The prospect of a good homemade cheesecake is always synonymous with parties and celebrations at home, a favorite in practically any of its formats and varieties. And to the greater satisfaction of the staff (this one who writes included), the latest and happy discovery has been the acclaimed Japanese cheesecake , cotton cheesecake (in English) or Japanese soufflé (as it is known precisely in Japan).

With such progress I am sure that you will be able to get an idea of ​​what awaits you. As its various names suggest, this captivating version of cheesecake offers everything you love in a good cheesecake — its unmistakable flavor and creaminess — but with a smoothness and lightness beyond human imagining, a unparalleled texture that caresses you from the first bite.

Unlike the popular American cheesecake (the New York cheesecake being one of the most esteemed versions), the Japanese cheesecake is made with a smaller proportion of cream cheese, yet its presence remains unmistakable. Its main characteristic, however, is the incorporation of egg whites mounted separately in a light meringue, which gives it that extra sponginess, softness and delicacy that will hardly go unnoticed. The amount of sugar used is also significantly reduced compared to the first, but I assure you that not a single gram is missed. On the other hand, in this case we will not see any crunchy biscuit base either. To enjoy a perfect Japanese cheesecake , we will also have to bake it in a bain-marie . As you can already anticipate, a real delight.

Le Creuset ceramic stand, Le Creuset jam jar and Laura Ashley porcelain plates .

As with regular cheesecakes , its passage through the oven continues to defy the fearsome appearance of cracks or the fact that the center ends up sinking during or after the baking process. The most important thing here, in addition to mixing the ingredients correctly, is to arm ourselves with a little patience (yes, I know, that is perhaps the most difficult part) and let it cool down very gradually. Even so, if we carefully follow the process, there will be no Japanese cheesecake that can resist us, especially if we have quality utensils that are as reliable as the “PushPan” mould, removable, super non-stick and, above all, leak-proof. that I used for this recipe. Shall we go with her then? Don't forget to have all the ingredients ready before you start!

KitchenCraft Glass Pitcher , Kitchen Craft cooking thermometer , Nomu vanilla extract , Laura Ashley porcelain bowls , Kitchen Craft measuring spoons , KitchenAid Artisan food processor , Zester Premium Microplane Grater , Mediterranean glass bowls , WMF wire whisk , Le Creuset spoon spatula , Le Creuset ceramic spoon rest , PushPan removable nonstick tall pan, Demi Le Creuset teapot and round ceramic mold Emile Henry

Ingredients (for 8-10 people)

All ingredients must be at room temperature, unless otherwise indicated

• 6 eggs (L)
• 65g of pastry flour
• 20g of fine corn flour or corn starch (Maizena type)
• 100ml of whole milk
• 60g of unsalted butter
• 250g cream cheese (Philadelphia type)
• 60 + 60gr of superfine sugar
• 15ml (1 tablespoon) lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest, very fine (yellow part only)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract from Madagascar
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar (optional)

*1 tablespoon = 15ml / 1 teaspoon = 5ml*

Mediterranean glass bowls , spoon and spatula Le Creuset spoon rest , Laura Ashley kitchen apron , Laura Ashley dish towel and KitchenAid Artisan food processor

