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Japanese Cheesecake
This hybrid of sponge cake and classic cheesecake goes by multiple names, including Japanese cheesecake, cotton cheesecake and soufflé cheesecake. The understated, light yet rich confection is defined by a fluffy, airy texture—known as fuwa fuwa in Japanese—that puts it on the opposite end of the spectrum from New York cheesecake. The sweetness is subtle and the flavors in our iteration are simple: lemon for brightness and vanilla to balance richness. Be sure to use a 2-inch-deep, straight-sided 9-inch cake pan, not one with sloped sides. Serve at room temperature or lightly chilled. If it’s been refrigerated for several hours, let it stand on the counter for 30 minutes or so before serving. An easy way to cover leftover cake for storage is to invert a springform pan over it; it will keep in the refrigerator for a few days.
10-12
Servings
Tip
Don’t forget to reduce the oven temperature to 300°F immediately after placing the cake in the oven. After baking, when inverting and re-inverting the cake, try not to compress it. That said, don’t be fearful, as the cake is sturdier than it looks. Make sure to lay a dry kitchen towel over the cake before inverting; the towel will ensure the “skin” of the cake will not stick to the surface onto which is is inverted.
1¾ hours
40 minutes active, plus cooling
Ingredients
-
71
grams (5 tablespoons) salted butter, cut into chunks, plus melted butter for greasing the cake pan
-
8
ounces cream cheese, cut into chunks
Directions
-
01Heat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the middle position. Lightly brush the bottom and sides of a straight-sided, 2-inch-deep, 9-inch round cake pan with melted butter, then line the bottom with a round of kitchen parchment. Cut two 15-by-3-inch strips of parchment, then use them to line the sides of the pan, forming a “collar.” The parchment will stand taller than the pan sides and the ends of the strips will overlap. Have ready a roasting pan to hold the cake pan and a water a bath. Fill a teakettle or saucepan with 1½ to 2 quarts water and bring to a simmer.
