Japanese Cheesecake

There are three types of cheesecake commonly found in Japan: a baked variety similar to New York–style cheesecakes; an unbaked version set with gelatin; and soufflé-like Japanese cheesecakes such as this one. The last, sometimes called cotton cheesecake, is by far my favorite thanks to its fluffy texture and subtle lemon flavor that adds to its lighter-than-air personality.

I’ve been baking jiggly soufflé cheesecakes my whole life, but I’ve recently revisited my recipe to perfect it. The key to nailing the dessert’s signature texture is in the meringue, which gets folded into a lightly sweetened cream cheese mixture. Whipping the egg whites in a chilled bowl protects against overbeating. Watch closely when you start to see soft peaks form: The meringue should droop ever so slightly, like a hook, when you upend the whisk. If the meringue is too stiff, you risk deflating the batter by overmixing. (Undermixing is preferred—a few wisps of unincorporated meringue are totally fine.) Rubbing lemon zest into the sugar unlocks the fruit’s fragrant oils and perfumes the batter with bright flavor. And, while salt is not typical of Japanese cheesecake recipes, a small addition here brings out the citrus even more.

You’ll bake the cheesecake in a bain-marie, or hot water bath, to add steam. This helps regulate the oven temperature, preventing overbaking and cracks. If you don’t have a roasting pan, any heavy-duty rectangular baking pan will work—just make sure your cake pan fits inside it before you start.