheesecake batter base:

    • 8 ounce cream cheese (or usually 1 block)
    • 4 Tablespoon unsalted butter , melted (or ½ stick)
    • 6 large egg yolk
    • ⅓ cup granulated sugar
    • ½ cup all-purpose flour , spooned and leveled
    • 1½ Tablespoon cornstarch
    • ¼ cup heavy cream (or whole milk)
    • 1 Tablespoon lemon zest (about 1 lemon zested)
    • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice (about ½ lemon)
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
    • ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt

    For the meringue:

    • 6 large egg white
    • 2 teaspoon lemon juice
    • ⅓ cup granulated sugar

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 400°F, line the 8x3 round cake pan with parchment paper on both the bottom and sides, and prepare hot water and pan for water bath*.
      *You can make a water bath by lining a pan, that's larger than the pan that you will be using for the cheesecake, with a towel and filling it up with hot water. The pan should be able to hold enough water to go half way up the side of the cake pan for the cheesecake.*
    • In a heatproof bowl over a simmering pot of water (or a bain-marie), add the block of cream cheese and whisk until soft and smooth. Whisk in the melted butter until evenly combined.
    • Add a couple of egg yolks to the mixture at a time while whisking between each addition until all the yolks are incorporated. Whisk in the sugar.
      *Make sure to not overheat the mixture or it'll curdle! If the mixture feels too hot, take it off the simmer water and keep whisking*
    • Sift the flour and cornstarch into the mixture and whisk until just combined and no more lumps are visible.
    • Add the remaining ingredients (lemon zest and juice, cream, salt, and vanilla) and whisk to combine.
      Remove from the simmering water. Set aside until needed.
    • In a clean mixing bowl, beat together egg whites and lemon juice on medium speed until completely frothy. Once frothy, slowly add small amounts of sugar to the egg white while continuing to beat on medium speed.
      Increase the speed to medium high and whip the meringue until it reaches a soft medium peak. The meringue should be able to form a peak, but the peak will hook.
      *DO NOT over-beat the meringue!*
    • Transfer ⅓ of the meringue to the cheesecake batter base and whisk it until the batter is homogenous.
      Add another ⅓ of the meringue to the batter and this time, gently FOLD the meringue into the batter until just incorporated. Repeat with the remaining ⅓ meringue.
    • Pour the Japanese cheese cake batter into the parchment lined 8x3 round cake pan and tap the pan on the table a couple of times to remove large air bubbles.
    • Place the cake pan with the cheesecake batter inside the large pan lined with towel. Fill the pan with hot water, half way up, the 8x3 cake pan.
      *Make sure to not get any water in the batter!*
    • Bake the cheesecake at 400°F for 15 minutes then turn the oven temperature down to 300°F. Bake the cheesecake for another 25-30 minutes or until the cheesecake is golden brown on top and an inserted toothpick comes out mostly clean.
    • This step will help with keeping the cheesecake wrinkle free and prevent a huge shrinkage:
      Turn off the oven and keep the cheesecake in the oven for 15 minutes with the oven door closed. After the 15 minutes, remove the water bath, but keep the cheesecake in the oven with the oven door cracked for 30 minutes.
    • Remove the Japanese cheesecake from the oven and carefully remove it from the cake pan. Unwrap the side parchment and let the cheesecake cool on a wire rack at room temperature.
    • You can enjoy the cheesecake while it's warm, room temperature, or chilled. We recommend chilling the cheesecake for at least 1 hour in the fridge for best flavor.

    Notes

    *I highly recommend that you measure the flour properly to prevent the cheesecake from being dense.
    Spoon and Level method: Loosen up the flour then scoop the flour with a spoon into the measuring cup. With a butter knife or something flat, scrape off the excess flour. Don't tap or shake the flour.
    *For the Japanese cheesecake to be consistently fluffy throughout, the meringue MUST be whipped to a soft-medium peak. If you want a jigglier cheesecake, you can whip the meringue to a soft peak instead of soft-medium. However, do note that the cheesecake will be much more likely to shrink more.

    Equipments Recommended

    8x3 inch Round Cake Pan
    Mixing Bowl
    Hand Mixer

    Nutrition

    Calories: 329kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 203mg | Sodium: 212mg | Potassium: 104mg | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 860IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 1mg
    Keywords: cotton cheesecake, japanese cheesecake, japanese jiggly cheesecake, jiggly cheesecake
    Tried this recipe?Mention @two_plaid_aprons or tag #twoplaidaprons!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Atena says

      January 21, 2021 at 3:42 pm

      My heated batter was silky smooth when I finished, but became lumpy after I set it aside, I out it in the oven anyway.

