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Cotton soft, light, fluffy and the best Japanese cheesecake. This is a tried and tested Japanese cheesecake recipe. A must-bake for cheesecake lovers!
Japanese Cheesecake Recipe
Japanese cheesecake is very different from regular cheesecake.
It is cotton soft, light, fluffy and the one of the best cheesecakes I have ever tasted.
Japanese cotton cheesecake is also jiggly, due to the meringue egg white mixture in the recipe.
Make this and I will guarantee that you will never go back to regular cheesecake again!
Ingredients
- Cream cheese
- Butter – use a good quality butter for the best results. In the United States, I always buy Challenge butter.
- Milk
- Cake flour – this lower gluten flour is idea for the cotton soft, spongy and airy texture.
- Corn starch
- Eggs
- Sugar
- Cream of Tartar – this is the secret ingredient that stabilizes the tiny bubbles in the egg white meringue. It prevents the egg proteins from sticking together, hence holding the bubbles together for the jiggly and spongy texture of this cheesecake.
- Lemon juice
Please take note that there is no baking soda or baking powder in the ingredients list as the meringue mixture will ensure that the cake rise tall.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
How To Make Japanese Cheesecake
Step 1: Preheat oven to at 325°F (160°C). Prepare and measure all the ingredients and set out on your working area. I used a 9-inch springform pan. Grease the entire pan and line the bottom part with parchment paper. Please refer to notes if you use other pan.
Step 2: On a stove top, melt cream cheese, butter and full milk on low heat. Use a whisk to mix well until the cream cheese melts completely without lumps. Remove from heat.
Step 3: Sift the cake flour and corn starch.
Step 4: Add egg yolks, lemon juice and salt to the cream cheese mixture. Whisk to combine well. Add the cake flour and corn starch, whisk until a smooth batter forms and there is no lump.
Step 5: Make the meringue by whisking egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar until light, foamy and soft peaks form. You can beat with a stand mixer or electronic hand mixer. I used speed 4 and beat for 1-2 minutes or until soft peaks form. DO NOT over beat.
Step 6: Add the cream cheese mixture gently into the meringue, FOLD GENTLY until well incorporated.
Step 7: Pour the mixture into the springform pan. Tap the cake pan gently before baking.
Step 8: Bake the cake using hot water bath. Place the cake pan in a larger pan and add 1 inch (2.5cm) of hot water in the larger pan. Bake at the bottom shelf of the oven for 1 hour 10 minutes.
Step 9: Leave the Japanese cheesecake to cool down in the oven with the oven door open, about 30 minutes. This will prevent sudden change of temperature that may cause the cake to shrink. However, it’s normal that the cake will shrink about 1/2 – 1 inch (1cm-2.5cm) after cooling.
Step 10: Refrigerate the cake (with or without the cake tin) for at least 4 hours or overnight. Top the cake with powdered sugar before serving.
Baking Tips
Even though DIY and homemade Japanese cheesecake is relatively easy, there are potential troubles when the cake turns out less than perfect.
For the best, jiggly and perfect result just like Uncle Tetsu, here are the tips and tricks:
- Make sure you have a smooth cream cheese mixture that is not lumpy.
- Use room temperature eggs to ensure that the meringue has the maximum volume.
- Make sure your egg whites are beaten until soft peaks form. Dot not over beat, we don’t want stiff peaks.
- DO NOT OVER MIX the meringue with the cream cheese batter. Fold very gently, do not stir or blend as the bubbles in the meringue will disappear.
- To avoid the sudden drop in oven temperature and room temperature, leave the cake in the oven with the oven door open. This will make sure that the cake doesn’t lose volume and sink.
- To avoid cracking at the top, please make sure you use a water bath for baking. The steam from the water will circulate in the oven, hence minimizing cracking at the top.
- To avoid over browning, bake the cake at the bottom part of your oven.
- Before you start baking, make sure you have all the ingredients measured up and ready. This is very important because every step has to be very precise.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can keep it in the refrigerator for a couple of days.
You shouldn’t have to worry about the leftover because this is the best cheesecake ever, and I can assure you that you won’t have anything left to keep for more than a day!
Other than springform pan and round cake tin, you can also use a 8×8-inch or 9×9-inch square pan. You can also make them into cupcakes by using cupcake tins.
Yes, you sure can. You may add 1 – 2 tablespoons of matcha powder in the cream cheese mixture if you like.
Japanese cheesecake has the lowest calories of all cheesecake. Each slice is only 214 calories.
What To Serve With This Recipe
Japanese cheesecake is best served on its own, with your favorite cup of tea or coffee. For an afternoon tea, make the following desserts to go with it.
I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for new updates.
