| Japanese cheesecake Japanese: スフレチーズケーキ|label=none | |
| Alternate Name: | Soufflé-style cheesecake, cotton cheesecake, light cheesecake |
| Country: | Japan |
| Creator: | Tomotaro Kuzuno |
| Course: | Dessert |
| Main Ingredient: | Cream cheese, butter, sugar, eggs |
Japanese cheesecake,[1] also known as soufflé-style cheesecake, cotton cheesecake,[2] or light cheesecake, is a variety of cheesecake that is usually lighter in texture and less sweet than North American-style cheesecakes. It has a characteristically wobbly and airy texture, similar to a soufflé when fresh out of the oven and a chiffon cake-like texture when chilled.
The recipe was created by Japanese chef Tomotaro Kuzuno, who was inspired by a local cheesecake (a German variant) during a trip to Berlin in the 1960s.[3] [4] [5] It is less sweet and has fewer calories than standard Western-style cheesecakes, containing less cheese and sugar. The cake is made with cream cheese, butter, sugar, and eggs. Similar to chiffon cake or soufflé, Japanese cheesecake has a fluffy texture produced by whipping egg white and egg yolk separately. It is traditionally made in a bain-marie.[6] The cake is the signature dish of Uncle Tetsu's Cheesecake, a Japanese bakery chain which originated in Hakata-ku, Fukuoka, in 1947.[7] [8]