Soufflé Cheesecake - A Japanese Cheesecake

This Soufflé Cheesecake is not the typical dense cheesecake that makes me stop at just a few bites. Its light & airy texture made it quite easy for me to finish the whole slice in the picture. It's also easy for my family to finish the whole cake in just 2 days!

Some points to take note if you wish to try this recipe.

1) For the sponge base, I used an 8-inch pan as recommended by Chef Yamashita. The cake came out quite high, as you can see here. I sliced horizontally about 1cm high for the cheesecake base. I'm going to use the rest of the sponge to assemble another cake. I also used an 8-inch pan for the cheesecake, instead of a smaller pan as specified in the recipe... I think the height of my cheesecake is just nice.

2) The sponge recipe uses glucose. It's a thick sugar invert syrup. According to Chef Yamashita, it adds body to the end product & helps cakes remain soft & moist. Unlike honey, glucose does not impart any flavour of its own.

3) When preparing the meringue for this sponge, just beat the egg white until it turns white but still runny, not soft peak like is normally required.

4) This cake is best eaten the next day when the flavour has fully developed. I tasted a slice yesterday & today. The cake tasted better today.... so it's worth to be patient. 

Soufflé Cheesecake
Recipe by Yamashita Masataka from Tanoshii, Joy of Making Japanese-style Cakes and Desserts.

1 round sponge, 18cm x 0.5 cm (recipe below)
300g cream cheese, at room temperature
3 eggs, yolks & whites separated
24g pastry flour (top flour), sifted
75g milk
75 g heavy cream
1/2 lemon, grated for zest & squeezed for 30g juice
60g sugar
icing sugar for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 200 deg C. Line an 18-cm round baking tin  with parchment paper, leaving a 2-cm overhang. (I used an 8-inch round pan.) Place sponge into base of baking tin. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl & using a hand whisk, whisk cream cheese until smooth. Add 2 egg yolks & whisk until incorporated, then whisk in remaining egg yolk.
3. Whisk in flour. Set aside. Bring milk & heavy cream to a simmer over low heat. Add to batter & whisk until fully incorporated. Mix in lemon zest & juice. Set aside.
4. Prepare meringue. In a large bowl & using a handheld mixer, whisk egg white & sugar at high speed until white & still runny.
5. Fold meringue into batter, half portion at a time. Pour into prepared tin & place in a deep baking tray. Fill tray with water to come 1 cm up the side of tin. (Note by chef: When incorporating the meringue into the batter, folk briskly & be careful not t deflate the meringue or the cake will lose its light & airy texture.)
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the top cake is light brown. Lower oven temperature to 160 deg C & continue baking for another 40-48 minutes.
7. Test if cake is done by pressing the center of cake lightly. It should spring back. Remove baking tin from water bath & leave to cool for 5 minutes.
8. Turn cake onto a plate & peel off parchment paper. Leave to cool, then cover with a plastic container & refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.
9. Dust cake with icing sugar & decorate if desired just before serving. This souffle can be kept refrigerated for up to 2 days.

 

Sponge Cake
25g unsalted butter
40g milk
300g eggs (about 6 eggs), at room temperature
170g sugar
16g honey
16g glucose
170g pastry flour (top flour), sifted

1. Preheat oven to 180 deg C. Line a 21-cm (8 inch) round baking tin with parchment paper, leaving a 2-cm overhang. Simmer butter & milk until butter is melted. Remove from heat.
2. Fill a pot with water up to 4 cm high & simmer over medium heat. In a heatproof bowl, lightly whisk eggs, sugar, honey & glucose.
3. Place bowl over pot of simmering water & whisk constantly in large strokes until mixture is warm, about 40 deg C. Transfer to the mixing bowl of a stand mixer.
4.  Using a stand mixer, whisk mixture at high speed until tripled in volume & very pale. Use the whisk to draw a ribbon in the batter. The shape should not dissolve  immediately.
5. Using a spatula, fold in flour, a third at a time, ensuring full incorporation after each addition. Turn the bowl as you fold the flour in & scrape base & sides of bowl well.
6. Using a rubber spatula & mixing in a circular motion, mix in warm milk & butter mixtrue. Mix thoroughly, scraping base & sides of bowl. Stop as soon as mixture is even.
7. Pour the batter into prepared baking tin & bake fro 35-40 minute, until top of cake is golden brown & skewer inserted into the centre of cake comes out clean.
8. Unmould sponge & place on a wire rack to cool for about 30 minutes before peeling off parchment paper. Sponge is now ready for use.