Japanese Cheesecake
>> Tuesday, June 1, 2010
There are cakes which look absolutely stunning and gorgeous on the outside, but when it comes to the taste, it disappoints, and you just wished that it tasted as good as it looks. I've had a lot of those experiences, and in fact, I think I've made a few of cakes like that myself!
What I love about a good Japanese cheesecake is that while in appearance it resembles a humble (and perhaps, plain or boring?) sponge cake, but the minute you put it into your mouth, you want to close your eyes and go 'hmmmmmmmmmmmmm'.
We all go through phases, don't we?! Well, about a month ago, I was in a cheesecake phase. And I made cheesecakes almost on a daily basis (I don't know where I got the energy from after work!). Following my previous cheesecake attempt, I have diligently scoured the internet for more versions to try. This version is a even lighter version as it calls for less eggs (good for the cholesterol conscious like myself!) and has a mousse-like texture as it is incredible light and fluffy!
Japanese Cheesecake
Right out of the oven...hmmmmm.
Recipe from The Cookbook Chronicles
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Put the egg whites into the freezer so it just begins to freeze around the edges. Sift the cornstarch.
Wrap the cream cheese in clear wrap and microwave until it becomes soft to the touch. You do not want to heat it up. (I did this in about 15 second intervals.)
In a large bowl, melt the butter over a double boiler. Add the cream cheese and whisk well to combine.
In another bowl, combine the egg yolks and 20g of sugar. Mix in the cornstarch.
- 300g cream cheese
- 45g unsalted butter
- 57g egg yolk (this equals to 3 yolks)
- 20g sugar
- 11g cornstarch
- 150g milk
- 95g egg white (3 egg whites)
- 55g sugar
- Use an 18 cm (7 in) cake pan with a fixed bottom
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Put the egg whites into the freezer so it just begins to freeze around the edges. Sift the cornstarch.
Wrap the cream cheese in clear wrap and microwave until it becomes soft to the touch. You do not want to heat it up. (I did this in about 15 second intervals.)
In a large bowl, melt the butter over a double boiler. Add the cream cheese and whisk well to combine.
In another bowl, combine the egg yolks and 20g of sugar. Mix in the cornstarch.
Mixing and yolks with the cream cheese
Heat the milk so it comes to a boil. Add it to the egg yolks and whisk until it thickens in a double boiler over boiling water. Add this mixture to the cream cheese and combine well.
Add a small amount of the 55g of sugar to the egg whites and mix on medium low speed for about 2 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar to the egg whites and beat on medium until a soft meringue forms.
Add ¼ of the meringue to the cream cheese mixture and combine. Add the remaining meringue to the cream cheese mixture and fold to combine. Fill the cake pan and smooth the top.
Add a small amount of the 55g of sugar to the egg whites and mix on medium low speed for about 2 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar to the egg whites and beat on medium until a soft meringue forms.
Add ¼ of the meringue to the cream cheese mixture and combine. Add the remaining meringue to the cream cheese mixture and fold to combine. Fill the cake pan and smooth the top.
Pouring the mixture into the dish
All ready for the oven!
Put the cake pan in a roasting pan and add boiling water so it comes up 1-1.5 cm up the cake pan. Bake for 15 minutes and then lower the temperature to 160°C and continue to bake for 25 minutes until the top turns slightly golden. Turn off the oven and leave the cake pan for another 40 minutes to an hour.
So beautifully plump!
Note: The cake will continue to bake with the heat off so do not over bake. Depending on the oven, the cake may not turn golden but should avoid cooking much longer than the suggested time.
Take the cake out of the roasting dish and place on a wire rack to cool completely. Refrigerate and chill completely before taking it out of the pan. It is best served the second day
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109 comments:
that cheesecake looks freaking perfect! im drooling just looking at it!
yum, looks really great. sometimes i crave the fluffy japanese style cheesecake over the dense American style
You've inspired me Viv! There will be cheesecake at our place this weekend =)
hui yee.
Wow, i love the second last photo... it looks so so perfect! I'm gonna give this recipe a go :)
@chocolatesuze - Thanks :) I was quite happy with how the cheesecake turned out as well. Still on the look out for a perfect recipe tho - I rem I've tried nicer ones before.
