Where Can I Get it? | How Can I Make It?
What is Japanese cheesecake?
Japanese cheesecake (a.k.a. “Japanese cotton cheesecake,” “bouncy cheesecake,” or “souffle cheesecake”) is a cheesecake that originated in Japan in the 1980s. Its texture is soft & fluffy, much more like a spongecake than a rich & creamy American cheesecake. What really sets it apart is its mesmerizing ability to jiggle and jiggle and jiggle…
Where can I get it?
If you can’t get to Japan to try an authentic Japanese cheesecake from one of the longest-standing Japanese cheesecake makers (Uncle Tetsu and Uncle Rikuro) you can find them at certain specialty Japanese bakeries in “Japantowns” across the US. Here are a few places in the US that will serve this bouncy dessert hot and fresh to you…
Honolulu, HI: Uncle Tetsu
Los Angeles, CA (Arcadia): Uncle Tetsu
New York, NY: Keki
How can I make it?
The one guaranteed way to get some of this jiggly goodness (if you don’t live near any places that sell them fresh) is to make it yourself. Here’s a relatively simple recipe you can follow, or save on Glutto for later…
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Ingredients
- 1 1/8 cups cream cheese
- 2/3 cups fine granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup cake flour (super fine)
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1/4 cup butter
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 egg whites
- 6 egg yolks
Directions
- First, turn stove to medium-high heat. Put the cream cheese, butter and milk in a small pot and place over the heat until ingredients are melted. Mix the ingredients and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Add flour, cornstarch, egg yolks, lemon juice and salt. Mix ingredients.
- Whisk egg whites and cream of tartar for 5+ mins to create a foamy meringue. Add sugar. Whisk to create firm peaks similar to this –>
- Very gently mix the meringue into the cream cheese mix, one third at a time. This will give the cheesecake its fluffiness.
note: over-mixing will cause the cheesecake to shrink drastically after baking - Carefully transfer the mixture into an 8 inch round baking pan lined with parchment paper.
- Bake at 325°F in a water bath (i.e. put the 8 inch pan in a larger pan with hot water halfway up the 8 inch pan⸺the water should not touch the cheesecake ingredients) for 65-70 mins or until golden brown.
note: the water bath is required keep the cheesecake moist - Turn off the oven and open the oven door. Let sit for 30 mins to 1 hour to cool slowly. Enjoy!
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Kristina Reynolds is the Founder & CEO of Glutto and an alumna of the University of California, San Diego. She writes the articles for Glutto Digest with insights from fellow industry experts. Furthermore, she is the author of The Fittest Food Lovers: How EVERY BODY Can be Incredibly Fit and Still Enjoy Food, a collaborative philanthropic book with proceeds going to feed the hungry.
