Description
This Japanese cheesecake is light, fluffy, and creamy-dreamy good. It’s like sponge cake meets cheesecake in one incredible dessert!
Ingredients
Egg yolk batter
- 8 oz (227g) cream cheese, cubed
- 1/4 cup (57g) salted or unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (125ml) milk (dairy or plant-based)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 5 large egg yolks
- 1/4 cup (32g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp (15g) cornstarch
Meringue
- 5 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar or white vinegar
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
Optional toppings
- powdered sugar for dusting
- apricot jam glaze (1 tbsp jam mixed with 2 tsp hot water)
- honey glaze (1 tbsp honey mixed with 1 tsp hot water)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F and place a rack in the lowest position. Butter an 8″ springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Wrap two sheets of aluminum foil around it to prevent any water from seeping in and place it in a 9×13″ pan or any larger roasting pan. Set aside and boil a kettle of water.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, warm the cream cheese and butter for 1-2 minutes at 50% power (check every 30 seconds) until melted. Whisk in the sugar until smooth.
- Whisk in the milk, lemon juice, and vanilla. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, mixing in between.
- Sift in the flour and cornstarch. Whisk again until smooth. Set aside.
- Beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar or vinegar and beat again. Slowly add in the sugar and continue beating until soft peaks form.
- Gently fold 1/3 of the beaten egg whites into the egg yolk mixture at a time until blended.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Fill the larger pan halfway with the boiled water. Be careful not to splash any water on the batter.
- Bake at 400F on the lowest rack for 15 mins. Reduce the temp to 300F and bake for another 15 min. Turn off the oven and open the door slightly to let the cheesecake slowly cool down in the oven for 30 minutes before removing it. Use a wooden spoon to keep the oven door open just a crack if needed.
- Let cool to room temperature before serving or cover and store in the fridge until ready to serve.
- When ready to serve, dust with powdered sugar or brush with apricot or honey glaze if desired.
Notes
Be sure to read the blog post for all the tips and tricks to help with this recipe.
Leftover cheesecake can be tightly wrapped in plastic wrap or placed in an airtight container and stored in the fridge for 3-4 days.