@joanh - Yeah I love the dense version as well. I guess most cheesecakes you can find in TW are the Jap style ones?!
@hui yee - Haha great! Good luck with it - perfect weather for baking as well! If you happen to have a lemon around, add in a tablespoon of lemon juice.
@Jen - great, hope you like it! It's very light and not too sweet - very easy to eat the whole thing too ;)
wow i am so tempted to jump up from my chair and start making this. looks so friggin perfect!
@sugarpuffi: Wow really? I recall someone saying that they don't 'cook'?! ;)
I love Japanese Cheesecake!!!! I have got to make this..Thanks for the recipe!
Looks amazing! I need to give this ago!
Hi, I was wondering if you have any suggestions for the recipe turning from grams to US measurements..I do not have a metric scale o.o any help would be greatly appreciated. I really want to make this ;_;.
Hi Anonymous, does this help? :) Hope u make this soon and let me know how it goes! :)
300g cream cheese (this equals to about 10.5 oz of cream cheese)
45g unsalted butter (this equals to a generous 3 tbsp. of butter)
57g egg yolk (this equals to 3 yolks)
20g sugar (this equals approximately 1 tbsp + 1 tsp sugar)
11g cornstarch (slightly less than 1 tbsp)
150g milk (about 2/3 cup of milk)
95g egg white (3 egg whites)
55g sugar (about a 1/4 cup of sugar + 1 tsp)
hello
i have a question, did you add something like baking powder coz mine was a 1.5 max 2cm thick, i followed exactly what u said, and it didnt raise at all. what should i do ?
btw it tasts yummi ate all the borders while it was still hot couldnt resist:)
Hi Anonymous:
what size baking pan/tin did you use?! i didn't add baking powder. the cheesecake should not rise too much during the bake...the size of the cake batter should be about the same as the final baked product.
I'm not sure why yours is so thin/flat but maybe its likely due to the measurements or the size of the pan?
hello again
yeah i think that was the prob.. just noticed that u said 18cm pan mine was rectangular and 28x21, but it looks so big in the pic never thought that could be the prob
thx for everything :)
xxx
How thick does the milk and egg yolk kixture have to be?
Hi Anonymous: as soon as you see the mixture thickens with the milk, remove from heat. it should be pretty quick since theres cornstarch in it!
Gorgeous, stunning, wow! Thanks for the recipe!
This looks faaantastic. Just mentioned it in my blog, and I plan to try it this weekend. I'll let you know how it turns out. :) love your blog, by the way.
http://www.bohobeat.com/2011/06/friday-link-round-up-fathers-day-blog.html
In the ingredients list, you say 20g sugar, but in the instructions you say "Add a small amount of the 55g of sugar to the egg whites..."
Which is correct - 20g or 55g? Looking forward to giving this a try. Thanks!
Digigirl: There are two lots of sugar in this recipe (as you can see in the ingredients list). The 20g of sugar is used to mix with the yolk and the 55g is used for the egg whites. Hope this helps and happy baking :)
Hi, I have encountered some recipes that require cake flour and some (such as yours) which do not use any flour.. Do you know what is the difference of using and not using the flour? Will they turn out the same?
I can't wait to try this out! Except I need to figure out the flour part :)
Can I substitute cornstarch with potato starch??
I am confused, so this is a flourless cheesecake? you sure?
sorry for the late response...
Nikki: I don't think it makes much of a difference. There is cornstarch in the recipe though! (Cornstarch is an ingredient in cake flour!)
Anon: I think you can, but I haven't tried it myself. Please let me know how it goes if you do try!!
anna: Yes! Although there is cornflour in it.
Hi! This cake looks amaziinnngg! I'm trying out the recipe tomorrow. Can I use a 9in standard cake pan? Or do I have to run out and bye a 7in pan?
Its time like these I wished my school system taught us metric! This looks like it will be worth the effort to convert!! ;)
I thought I should mention in case inquiring minds want to know...
You can install a "google chrome" extension that will convert the measurements for you. Search for measurement converter then install. Once done anytime you move your mouse over the ingredient amount it will pop up with the conversion. So for me it converted the gr. to oz.
thank you SPUDMOMMY!!! that's very nice of you to share the info :) Appreciate it!
