Japanese Cheesecake (Soufflé Cheesecake)

Born in Fukuoka, Japan in the 1960s at the Rikuro Ojisan bakery, this cloud-like cheesecake blends Western cream cheese with the Japanese technique of folding in whipped meringue, creating a jiggly, cotton-soft texture unlike any Western counterpart. It is far less sweet and far more delicate than New York-style cheesecake, prized across Japan for its ethereal, melt-in-the-mouth quality.

Ingredients

250g full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature

50g unsalted butter, cut into cubes

100ml whole milk

60g cake flour (or all-purpose flour sifted 3 times)

20g cornstarch

1/4 tsp fine sea salt

6 large eggs, yolks and whites separated

140g granulated white sugar, divided (60g for yolk mixture, 80g for meringue)

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1 tbsp powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 160°C (320°F) with a rack positioned in the lower third of the oven. Grease a 20cm (8-inch) round springform pan, line the bottom and sides with parchment paper, and wrap the outside of the pan tightly with two layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil to prevent water from seeping in during the water bath.

Place cream cheese, butter, and milk in a medium heatproof bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water (double boiler). Stir gently with a silicone spatula until the mixture is completely smooth and lump-free. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly for 5 minutes.

Sift the cake flour and cornstarch together into the cream cheese mixture and whisk until fully incorporated and silky smooth. Add the salt, lemon juice, and vanilla extract and whisk to combine.

Add the 6 egg yolks and 60g of granulated sugar to the cream cheese mixture and whisk vigorously until the batter is pale, smooth, and slightly thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside.

In the clean, grease-free bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer), beat the 6 egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar, then gradually increase the speed to medium-high. Slowly stream in the remaining 80g of granulated sugar, one tablespoon at a time, beating until the meringue holds firm, glossy peaks that just curl at the tips when the whisk is lifted. Do not overbeat.

Using a large balloon whisk or silicone spatula, fold one-third of the meringue into the cream cheese batter to lighten it. Use broad, sweeping strokes from the bottom of the bowl upward. Add the remaining meringue in two more additions, folding gently just until no white streaks remain, taking care to preserve as much air as possible.

Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Tap the pan gently on the counter two or three times to release any large air bubbles. Place the foil-wrapped pan into a large roasting pan and pour enough boiling water into the roasting pan to come 2.5cm (1 inch) up the sides of the springform pan.

Carefully transfer to the oven and bake at 160°C (320°F) for 25 minutes. Without opening the oven door, reduce the temperature to 140°C (285°F) and continue baking for 40 more minutes, until the top is evenly golden and the cake jiggles like set gelatin when the pan is gently shaken.