This is Jiggly…alas, this Japanese cotton cheesecake almost sounds “airy” Japanese cheesecake recipe-the supreme fluff light souffle cheesecake that actually we call in Japan will melt quickly once you put it in your mouth.
Literally, unstoppable sweets.
Super simple ingredients are made in this cheesecake, which seems like not enough (sweet) to my American hubby, yet, you can enjoy this super-light cake if you are not a big fan of sweets or you’re a whiskey or champagne lover. (like me!)
You don’t need any cooking techniques to make this jiggly fluffy cotton cheesecake, however, proper steps and patients.
I am always honest to my readers, and this sweetness level is the typical Japanese standard, which means likely not enough to you, and also, it’s super light and fluffy.
I know some (and more) American visitors often are not satisfied with “uncle Rikuro’s cheesecake”.
Prepare whipped cream, chocolate sauce, raspberry sauce, or your favorite fruit jerry, if you like sweets.
Please make sure you follow baking tips if you are struggling with typical mistakes such as cracked top in this post.
Crack the jiggly cheesecake?
So what!
It’s still super yummy and my absolute favorite cake all my life.
- Reasons Why This Recipe For You?
- The Important Baking Tips
- Line a round cake pan with parchment paper
- Set cream cheese, egg yolks, milk, and butter at the room temperature
- Refrigerate the batter for 30 minutes before folding the meringue
- Aim for “soft-medium peaks”-avoid over-beating
- Bake the cheesecake in a water bath with a kitchen towel underneath
- Cool the cheesecake in the oven
- Japanese Jiggly Cheesecake Recipe For The American Standard Cake pan Without Conversion
Reasons Why This Recipe For You?
Especially when you researching Japanese cotton cheesecake, you see many YOUTUBE videos updated by Japanese cooking enthusiasts.
HOWEVER, is it bother you since most Japanese recipes are complicated such as you need to convert the recipe?
Besides, the Japanese recipe can’t be enough volume when using an American standard cake pan (9-inch) since a Japanese standard cake pan is as small (between 5.9″ – 7″) and so does a cream cheese package (200g).
So, I use the American standard cake pan which is the 9″ round cake pan and you can use up the whole cream cheese package and use US measuring cups to make AUTHENTIC Japanese cheesecake.
You can use a half recipe also. (I’ve never tried the triple…lol.)
But, I am sorry because I am not a sweet fan, can’t add sugar…
You can add extra sugar and vanilla extract if desired.
Yet, I want you to try to follow this recipe first to taste the delicate cotton cheesecake.
This fluffy cheesecake is super-light, airy, and fluffy thanks to loads of whipped egg whites.
Little (a lot?) less sweet, and have a lemon citrus hint.
You can probably eat a whole cheesecake especially after tasting the fresh-baked cake.
It’s like soufflé but is also like chiffon cake.
This recipe is contributed it bakes up beautifully without cracks, however, you’ll never know.
Once in a while, I still have cracks.
But, again, cracks? So what?
There is no flavor change even if the top is cracked, and I definitely want you to try this super yummy cheesecake.
The Important Baking Tips
- Line a round cake pan with parchment paper
- Set cream cheese, egg yolks, milk, and butter at the room temperature
- Refrigerate the batter for 30 minutes before folding the meringue
- Aim for “soft-medium peaks”-avoid over-beating
- Bake it in a water bath with a kitchen towel underneath
- Cool the cheesecake in the oven
Line a round cake pan with parchment paper
There are two theories that you should line a cake pan with parchment paper or not-since the batter sticks to the paper and it causes cracks.
Personally, I would recommend lining with parchment because this cheesecake will really fluff, and easy to remove the super delicate cheesecake.
Set cream cheese, egg yolks, milk, and butter at the room temperature
The different temperatures between ingredients create the air which causes cracks while baking.
Cold cream cheese is hard to make smooth and takes time, which means it causes lumpy and also leads to over-mixing. (also creates air in the batter.)
Cold egg yolks are hard to combine with cream cheese so make sure to use room temperature eggs.
*However, cold egg whites are better to make fine-shiny meringue.
I don’t recommend putting the cold ingredients in the microwave even if you forget to take out them from a fridge since they will be too warm.
The ideal temperature of the batter is about 120 F.
Adjust the temperature while using a large bowl filled with *warm water during the folding process.
*Make sure the batter temperature does not exceed 122F since the yolk will curdle.
Refrigerate the batter for 30 minutes before folding the meringue
When folding the batter, it becomes watery since we add milk and melted butter, and it often makes the batter and the meringue hard to combine.
Refrigerating the batter before folding with the meringue helps to well-combine together without creating air and make the batter smooth.
Keep the batter in a fridge for 30 minutes while beating egg whites.
Aim for “soft-medium peaks”-avoid over-beating
Stiff/ over-beaten peaks cause not only cracks but also make the batter and the meringue combine hard.