I tried it last night, followed the recipe almost to the letter, and I used oven thermometers to make sure my temperatures were mostly right. It turned out rather well, however is denser than I expected, more like a thick mousse than the airy Jap light cheesecakes from bakeries.
I notice that this recipe uses more than double the cream cheese and half the whipped egg whites compared to another recipe http://www.thelittleteochew.com/2011/03/japanese-cheesecake-tips-tricks.html. So maybe this density is normal?
Please read up on eggs and cholesterol. Dietary Cholesterol has next to NO impact on your blood cholesterol. Eat as many eggs as you like.
What recipe can I follow for a 9 inch pan? I want to make this for my boyfriend's grandparents when I come home for Easter break and I only have a 9 inch spring form pan :/ And the cake looks great by the way! I can't wait to try it!
I cooked this today, and it was wonderful, thank you for the super recipe, I LOVE your blog, and will be cooking more of your recipes :)
Jeni
Looks yummy and sweet!
Wow! This post make my tummy squeaky >.<
I tried this yesterday as a Father's Day cake, and it's SOOOO good! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Hi, these cake looks amazing! I was wondering if you have to do a tooth pick test to see if the cake is already done. because that's what I usually do when baking a cake. thx
Anon: I didn't really do a pick test and I don't think it is really necessary for this recipe because we are baking for 40 mins and letting it sit in oven for another 40 mins (with oven turned off). :)
At the suggested temperature, my cake didn't plump or cooked...it was watery. I have to raise the temperature to 320C degree. Going to play with the temperature abit.
Lmoa...sorry about the temperature... I forgot to convert it to Fahrenheit. No wonder it didn't cook....lol
11 grams of cornstarch seems like not enough flour for this recipe? Would this make the cake kind of dense and wet and the same time?
Great Photos!
Anon: Haha great that you managed to find out that the temp conversion was the problem! Hope it turned out well at the end :)
Anon: Yea 11g of cornstarch is not much, but this cake is def on the other end of dense..it's super soft. It can be on the wet side which is why its important to keep the cake in the oven for another 40 mins after you switch off the heat!
So what temperature do you bake this on in F?
Would help a lot if this recipe could be converted to cups, teapspoons, and Fahrenheit etc instead of grams/C....can't wait to try it!
Converting measurements is easy. This website will convert everything from cooking measurements to temperatures. http://www.convert-me.com/en/
I don't believe there is a cheesecake on earth more fluffy than this one! Looks really delicious!!!
I've been searching high and low for a great Japanese cheesecake recipe, and I'm so glad I've found what looks like a winner! I can't wait to make this, especially in individual servings topped with fruit (and maybe some custard!). Thanks so much for sharing--looking forward to more scrumdiddly recipes!
Cheesecake never has flour...
how do you determine if the meringue is perfect? roughly how long did you mix at medium speed?
Made the cake! i turned out fabulous, BUT i almost cooked it at 180F instead of Celsius, I'm Canadian, and we use the METRIC system here but we all bake in Fahrenheit, you need to FIX the temp. I almost ruin a good 2hr and ingredients if i didn't read the comments
Very tasty cake will make again at 350F
Kym:)
Crap. I baked it at 180F. Well, tried to bake it. No wonder it wasn't turning golden
So now I guess I'll just bumble around until it turns the right color. Maybe. And then leave it a while. And then force my family to eat whatever comes out. Sigh.
mmm, mine is unsuccessful and i don't know why. The cake raised 15 minutes then it turn golden brown but as i checked it is raw and dense. I put it back to the oven 40 minutes or so and still dense, plus the cake turn very dark and deflated after.
Tried this last night and it's amaaaazing - my family loved it, especially my cheesecake-lover father. Thanks for the recipe! A question tho, it tasted a tad bit 'eggy' at certain parts of the cake - is it because I didn't mix it well enough/ something to do with the meringue?
Cheers, Elaine
Wow, this recipe is fantastic! The only modification I made was to add a bit more sugar and some lemon zest. This was an absolute hit at my dinner party tonight. Thank you for this recipe.
