japanese cheesecake

The prospect of a good homemade cheesecake is always synonymous with partying and celebrating at home, a real favourite in practically any of its formats and varieties. And to the delight of the staff (this writer included), the latest and happy discovery has been the acclaimed Japanese cheesecake , cotton cheesecake (in English) or Japanese soufflé (as it is known in Japan).

With such a preview, I'm sure you can get an idea of ​​what awaits you. Just as its various names suggest, this captivating version of cheesecake offers everything you like in a good cheesecake —its unmistakable flavor and creaminess as always— , but with a softness and lightness beyond human imagination, an unparalleled texture that caresses you from the first bite.

Unlike the popular American cheesecake (New York cheesecake being one of the most popular versions), Japanese cheesecake is made with a lower proportion of cream cheese, but its presence is still unmistakable. Its main characteristic, however, is the incorporation of egg whites whipped separately in a light meringue, which gives it that extra fluffiness, softness and delicacy that will hardly go unnoticed. The amount of sugar used is also noticeably reduced compared to the first, but I assure you that not a single gram is missing. 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 .

Just like with regular cheesecakes , baking them in the oven still challenges the dreaded appearance of cracks or the centre 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 very gradually. Even so, if we follow the process carefully, there will be no Japanese cheesecake that we can't resist, especially if we have quality and reliable utensils like the "PushPan" mould, removable, super non-stick and, above all, leak-proof that I have used for this recipe. So, shall we go with it? Don't forget to have all the ingredients ready before starting!

Kitchen Craft Glass Jug , 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 whisk , Le Creuset spoon spatula , Le Creuset ceramic spoon rest , PushPan non-stick removable deep pan, Le Creuset Demi teapot and Emile Henry round ceramic mould

Ingredients (for 8-10 people)

All ingredients must be at room temperature, unless otherwise indicated.

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

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

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

Elaboration

1. Preheat the oven (electric and without air) to 160°C and place the oven rack in the lower position.
2. Grease the inside of a round non-stick mould with a removable base measuring 20 cm in diameter and at least 8.5 cm high, like this “Push Pan” , cover the base with greaseproof paper so that it fits perfectly to its diameter and grease the paper again. Set aside.
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. This way it will be much easier to prevent the yolks from breaking, as there should not be any trace of them in the whites. We will set them aside separately (we will place the whites in a large bowl ).
4. In another large bowl, sift together the baking flour and fine corn flour. Set aside.
5. Lightly heat the milk together with the butter (I did this in the microwave in a glass measuring jug for a few seconds at medium power, but you can use whatever method is most convenient for you), just until the butter melts in the milk. Set aside.
6. Next, place the cream cheese in a medium heatproof bowl over a bain-marie over low heat, making sure that the water does not touch the base of the bowl, and stir with a whisk until it acquires a smooth, lump-free consistency.
7. Then we add the yolks, one by one and stirring constantly with the whisk to prevent them from curdling.
8. Now we add half of the superfine sugar (60g) and continue stirring until dissolved.
9. Next, while stirring constantly, gradually add the milk and butter mixture, which is still warm (no more than 50°C).
10. Finally, add the lemon juice and zest, vanilla extract and salt and stir once more until you obtain a homogeneous mixture.
11. We then remove it from the bain-marie and gradually add it to the reserved flour mixture, while gently mixing with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon until obtaining a light, lump-free dough. We set aside.
12. Using an electric whisk or an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, we begin to beat the reserved egg whites, initially at medium speed until they begin to foam. Then we add the cream of tartar (if we are going to use it) and increase the speed slightly (it is not necessary to go to the maximum because we do not want a firm meringue). As soon as the bubbles in the meringue begin to diminish, we add the other half of the sugar (the remaining 60g), always gradually and without stopping beating until we achieve a smooth and dense, but somewhat light consistency.
13. Next, add the beaten egg whites in 3 batches to the cheese mixture, combining both gently and always using circular movements with the help of a silicone spatula until obtaining a uniform texture. We must avoid over-mixing to avoid losing the volume achieved, which would result in a dense and heavy cake.
14. Then we pour the mixture into the mould (it should be at least 2 cm from the edge; there may be some mixture left over, but we should not overfill it) and we tap the base against the counter to level the surface and release any excess air bubbles that may have remained inside.
15. Now we place our mould inside another larger oven-safe container (it can be a dish or a tray with some depth) and fill the latter with hot water until it covers the base of the first by at least 2 cm.
16. We put the whole set above in the oven (mold + dish with hot water) and bake our Japanese cheesecake in a bain-marie for 65-70 minutes until it has visibly risen, the surface has acquired a nice golden hue and the centre is almost set (it will still tremble a little when you move the mould). 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 see that the centre is completely set. We will also see that as it cools, the cake will lose some of the volume achieved during baking.
17. We then remove it 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 come away from the sides of the mould on its own. To perfectly unmold a cake or sponge cake made in a “Push Pan” mould like the one used in this recipe, we will have to follow a series of very simple steps. We place the mould on a jar or similar (slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the mould and slightly higher) and press the edges of the mould gently downwards with both hands (the base with the cake will be on the jar; you can see the sequence below). Next, we cover it with a large plate and turn it over onto the plate. We then remove the base of the mould and the greaseproof paper, cover it with another plate or dish (where we plan to serve our cheesecake ) and turn it over again (the golden side of the surface will be visible). We let it cool completely and refrigerate until we are ready to serve it.
18. When serving, you can sprinkle a little icing sugar on top for decoration. To achieve a precise cut, it is advisable to use a long, smooth and sharp knife .

It keeps refrigerated and well covered for about 3 days.

PushPan Non-Stick Removable Tall Pan and Laura Ashley Kitchen Apron

Grades

• For this recipe, it is not advisable to use springform pans with side seals or any other type of pan with joints on the sides. It is very important to make sure that the water from the bain-marie does not come into contact with the dough at any time during baking.
• You may also know this recipe as shaky cake or trembling sponge cake.
• If we use a good non-stick mould and grease it with a light film of release spray or butter, it will not be necessary to also line the inner side with greaseproof paper, which, on the other hand, would leave wrinkle marks on the sides of our cheesecake , which tends to shrink as it cools.
• If you find it difficult to find superfine sugar, you should know that making it at home is as simple as grinding ordinary white sugar (you can use the blender's chopping accessory, a coffee grinder, a food processor, etc.). The idea is to reduce the sugar crystals so that it dissolves more easily in our doughs and meringues, thus obtaining a sublime texture.
• Cream of tartar is optional, but its use makes whipping the egg whites much easier and helps to keep their volume stable once whipped. It is very important to make sure that the bowl where we are going to whip the egg whites and the whisks we use are perfectly clean and free of grease or yolk residue.
• Sudden changes in temperature have a significant effect on baked cheesecakes, especially our Japanese cheesecake , so it is important to let it cool gradually in the oven when it is turned off . If you don't do this, it could very likely crack or sink when it cools.

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