Other Recipes You Might Like
Japanese Cheesecake (Fail Proof Recipe)
Ingredients
- 8 oz (230g) Philadelphia cream cheese
- 2 oz (60g) unsalted butter
- 100 ml full milk
- 2 oz (60g) cake flour
- 1 oz (30g) cornstarch
- 6 egg yolks, room temperature
- 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 6 egg whites, room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 5 oz (140g) fine granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to at 325°F (160°C). Prepare and measure all the ingredients and set out on your working area. I used a 9-inch springform pan. Grease the entire pan and line the bottom part with parchment paper. Please refer to notes if you use other pan.
- On a stove top, melt cream cheese, butter and full milk on low heat. Use a whisk to mix well until the cream cheese melts completely without lumps. Remove from heat.
- Sift the cake flour and corn starch.
- Add egg yolks, lemon juice and salt to the cream cheese mixture. Whisk to combine well. Add the cake flour and corn starch, whisk until a smooth batter forms and there is no lump.
- Make the meringue by whisking egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar until light, foamy and soft peaks form. You can beat with a stand mixer or electronic hand mixer. I used speed 4 and beat for 1-2 minutes or until soft peaks form. DO NOT over beat.
- Add the cream cheese mixture gently into the meringue, FOLD GENTLY until well incorporated.
- Pour the mixture into the springform pan. Tap the cake pan gently before baking.
- Bake the cake using hot water bath. Place the cake pan in a larger pan and add 1 inch (2.5cm) of hot water in the larger pan. Bake at the bottom shelf of the oven for 1 hour 10 minutes.
- Leave the Japanese cheesecake to cool down in the oven with the oven door open, about 30 minutes. This will prevent sudden change of temperature that may cause the cake to shrink. However, it's normal that the cake will shrink about 1/2 – 1 inch (1cm-2.5cm) after cooling.
- Refrigerate the cake (with or without the cake tin) for at least 4 hours or overnight. Top the cake with powdered sugar before serving.
Video
Notes
- If you use a springform pan or loose base cake tin, make sure it’s closed tight. It’s best to wrap the base of your pan with 2 layers of aluminum foil (outside of the pan) to prevent the water bath from seeping inside the bottom part of the cake.
- If you use a 8″ round pan, it is very important to line the sides of the 8″ pan with parchment paper, make sure the parchment paper extends higher than the cake tin by about 1.5″.
- If you use a 9″ pan, you can line the bottom part and not the sides. You may line the entire pan with parchment paper, if you like.
- You can also use an 8-inch or 9-inch square pan.
- If the cake shrinks too much, the main reason is over mixing the egg white mixture with the cream cheese mixture.
- Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, FOLD VERY GENTLY using a flipping motion.
- Do not stir or blend vigorously.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi, im one of your ardent fan. I’m a newbie to baking. May i know what is water bath??
Water bath method is to bake the cake submerging into a shallow depth of water (1/2″ or 1cm+)
i made this cake today and I’m in love with it. This is definitely a keeper
Hi Rashidah
Did yours rise stay that way? Did it shrink after it has cooled? Do you mind sharing how long and at what speed did you beat the meringue?
Thks
Wati
I remember eating the Japanese Cheese Cake from Lavender before. The texture is really tender, soft, cottony and light as you mention up there. I’m hungry just by looking at the picture. By the way, thanks for sharing this recipe. Can’t wait to try this. My son will definitely love it.
Very nice cake and thanks for sharing.Would appreciate your advice on what knife or best way to cut the cake to ensure a perfect slice like yours. Any technique to make sure the cake doesn’t stick to the knife. Thank you.
Response from CP Choong, the contributor of this recipe: I use normal knife but I warm it with hot water before cutting. But the cake will definitely stick to knife because the texture is more or less like pudding. The best is wipe the knife clean after each cutting. Also, cut it straight out from the fridge.
Fishing line works great. It must be wiped each time. Cut a long piece big enough to cut cheesecake in half then half again, half again until you have equal desired pieces.
Cotton cheese cake recipe is very good and please send me whipped cream recipe
Interesting that you melt the cream cheese. I put it on my list of “to make” recipes and I hope I can make mine so it looks like the picture!
Lovely, I can wait to try this recipe it looks super yummy. Just wondering in step 3 we should whisk it by hand or using the blender. Ty
Mixing soft peak meringue to cheese mixture :-
Always FOLD IN the beaten egg white by hand gently, do not stir, no blender whatsoever. This is the prevent deflation of air. Unless you want a short and dense cake
Thanks for a deliciously looking recipe. May I ask when you leave the cake to cool in the oven for 1 hour, do you first remove the cake tin from the water bath i.e. just the cake in the tin? Secondly, since the cream cheese usually comes in 8oz bar, is it detrimental just to use 8oz and not 9oz per recipe? Thanks!
Here is the response from CP Choong, the contributor of this recipe: you may leave the cake in tin to cool in water or without water. If you don’t feel too dangerous or too clumsy to remove the hot water pan from oven and quickly pop back the cake (with tin) back to oven. I got burnt once with the hot water splashing when moving out the hot water.