SO Excited to bake this! Thanks so much for posting the American measurements. ☺
This cheesecake is amazing!!! I have made it twice in the last two weeks. It is so simple to make and it is fantastic. Light and airy, not heavy like regular cheesecake.
Oh my gosh. I have never of this amazingness. can coconut milk be used and a non dairy butter be used in place of the dairy versions?
Can I use Splenda instead of sugar?
Awesome recipe. My whole family loved the cake!
Is there an easier recepie...one that's not in Grams????
I made this and it was a success! Thanks for posting this recipe..
I tried this recipe twice and while it was good, it did not rise or turn golden-brown at all. I see the top of your cake turned quite brown. Any suggestions?
About the meringue....I couldn't get the whites and sugar to form peaks after I put the whites in the freezer.
Can't wait to try this and thank you so much for sharing! I've never had Japanese Cheesecake so this will be a nice treat! On another note, I feel the need to apologize for my fellow Americans that are complaining about the fact that you are using the measurement system you were raised on and live on. I'm even more appalled that so many of us have asked you to convert FOR us ... in this google-crazed age no less! No wonder so many other countries think Americans are arrogant and lazy. Shameful.
Japanese Cheesecake
300g cream cheese (this equals to about 10.5 oz of cream cheese)
45g unsalted butter (this equals to a generous 3 tbsp. of butter)
57g egg yolk (this equals to 3 yolks)
20g sugar (this equals approximately 1 tbsp + 1 tsp sugar)
11g cornstarch (slightly less than 1 tbsp)
150g milk (about 2/3 cup of milk)
95g egg white (3 egg whites)
55g sugar (about a 1/4 cup of sugar + 1 tsp)
Use an 18 cm (7 in) cake pan with a fixed bottom.
Recipes are so annoying that are in grams and not cups or spoonsful. I can't be bothered weighing out 11 grams of cornflour - not everyone has digital scales!!!
THIS is going on the Holiday Menu!!
Love all the comments and and follow up tips, especially the google conversion chart info!
I can only imagine all the toppings that would go so well on top of this beautiful cake that would satisfy EVERY appetite!
Sharing!!
That's funny....I know something that's actually WAY more annoying....someone whining about a free recipe. Go buy a box cake at walmart if you "can't be bothered" to weigh out ingredients.
Agreed and totally agreed.. Thank you so much for an awesome recipe.
I did all the conversions for the recipe but like some above I baked at 180 F. I just restarted the oven and will try cooking it at the proper temp for 1/2 the time and see what happens.
Thanks for the recipe though, I had fun licking the whisks!
Go to Google n convert the measuments LOL don't be lazy ohh n its called imperial system not US measurements LOL
On behalf of every spoiled, lazy American, I apologize for some of these comments. And I commend you on a lovely recipe that I'm anxious to try. :)
No need to be rude. It seems a few people weren't sure how to convert it.
I know this post is a few years old. The author has been so patient in answering questions, I thought that I would ask if anyone has tried this recipe in mini bundt pans? I know the recipe calls for a certain size pan, and it seems if you alter this, the recipe is altered too. However, I'd like to make mini cakes for Christmas and would love to use this recipe. Help?
Can this be made in muffin tins? I wanted to make individual servings for a cookie exchange, would I have to change the amount of time for this to work?
It's taught "Metric" and "US" in math classes in the United States. I've never heard "imperial system" before in my life.
Anything is possible and any recipe can be altered. The amount of time should be reduced. You will have to test it out yourself though to see how long it takes to bake.. :)
Anything is possible and any recipe can be altered. The amount of time should be reduced. You will have to test it out yourself though to see how long it takes to bake.. :)
Sorry, I don't know why my reply ended up here instead of at the end of the page haha! Thanks for this great recipe though!
By the way, does it matter what kind of milk is used? Thanks!
After melting the butter, do I have to remove it from the fire before adding the cream cheese?
I don't know how to convert the measurements. Is there somewhere I can get the ingredients in ounces and cups?
i would to like to know ounces and cups,please,judyspeck@att.net thanks so much....