To make the cheesecake light and fluffy, aim for a between soft and a medium peak-when you lift your hand mixer up, the whites will gently fold over the tip of the peak and curl over on themselves instead of standing straight up.
Personally, this process is the hardest part to make fluffy cheesecake without cracks because it is hard to tell between soft, medium, and stiff peaks due to individual differences.
Bake the cheesecake in a water bath with a kitchen towel underneath
A water bath is essential to baking light fluffy Japanese “shuffle” cheesecake which technically steams the batter and makes the cheesecake bake gently and evenly.
Contrary, baked cheesecake, is often baked without a water bath to enhance the rich cheesecake flavor.
You can use a baking sheet if it’s deep enough, yet, use a baking pan/cast iron pan that is bigger than your round cake pan and can hold 1.5-inch-deep warm water for your cheesecake.
Ideally, use a round cake pan that has NOT removable bottom.
Wrap the bottom thoughtfully with aluminum foil if the round cake pan is not available.
Put a kitchen towel underneath to avoid the cake pan contacting direct heat and also keep it steady.
Cool the cheesecake in the oven
After the baking, let the cheesecake cool in the oven to keep it away from wrinkly and cracks.
Leave the open door and slowly cool the cheesecake down for ideally 1-2 hours.
However, wait for at least 10 minutes if you can’t stop your curiosity about jiggling the cake while it’s still hot.
Actually, fresh-baked cheesecake is super-airy, fluffy, and yummy.
Japanese Jiggly Cheesecake Recipe For The American Standard Cake pan Without Conversion
Equipment
- 1 9" round cake pan
- 2 mixing bowl
- hand mixer
- spatula
- whisk
- shifter
- 1 large deep baking pan
- 1 dish towel
Ingredients
- 2 packages Cream cheese (☆)
- 6 egg yolks (☆)
- ⅔ cup milk (☆)
- 4 tbsp butter (☆)
- 2 tbsp cake flour/ rice flour
- 2 tbsp corn / potato starch
- 6 egg white
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 TSP lemon juice
- boiled water for baking
Instructions
Preparation
- Set all ingredients (☆) at room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F
- Line the cake pan with parchment paper. 1. Tear off the paper a little bigger than the cake pan. 2. Line the circle along with the cake pan with a sharpie permanent marker. 3. Cut out the circle just inside the line. 4. Cut out 18" long papers. Make two pieces. 5. Spray oil or butter the cake pan. Line the bottom and side of the cake pan with pieces.
- Boil water and set aside.
- Melt the butter in a microwave, for about 10 seconds.
Make The Batter
- In the large mixing bowl, let the cream cheese soften with a spatula until it becomes smooth and creamy. Add egg yolks, then, mix together. Switch the spatula to the whisk and continue folding until smooth and incorporated.
- Add the melted butter (not hot) and fold the batter well, then add milk, and repeat until smooth and incorporated.
- Sift the flour and the starch into the batter (or shift them in advance.) Then, mix well.Make sure there is no lump in the batter.
- Store the batter in a fridge.
Make Meringue
- Make sure the mixing bowl is dry and clean.
- Add egg white, sugar, and lemon juice.
- Start whipping egg whites on low speed with a hand mixer, for a minute.
- Increase the speed to high. Continue whipping the whites for 2 minutes.Check the peak continuously to avoid over-beating while aiming for the medium peak. *Medium peak… when you lift up your whisk, the tip of the peak curls over on itself.
- Reduce the speed to low. Whip the whites for 1 minute to make Meringue shiny and fine.
Fold The Batter & Meringue
- Add the meringue in 3 batches. Start with a spatula. Take the ⅓ meringue into the batter, and combine well with the spatula until completely incorporated. You don't need to worry about breaking the fluffy meringue at this time.
- The second batch. Switch the spatula to the whisk. Add another ⅓ meringue and gently fold the batter while lifting the whisk from the bottom. Repeat the last batch until the batter becomes well-combined. The batter should be still fluffy but you don't see any meringue marks.
Fill The Batter To The Cake Pan
- Gently, pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.
- With a spatula or a bamboo stick, draw a circle on the surface to make it beautiful flat.
- Tap the pan against the counter to release any air bubbles, 1-3 times.
- Place a small towel in the center of the baking pan, and set the cake pan on the towel.
- Fill the baking pan with boiled water until it covers at least ⅓ of the round cake pan.
Bake The Batter
- Bake the batter in the water bath at 350 °F for 20 min, then reduce the temperature 230 °F. Avoid opening the oven for the initial 20 minutes even if you are curious.
- Continue baking the cheesecake for another 60 minutes while cracking the oven door every 5-10 minutes.
- Once the cheesecake is baked, let it cool down in the oven while leaving the door open, for at least 10 minutes, ideally, for 1-2 hours.