Also depends on how what size of your water bath pan, some people use the shallow pan (black color that comes with the oven) that is too dangerous to remove. BUT I use a 12″ round baking tin as the water bath pan.
Hi Rasa,
I made the cheesecake twice and my daughters loved it! Can’t believe they ate the whole thing. I do have one question. The cake on your picture looks for pretty and high, mine’s after it cools off, it shrinks a bit and the top is a bit wrinkly even though I kept the finished cake inside the oven with doors slightly open. Do you know what could cause this?
Thank you so much for sharing :)
Wrinkly cake means the meringue deflated and couldn’t hold up…probably over-beaten.
Hi Rasa,
For soft peak, how long does it usually take to reach and at what speed?
Thank you
I saw that in one of the responses you said that someone’s cake fell because the meringue wasn’t beaten enough yet here, your response for a shrunken cake is that it was over beaten, so I was ordering what it really is that causes the cake to deflate? Over beatened or underbeatened meringue?
The meringue has to form soft peaks which means that they are ready.
where does the salt in the ingredients list go please?
From the adapted recipes, it wasn’t mention at all too, but I think you can just add into the flour mixture when sieving the flour before hand.
Mine fell when cooling? ?
Your meringue is not beaten enough, that’s why.
Do you know if i can use 8 oz of cream cheese instead because my nearby grocery store only sells 8 oz packages of cream cheese?
i want to post pic for evaluation.. i wonder why there are little holes after i refrigerate it. is there any difference between melt cream cheese etc in double boiler and using mixer to cream the cheese, butter etc
one question dear
where i can buy Japanese cheese cake mix in dubai? I wish to try it at home but i need to buy cheese cake mix.
do you help me to get contact number of any supplier?
Thanks
Sorry but I am not sure.
A nice recipe. Thank you.
What is double boiler ??
It is 2 pans that nest together- the bottom or outside one holds water (boiling) and the smaller (inside) pan, the ingredients, (chips etc. that need melting)
Also known as a ban marine. .
bain-marie from the french bain de marie (marie’s bath)
not ban marine
C’est exactement ca !!
A double boiler is not a bain-marie. In a bain-marie the bowl or pan sits directly in simmering water. A double boiler sits above the water and it is important that the water does not touch the bottom of the pan or bowl. The cushion of air is important in controlling temperature.
Ooh Ms Winnie you must be young
I had no idea that Japanese cheesecake even existed but if this cake tastes half as good as it looks……I’m a happy woman!
The top is just beautiful and maybe I won’t ever go back to regular cheesecake again.
Here is another recipe for this:
3 Ingredients Soufflé Japanese Cheesecake
Ingredients:
125g cream cheese, cut into cubes, soften at room temperature
120g white chocolate, break into pieces (I used Ghirardelli white chocolate chips)
3 extra large eggs, cold, separated (I used 4 eggs with 60g yolks, 140g whites)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Method:
Line the base of a 7″ round cake pan(fixed base) with parchment paper and grease the sides with butter, set aside.
Separate the eggs and leave egg whites to chill in the fridge until ready to use, this helps ensure a more stable meringue.
Fill a saucepan with water to about half full. Bring the water to a full boil. Turn off the heat. Place white chocolate chips in a large mixing bowl and set it over the saucepan (make sure the bowl is bigger than the sauce pan). Stir chocolate till smooth.
Add cream cheese and mix till smooth.
Remove mixing bowl from the saucepan. Add the egg yolks, with a balloon whisk, whisk to combine. Add vanilla extract (if using), whisk to combine, set aside.
In a clean, dry mixing bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer until the egg whites reaches the stiff peak stage. (Take care not to over beat the egg whites. Since there is no sugar added, it takes a very short time to reach the stiff peak stage.)
Add the beaten egg whites into the cream cheese mixture in 3 separate additions, each time fold with a spatula (I used a balloon whisk) until just blended.
Pour batter into the prepared pan. Tap the pan lightly on a table top to get rid of any trapped air bubbles in the batter.
Place cake pan in a baking tray. Fill the baking tray with some hot water.
Place on lower rack of the oven and bake at 170 degC for 15mins. Lower the temperature to 160 degC and bake for another 15 minutes. Turn off the oven temperature and leave the cake inside the oven for another 15 minutes.
Remove cake pan from oven and leave the cake to cool before unmolding. Refrigerate for about 2 to 3 hours. Dust with icing sugar if desired.
Recipe source: from Anncoo Journal and this video by ochikeron.
Get your own blog, leaving whole recipes on someone else’s comment section is obnoxious.
The only obnoxious one is you for bringing them down. It’s just another interpretation of a recipe. Calm down.
I have made this and it is delicious. It’s a really good recipe