Japanese Cotton Cheesecake

I first discovered these wobbly wonders on Instagram, watching endless videos of Japanese bakeries packaging them. Determined to make one myself, I tried recipes by Diana’s Desserts and Jennie Tay. While not as difficult as they seem, these cheesecakes can be temperamental. Treating them more like soufflés than baked cheesecakes, I’ve developed a reliable recipe for making them.

Japanese Cotton Cheesecake
Japanese Cotton Cheesecake

Serves 8

Hands-on Time 40 minutes

Baking Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Print friendly version

Ingredients

  • 50g unsalted butter (plus extra for greasing)

  • 250g cream cheese

  • 120g caster sugar (divided into two 60g portions)

  • 150ml full-fat milk

  • 6 medium eggs (separated)

  • 60g plain flour

  • 30g cornflour

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

  • Juice of ½ lemon

  • ¼ tsp cream of tartar

  • Water (1 kettle’s worth)

Equipment

  • Scissors

  • Baking parchment

  • 20cm fixed-bottom cake tin (at least 5cm deep) or springform tin*

    *Extra-wide, thick foil (if using a springform tin)

  • Kitchen paper

  • Roasting tray (at least 5cm deep)

  • Saucepan

  • Heatproof bowl

  • Whisk

  • Tea towel

  • 2 large mixing bowls

  • Small sieve

  • Spatula

  • Flat board (e.g., thin chopping board)

  • Wire rack

Method

1. Prepare the tin

  • Cut a parchment circle for the base of the tin and two strips for the sides (trim if taller than 4–5cm above the rim).

  • Lightly grease the tin with butter and line with the parchment.

  • If using a springform tin, wrap the outside tightly with 3 layers of foil to make it watertight.

  • Place the tin on a double layer of kitchen paper in a roasting tray.

2. Make the batter

  • Preheat the oven to 160°C/140°C (fan)/325°F/Gas Mark 3.

  • Simmer water in a saucepan. Place a heatproof bowl over it (ensure the water doesn’t touch the bowl).

  • Add the cream cheese, butter, and 60g sugar to the bowl. Whisk until smooth and thick. Remove from heat and dry the bowl.

  • Whisk in the milk, then let cool.

  • In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks until pale and thick. Add the cooled cream cheese mixture and whisk to combine.

  • Sieve in half the flours, whisk gently, then repeat with the remaining flours. Stir in the vanilla and lemon juice.

3. Whip the egg whites

  • In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. Gradually add the remaining 60g sugar and whisk to stiff peaks.

  • Fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter to loosen it, then gently fold in the rest until fully incorporated.

4. Bake the cake

  • Boil the kettle. Pour the batter into the prepared tin from a height of 30cm to reduce air bubbles. Tap the tin gently to release trapped air.

  • Place the tin in the roasting tray and pour boiling water into the tray (a few cm deep).

  • Bake on a low shelf for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 140°C/120°C (fan)/275°F/Gas Mark 1 and bake for 70 minutes.

5. Cool and serve

  • Remove the cake from the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes. It will shrink slightly and pull away from the sides.

  • Tear the side parchment and fold it down over the tin’s edges.

  • Place a parchment-lined board over the tin, flip it, and remove the tin and parchment.

  • Place a parchment-lined wire rack over the cake, flip again, and remove the board.

  • Cool completely, then refrigerate overnight for best flavour.

Tips

  • For a smooth top, avoid over-mixing the batter.

  • If the cake browns too quickly, cover loosely with foil during baking.

Enjoy!

Japanese Cotton Cheesecake
Japanese Cotton Cheesecake