How to Make Japanese Souffle Cheesecake with Tofu

Puffy, silky, and deliciously moist thanks to the silken tofu, you’ll fall in love with this one, and trust me, it’s easier to make than they say. And if you’ve never tried the Japanese specialty, be prepared for something truly unique.

You’ve undoubtedly heard about the super Instagrammable Japanese cheesecake, AKA cotton cheesecake. The jiggly dessert is truly something special. Really, there’s nothing like it!

I also knew nothing of this phenomenal dessert until I came across Trang’s Cotton Cheesecake Recipe from her blog RunAwayRice (full recipe here). It was love at first taste. I just couldn’t believe how fluffy and silky the texture was! Since then I’ve tried many other Japanese Cheesecake recipes (The JustOneCookbook blog has a great recipe, too) and eventually developed my own healthier, higher-protein version so I could feel a bit healthier every time I grab a slice.

The answer was silken tofu, and you know what? It worked.

The secret to its amazing fluffiness is whipping the egg whites first — they’re responsible for the cheesecake’s pillowy texture. Then you just combine silken tofu with cream cheese and bring it all together with egg whites, butter, sugar and other staples — you can’t even taste the tofu on the cheesecake, by the way!

And here’s another thing. By using cornstarch instead of regular flour, you’re making a gluten-free treat as well, and although I handle gluten, I know some of you don’t. So here it is! One of the world’s most exciting cheesecakes in its healthier version possible.

Ingredients Used to Make This

_{**I’ve linked some of these ingredients to amazon.com to give you an idea of what they are, but you should also be able to find them in your local grocery store (usually, the natural & organic food section). They are also affiliate links, which means that I earn a commission as an Amazon Associate if you decide to purchase the items. The price will be the same for you, link or no link 🙂}

• Cream Cheese – I used a reduced fat cream cheese (aka Neufchâtel cheese), but you can also use full fat cream cheese for a creamier texture.
• Sugar – I like using light-colored sweeteners such as raw cane sugar in this recipe because it doesn’t affect the color of the final product. Coconut, date, and maple sugars are less processed, more natural granulated sugars, but it results in a browner, darker donut so I don’t recommend them here. I usually use honey powder, since it’s light in color as well as less processed. For this recipe I have not yet tried using a sugar free substitute, so keep that in mind if you’re feeling adventurous!
• Tofu – high in protein and nutrient-dense, tofu contains minerals such as calcium, manganese, selenium, zinc, as well as B vitamins. It’s also a “complete protein” because it contains all 9 of the essential amino acids your body needs. A ½ cup serving of firm tofu provides around 8 grams of protein. Definitely a keeper. NOTE: I’ve tried using firm tofu and extra firm tofu, and found that the extra-firm needed a little bit more water. Feel free to add more water if you find that your batter comes out too thick. Also, use Silken Firm Tofu for the best, fluffiest result. Silken Tofu- (firm) like this one

• Water – room temperature water is fine. If you’d like to make this cheesecake richer you can also use almond milk, regular milk or even half and half.
• Butter – softened at room temperature. You can also a vegan butter if you’d like.
• Eggs – large eggs, with the yolks separated from the whites.
• Cornstarch – while traditional souffle cheesecakes DO use wheat flour, I’ve found that cornstarch is enough to keep the cake fluffy, creamy, as well as gluten-free. Feel free to use arrowroot flour if you don’t have it at home.

More Recipes You’ll Love Using Tofu

How to Make

Recipe Variations and Optional Add Ins:

• Love Chocolate? Just add 2 Tbsp of cocoa powder with the cornstarch, and fold in some chocolate chips to the batter at the very end.
• Are you a Coffee or mocha fan? Add either a teaspoon of coffee extract or espresso powder into the cream cheese mixture.
• Chai or Cardamom Cheesecake: Try adding a tsp of Cardamom Powder or Chai Tea Powder to the batter with the other dry ingredients.
• With natural flavoring / extracts. Feel free to add a teaspoon of vanilla extract (I didn’t feel like it was essential so I left it out in this recipe), or other flavorings or extracts, such as caramel flavoring, hazelnut extract or almond extract. You can also try lemon extract, orange peel, or peppermint extract.
• You can also bake this in a springform pan, instead of a square pan.

What are some ways you can eat these?

• Plain and warm, served with a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream
• Drizzled with honey, maple syrup, caramel or chocolate syrup
• Dusted with powdered sugar or sugar-free powdered sugar. Just make sure you use a sieve to sift the sugar on top!

How to Store

• You can store these cakes covered at room temperature for up to 6 hours. For longer storage, you can place them in an airtight container to store in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze up to 4 months.

Final Tips

• Be sure to use silken tofu for the silkiest results.
• Use batter right away after prep. They will deflate over time, so I’ve found that you don’t want the batter sitting out on the counter for too long.
• Baking time (as well as serving size) will vary based on the size of your baking pan, the material (silicone vs metal) of the pan. Bake the cake until the color is golden-brown on the top, or until a toothpick comes out clean/dry when poked into the middle.

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