Love cheesecakes but have never tried Japanese cheesecakes. I cannot wait to make this. I am making it this week. Thank you
Everyone that's asking for conversions...if you take a few minutes to read through some of the earlier posts, there were a few people that posted the conversions. I found this out after spending an hour on Google to convert everything myself hahaha very helpful! And for the temps, the 180 deg. C is 350 deg F and the 160 C is 320 F from what I found.
Weighing ingredients is much more accurate than cups and tsps... I found this out when doing other gluten-free recipes. A scale really isn't that expensive or difficult to use. Worth it to get a recipe that is reliable across the board, especially since not everyone measures say, flour, in a cup the same way. (Yes, I know there is no flour in the recipe. Hopefully you get my point.)
Happy Baking!
Pinning this and putting the converted measurements in a comment to maybe help out some who just can't be bothered to read through the comments (usually my favorite part of posts lol). This looks marvelous and I WILL be making it, thank you!
I totally agree! I don't know how to manually convert grams to ounces, but google sure is a wonderful thing.
Or better yet, go buy a cake already made so you wont have to be bothered measuring that half cup of water.......
Google!!
I was just about too ask for the conversion as well... And in the US they teach it that way... Metric and US... It is just a difference in culture. I don't understand why people have to be so rude about this. This is a baking site not a controversial issue. Thank you to the person below who was kind enough to provide it and be kind to her fellow man despite their culture or nationality. Sheesh!
Thank you for posting the conversion. This really helps a mom like me who has the very small hyperactive kids who don't allow me a few minutes to try and look up conversions and such. Not to mention I'm horribly math handicap. :) i really appreciate giving us this conversion. Thanks again.
Thank you very much. !
If you go up in the comments some people have been very kind and provided conversions. Also on her original post about this where she linked the recipe, in three comments, someone converted it very well. Hope that helps!
If you click on the link by the title of the cookbook she got it from, then it will take you to a page with the original recipe and the lady has it in parenthesis of what it is in tbsp, cups and tsp. much easier!!!!!
hey hey! my cake is in the oven right now, but i got to say, its taking a LOT longer to cook than i thought. i even bumped the oven up significantly but its been over an hour and the top still isnt browning. besides that, it looks like it is gonna come out GREAT (if it will ever start to brown!)
Hello, I saw this recipie on Pinterest and am so excited to try it out! I have two questions for you (which I hope you can answer as soon as possible) so I can get on to baking this!
Firstly, I dont have any cornstarch at home. Can I use flour as a replacement? If I can, then can I put in the same amount of cornstarch or would I have to double it?
Also, can I add raspberry or mango pulp to give a fruity flavour?
Mine is cooking now! Yum! It had not browned at all though, is this common and is there a way to brown it after (maybe putting it under the griller for a bit or will that hurt it?)
Hi Anon: Cornstarch would thicken the milk/yolk mixture. You could try with flour as well but I have not tried myself!
Adding the fruit pulp: depends on how much you put in. Addign too much would result in a runny batter which might affect how the cake sets. Alternatively, you could add the fruits on the side or on top of the cake?
This cheese cake was disgusting and I'm very sad to say so. I don't think there was enough sugar. ):
Do not put egg whites in the freezer, I think that's why my cheesecake was 1 inch high...
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I'm going to make it for my husband's birthday.
I've always wanted to try a Japanese Cheesecake. Thanks for putting up the recipe.
Hi Viv!
Your pictures look amazing, you have really great photography skills! Not only that but this cheesecake was delicious! It was so light and airy, completelly not what I expected, it blew me away! I actually featured your recipe on my blog as well, of course I linked the recipe back to your site :) If you want to see how mine turned out here is the link:
http://www.loveforflavor.com/#!japanese-cheesecake/c1lk2
Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Angelika
Do you use the parchment paper for the ease of removing the cheesecake from the pan? I have a springform pan for cheesecake. Would that work ok?
I,found this recipe on Pinterest and made the cheesecake as a practice ahead of Japanese visitors visiting in July... Delicious! Thank you so much.
That looks good. I'm gg to make it. Also, what kind of camera do you use? Your pictures look great.
Has anyone tried to decorate on top with fresh berries? are fruits heavy for the texture of this cheesecake? Can it be decorated with it? any suggestion?
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