Elaboration

1. Preheat the oven (electric and airless) to 160°C and place the oven rack in the lower position.
2. We grease the inside of a non-stick round mold with a removable base of 20 cm in Ø and at least 8.5 cm in height like this “Push Pan” , we cover the base with parchment paper so that it fits perfectly to its diameter and we grease again on paper. We booked.
3. For this recipe we will need the egg yolks on one side and the whites on the other, so we start by separating them when the eggs are still cold; In this way it will be much easier for the yolks not to break, since there should not be any small trace of them in the whites. Reserve separately (we will place the egg whites in a large bowl ).
4. In another large separate bowl, sift together the pastry flour and the fine cornmeal. We booked.
5. Slightly heat the milk together with the butter (I have done it in the microwave in a glass measuring jug for a few seconds at medium power, but you can use the method that is most comfortable for you), just until the butter melts in the milk We also book.
6. Next, place the cream cheese in a medium heat-resistant bowl in a bain-marie over low heat, making sure that the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl, and stir with a whisk until smooth and lump-free.
7. Then we add the yolks, one at a time and without stopping stirring with the rods to prevent them from curdling.
8. Now add half of the superfine sugar (60g) and continue stirring until dissolved.
9. Next, and without stopping stirring, gradually add the mixture of milk and butter while it is still warm (no more than 50°C).
10. Finally, add the lemon juice and zest, the vanilla extract and the salt and stir once more until a homogeneous mixture is obtained.
11. We then remove it from the bain-marie and little by little we incorporate it into the flour mixture that we had reserved, while gently combining with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon until we get a light dough without lumps. We booked.
12. With the help of some electric rods or an electric mixer equipped with the rod accessory, we begin to assemble the egg whites that we had reserved, initially at medium speed until they begin to foam. We then add the cream of tartar (if we are going to use it) and increase the speed slightly (it is not necessary to reach the maximum because we do not want a firm meringue). As soon as the bubbles in the meringue start to diminish, add the other half of the sugar (the remaining 60g), always gradually and without stopping beating until you get a smooth and dense consistency, but somewhat light.
13. Next, we incorporate the whipped egg whites in 3 batches into the previous cheese mixture, combining both gently and always using enveloping movements with the help of a silicone spatula until a uniform texture is obtained. We must avoid overmixing so as not to lose the volume achieved, which would result in a dense and heavy cake.
14. Then pour the mixture into the mold (it must be at least 2 cm from the edge; it is possible that there is some mixture left, but it is not advisable to overfill it) and tap the base against the countertop so that the surface is level. surface and release the excess air bubbles that have remained inside.
15. Now we place our mold inside another larger container suitable for the oven (it can be a source or a tray with a certain depth) and fill the latter with hot water until it covers the base of the first at least about 2 cm.
16. We introduce the entire previous set in the oven (mold + pan with hot water) and bake our Japanese cheesecake in its bain-marie for 65 – 70 minutes until it has grown visibly, the surface has acquired a nice golden tone and the center is almost set. (it will still shake a little when moving the mold). We then turn off the oven and leave the cake inside with the door slightly ajar (I usually place the handle of a wooden spoon to prevent it from closing) for another 30-45 minutes until we check that the center is completely curdled. We will also see that as it cools, the cake will lose some of the volume achieved during baking.
17. We then remove from the oven; The first thing we will notice is that, in addition to losing some height, the cake will have shrunk slightly and will have detached itself from the sides of the mold. To perfectly unmold a cake or a sponge cake made in a "Push Pan" mold like the one used in this recipe, we will have to follow a series of very simple steps. Place the mold on a jar or similar (somewhat smaller than the inside diameter of the mold and somewhat higher) and gently press the edges of the mold downwards with both hands (the base with the cake will remain on the jar; you can see the sequence below). Next, cover with a large plate and turn over the plate. We then remove the base of the mold and the parchment paper, cover it with another plate or fountain (where we plan to serve our cheesecake ) and turn it over again (the golden side of the surface will be visible). Let cool completely and refrigerate until ready to serve.
18. When serving, we can sprinkle a little icing sugar as a decoration. To achieve a precise cut it is advisable to use a long, smooth and well-sharpened knife .

Keeps refrigerated and well covered for about 3 days.

Tall Non-Stick Removable PushPan and Cooking Apron Laura Ashley

Grades

• For this recipe it is not recommended to use removable molds with side closure or any other type of mold with joints on the sides. It is very important that we make sure that the water in the bain-marie does not come into contact with the dough at any time during baking.
• You may also know this recipe for shaky cake or shaky cake.
• If we use a good non-stick mold and grease it with a light film of release spray or butter, it will not be necessary to also line the inner side with parchment paper which, on the other hand, would leave wrinkle marks on the sides of our cheesecake , which tends to shrink as it cools.
• If it is difficult for you to find superfine sugar, you should know that making it at home is as simple as grinding common white sugar (you can use the blender's chopping accessory, a coffee grinder, a food processor...). What it is about is reducing the sugar crystals so that it dissolves more easily in our doughs and meringues, thus obtaining a sublime texture.
• The cream of tartar is optional, but its use greatly facilitates the whipping of the egg whites and helps their volume to remain stable once whipped. It is very important to make sure that the bowl where we are going to mount them and the rods that we use are perfectly clean and free of fat or traces of yolk.
• Sudden changes in temperature notably affect baked cheesecakes and especially our Japanese cheesecake , so it is important to let it cool gradually in the oven off . Otherwise, it could very likely crack or sink as it cools.

And now all that remains is for you to try it at home and enjoy one of the most exquisite bites, unbeatable for any cheesecake lover.