This jiggly Japanese cheesecake is also known as Japanese cotton cheesecake. It's the fluffier, lighter alternative to classic cheesecake that tastes mildly sweet, slightly tangy, but still rich and creamy. Follow our recipe with step by step photo reference, tips, and extensive troubleshoot help to make this cheesecake perfect! Also, check out our ube basque cheesecake for a super easy and creamy cheesecake recipe.
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time1 hourhr20 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr35 minutesmins
Yield: 8servings (makes one 8 inch cheesecake)
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Ingredients
For the cheesecake:
6largeeggsseparated (each egg is about 50g, shell-on)
8ouncescream cheesepreferably softened
¼cupheavy creamor full fat milk
4tablespoonsunsalted buttercut into smaller pieces
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Also, line the bottom of an 8 by 3 inch cake pan with a circle parchment paper and prepare a 9 by 9 baking pan.*The 9 by 9 inch pan is for the water bath. So, as long the 8 inch round cake pan can sit in it, any larger size pan works too.*
Bring a few inches of water to a simmer in a large saucepan or pot. Once the water is simmering, reduce the heat to low.
Make the base batter:
Place the cream cheese, butter, and cream in a large heatproof bowl that can sit on the saucepan or pot and not touching the water. Slowly heat everything up and whisk until the mixture is well combined and smooth. Turn off the heat.
Add the egg yolks and mix until well combined. Immediately, sift the cake flour into the mixture and whisk until no more dry flour or clumps remain. Take the bowl off the pot and add the lemon zest and vanilla. Whisk to combine. Set the mixture aside to cool until needed.*Make sure to work swiftly to prevent the egg yolks from getting scrambled!*
Fill the 9 by 9 baking pan half way with the hot water and carefully place the baking pan into the oven to preheat. You can also use the hot water left from the ealier.
Prepare the meringue:
In a clean mixing bowl, add the egg whites and the lemon juice. Using a hand mixer, whip the egg whites on medium high speed until completely frothy.
While whipping, add the granulated sugar to the frothy egg white, a third at a time, before the egg whites reache soft-peak stage. Once all the sugar has been added, whip the egg whites for another 10 to 20 seconds. Then, reduce the speed to medium. Continue whipping the egg whites until medium-soft peak.*Please refer to the post above for photo references.*
Add ⅓ of the meringue to the cream cheese mixture and gently fold the meringue until the mixture is well combined and no more streaks are visible. Incorporate the remaining meringue in two more sessions.
Pour the cheesecake batter into the prepared 8 inch cake pan and firmly tap the cake pan on the table a couple of times to remove large air bubbles. You can also use a skewer if you prefer.
Bake the cheesecake:
Carefully place the cake pan into the oven, in the pan of water, and bake for about 80 to 90 minutes, or until the Japanese cheesecake is golden brown on top and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Carefully remove the cheesecake from the oven and dry the bottom of the cake pan. Let the cheesecake cool for a few minutes on its side, rotating the cake pan every 20 to 30 seconds, until the cheesecake releases itself from the cake pan.
Remove the cheesecake from the cake pan by carefully flipping it out onto a plate. Pull away the parchment paper on the bottom and flip the cake upright onto another plate. Let cool.
Serve:
You can enjoy the Japanese cheesecake while it's warm, after it's completely cooled, or after chilling in the fridge for at least an hour.
Either keep the cheesecake plain, dust the top of the cheesecake with powdered sugar, or brush the top of the cheesecake with some apricot jam to glaze it. Enjoy by itself or with fruits, berries, and/whipped cream.
Notes
Please refer to the post above for step by step photo reference, troubleshooting tips, storage, and more!This recipe has been updated to be made with less ingredients, easier to make, and more foolproof than our previous version.
Springform pans and cake pans with removable bottoms - If using either of these pans, make sure to securely wrap the outside of the cake pan with foil. This will prevent water from leaking into the cheesecake, making it soggy.
Smaller cheesecake - This recipe can be divided in half to make a 6 inch Japanese cheesecake. Use a 6 by 3 inch cake pan and decrease the baking time to 60 to 70 minutes.
Troubleshoot - We've included an extensive list of troubleshooting tips in the post above from our years of making Japanese cheesecake. Please refer to it first if you have questions!