What makes Japanese cheesecake so unique?
Japanese cheesecake, also known as “Cotton Cake”, is a unique delicacy that combines the best of two worlds: the silky smoothness of a classic cheesecake and the lightness and tenderness of the sensation of biting into a piece of cotton.
With this simple recipe, you are ready for a magical trip to Japan. The delicate texture and wonderful taste will delight your taste buds, while the ease of preparation will delight you.
Japanese cheesecake
Ingredients
- For the biscuit base
- 250g of cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- 60g of butter, softened at room temperature
- 35g of sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons of milk
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
- Zest of ½ lemon
- 20g flour (all-purpose), sifted
- 10g cornstarch, sifted For egg white snow
- 3 egg whites
- 35g of sugar Additional for baking
- Baking pan with a diameter of 18 cm
- Larger pan for water bath
- Hot water, about 80°C
Directions
- Preparing the oven and baking tray: Preheat the oven to 160°C. Grease the bottom and sides of an 18 cm diameter baking dish with butter and line the bottom with baking paper. If the pan has a removable bottom, wrap it with aluminum foil to prevent water from escaping while baking in the water bath.
- Preparing the biscuit base: Soften the cream cheese in a bowl over a water bath. Add the butter and mix until smooth. Remove from the water bath and gradually add the remaining ingredients for the base (sugar, egg yolks, milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, sifted flour and cornstarch), mixing after each addition to make a uniform mixture.
- Preparation of snow from egg whites: In another bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. Gradually add the sugar in batches while beating until soft peaks form.
- Combining the snow and the base: Gently mix a third of the snow into the base with a spatula. Then add the rest of the snow to the base and mix gently to maintain the airiness of the mass.
- Baking: Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Tap the pan lightly on the work surface a few times to remove air bubbles. Place the baking tray in a larger baking tray and pour hot water into it to a height of 1.5 cm for a water bath. Bake for 20 minutes at 160°C, then reduce the temperature to 140°C and bake for another 40 minutes. After baking, leave the cheesecake in the turned off oven for another 30 minutes.
- Cooling: Cool the cheesecake slowly in the oven with the door slightly ajar to prevent shrinkage. Once the cheesecake has reached room temperature, place it in the refrigerator for a while to cool down further.
- Serving: Before serving, the cheesecake can be sprinkled with powdered sugar for decoration.