      Reply
      • Mei says

        January 21, 2021 at 5:30 pm

        Hi Atena!
        Thank you so much for trying out our Japanese Cotton Cheesecake recipe! The only reason I can think of as to why your heated batter may have become lumpy could be because your batter was overheated (which can curdle the egg yolks). After taking the heated batter off the simmering water, I tend to give it a few more seconds of mixing to ensure that the retained heat on the bowl wouldn't overcook my batter. For already existing clumps, our rule of thumb is to always strain it. I hope the cheesecake still turned out well! Please let us know if we can help in any way!

        Bake with love,
        Mei ❤️

        Reply
        • Atena says

          January 21, 2021 at 10:44 pm

          It actually turned out good. I think it just continued warming on the warm stove and the bottom became cooked. It wasn't curdled. I did not think to strain it.

          Reply
          • Mei says

            January 26, 2021 at 8:18 pm

            Hi Atena!

            Gotcha. We're so glad the cheesecake still turn out good! Thanks again for trying out our recipe!

            Bake with love!
            Mei ❤️

            Reply
            • Atena says

              February 11, 2021 at 2:28 pm

              Thanks, i love it. I'm making it again now.

              Reply
    2. Ta says

      July 29, 2021 at 12:28 pm

      5 stars
      I've made this twice now, and it's so good! I have a springform pan, so water has accidentally seeped through to the batter, but even then it has been very good. If anything, it almost seemed to make it more moist. Thanks so much for this recipe!

      Reply
      • Mei says

        July 31, 2021 at 7:13 pm

        Hi Ta!

        Thank you so much for trying out our recipe! So glad you enjoyed the Japanese cheesecake! To prevent springform pan water leakages, I usually double wrap the pan in foil. Thanks again for stopping by!

        Bake with love!
        Mei ❤️

        Reply
    3. Yvonne Finne says

      September 22, 2021 at 1:32 pm

      How should this cake be stored? I want to ship to family.

      Reply
      • Mei says

        September 25, 2021 at 10:08 am

        Hi Yvonne!
        Thank you for checking out out recipe! This cake should be stored in the fridge, up to 7 days, after it's been cooled completely. I don't recommending shipping the cheesecake, as it's a very fragile cake. But if you are shipping it, I highly recommend overnight shipping, properly packed with cooling packs, etc.

        Hope this helps!
        Mei ❤️

        Reply
    4. Loren Gigi says

      October 05, 2021 at 10:56 pm

      Hi Mei! I am going to bake this for an event soon, and I am trying to prepare all the ingredients/equipment for a 100% good outcome 🙂 I was wondering how much of an impact the water bath makes. I have a small oven, and I can't fit one but I do want the cheesecake to come out well. Is it necessary in this case?
      Thanks!

      Reply
      • Mei says

        October 06, 2021 at 12:17 pm

        Hi Loren!
        Sorry that I got back to you late, but seems like your Japanese cheesecake turned out well! Congrats! But to answer your question, a waterbath is highly recommended to help prevent cracks on the cheesecake, just like when making classic New York Cheesecakes. This method help maintain a constant temperature that cooks the entire cheesecake gently.

        Hope this helps!

        Bake with love!
        Mei ❤️

        Reply
    5. Loren Gigi says

      October 06, 2021 at 11:19 am

      lovely!!! thank you so much. turned out great.

      Reply
    6. Carrid puddell says

      February 21, 2022 at 11:08 pm

      5 stars
      Tasted amazing. Top was not smooth not sure what I did not quite right but will definitely make it again. The lemon made it!

      Reply
      • Mei says

        February 22, 2022 at 3:23 pm

        Hi Carrid!
        So glad you enjoyed the Japanese cheesecake! The extra lemon is also our favorite part!

        As for the bumpy top, it would be caused by large air bubbles in the cheesecake batter. To prevent large bubbles, gently fold the meringue to avoid incorporating a lot of air. You can also slowly pour the batter into the cake pan at a tall height to help pop any bubbles. Lastly, firmly tap the cake pan on your countertop a couple of times before baking. With those 3 steps, you shouldn't be seeing anymore large bubbles.

        Hope this helps!
        Mei

        Reply
    7. Kim says

      March 26, 2022 at 6:34 pm

      Hi! Have you ever tried this with gluten free flour? It looks delicious!

      Reply
      • Mei says

        March 28, 2022 at 11:38 am

        Hi Kim!
        We have not tried this recipe with gluten free flour. So we can't say how it will turn out. But if you do give it a try, we would love to know how it turns out.

        Best,
        Mei ❤️

        Reply

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