Name: How to Make Soufflé Cheesecake (Japanese Fluffy Cheesecake) At Home
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 75 min
Total time: 85 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 150g Cream Cheese; 60g Whole Milk; 20g Butter (melted); 3 Eggs; 70g Cane Sugar; 30g All-Purpose Flour; Vanilla Essence

How to Make Soufflé Cheesecake (Japanese Fluffy Cheesecake) At Home-Japanese Taste

Dessert Cake Dairy Egg Party Food

When you hear the word Soufflé Cheesecake, it may remind you of France. However, it actually originates in Japan. It is also called cotton cheesecake in Japan and is well known for having a nice golden-brown top and jiggly texture.

Souffle cheesecake is much lighter compared to other cheesecakes such as New York cheesecake. It has a fluffy and airy texture, making it more like a sponge cake. However, it still has a rich and creamy taste.

Japanese cake shops started selling fluffy cheesecakes in the late 1960s. Souffle Cheesecake was created by Juichi Yasui, a pastry chef at what was known as the Plaza Hotel in Osaka. It was said that he wanted to create an original cake, or a cake that had “never been seen before”.

The ingredients for souffle are quite simple and easy to find. One of the biggest differences that sets this Japanese cheesecake apart from other cheesecakes is that it is made with whipped egg whites. This is the reason why souffle cheesecake is so fluffy. This cheesecake is also baked using the bain-marie, or water bath method. By using this method, you end up with a cheesecake that is moist and fluffy on the inside.

The top of the cheesecake cracking is a common occurrence that happens when baking cheesecake, and the same applies to souffle cheesecake as well. In order to avoid the top cracking, there are three points to be careful about:

Don’t overbeat the egg whites.
Coat the springform pan with a layer of butter and powdered sugar before adding in the cheesecake batter.
Add enough water into the water bath, so that it does not all evaporate during the baking time.

If you follow these three steps, you should be able to create a crack-free and delicious souffle cheesecake!

This Japanese souffle cheesecake is will make the perfect dessert or afternoon snack. We hope that you’ll enjoy making this yummy and fluffy Japanese cheesecake at home!

Overview

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 1hr 15mins

Total time: 1hr 25mins

Total servings: 6

Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients

150g Cream Cheese
60g Whole Milk
20g Butter (melted)
3 Eggs
70g Cane Sugar
30g All-Purpose Flour
Vanilla Essence

Expert's Tip

How to Make Soufflé Cheesecake (Japanese Fluffy Cheesecake) At Home

In this recipe, it is important to blend the cream cheese very smoothly in order to achieve a souffle cheesecake with the perfect texture. You can whisk the thick cream cheese so easily with this stainless steel whisk. It is easy to grip and comfortable to use, so you won’t get tired when whisking something.

Instructions

1) Gathering the Ingredients

Gather the ingredients together.

1 / 3

2) Preparing the Ingredients & Cake Mold

Cake pan: Place a rounded piece of parchment paper onto the bottom of the cake pan. Grease the sides of the pan with butter and then sprinkle a layer of powdered sugar over it. (Note: these ingredients are not included in the recipe.)

Cream Cheese: Soften the cream cheese by microwaving it at 200W for 3-4 minutes.

Eggs: Bring the eggs up to room temperature and then separate the yolks from the whites.

Note: It is recommended to use a springform pan or a pan with a removable bottom for making this cheesecake. If you are using a cake pan with a removable bottom, wwrap it with a double layer of aluminum foil to prevent water from seeping into the cake.

3) Making the Cheesecake Batter

In a large bowl, gently whisk the cream cheese until it becomes smooth and there are no lumps. Then, add the egg yolks, whole milk, butter, and vanilla essence into the bowl. Mix these ingredients until they are well incorporated. Next, sift the all-purpose flour into the batter and blend it gently using a balloon whisk. The batter should be smooth.

1 / 2

4) Beating the Egg Whites

In a different large bowl, add sugar and egg whites. Beat them using an electric mixer until they reach soft peaks. This will take 6 to 7 minutes if using an electric beater and up to 15 minutes if manually whisking with a whisk.

1 / 3

5) Combining the Batter and Meringue

Add 1/3 of the beaten egg white into the batter and mix well. Repeat this process two more times until all the egg whites are fully incorporated into the batter. Then, using a rubber spatula, gently fold the batter to ensure that the ingredients are evenly distributed. It's crucial to use a rubber spatula to prevent the egg whites from deflating.

6) Preparing the Water Bath

Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake mold, and then place it inside another heat-safe baking dish. Then, add plenty of hot water to the baking dish.

1 / 2

7) Baking the Cheesecake

Bake the cheesecake at 200°C (400°F) for 15 minutes. Then, open the oven door for 10 seconds to decrease the temperature. Bake again at 120°C (250°F) for 45-50 minutes. When it is done, open the oven door and allow the cheesecake to rest inside for 10 minutes before removing it.

8) Enjoying the Cheesecake

You can either enjoy this cheesecake while it’s still warm or allow it to cool; it is delicious either way!

It is recommended to enjoy it within 3 days (including the day that you make it). To keep it fresh, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator.

You can also freeze it for up to a week after wrapping it tightly with plastic wrap.

About the author

Ayako Kidokoro

Ayako is a recipe writer based in Frankfurt, Germany. Though she is originally from Japan, she has lived across five countries both in America and Europe. She loves writing dessert-related recipes and sharing them with Japanese Taste readers, but she also loves educating people about Japanese tradition, culture, and language. She loves exploring and making new recipes from scratch, but other than food, she also loves doing yoga to help her stay in shape and relax.

View articles by Ayako Kidokoro