This cheesecake is my mom’s signature. I asked her for this recipe the other day.
Well, it’s one of few things that she never uses a recipe for and she doesn’t have it written down anywhere. When asked where it came from she said her Japanese friend told her about it. True to form, this simplified Japanese-style cheesecake is light and airy. It’s also perfect for people who aren’t into super sweet desserts. With just three ingredients: cream cheese, sugar, and eggs – it’s a great payoff for not a lot of work! I can’t say I feel guilty about having a piece (or two!) compared to other desserts.
FOOL-PROOF AND VERSATILE
There aren’t a lot of cheesecake recipes that are fool-proof (except maybe a no-bake version!) As long as you don’t deflate the egg whites and fold carefully, this recipe will work! If you like your cheesecake a little sweeter, feel free to add a little sugar to the mix.
INGREDIENTS:
8 oz cream cheese (room temperature)
6 tbsp sugar (3 tbsp + 3 tbsp)
4 eggs (whites and yolks separated)
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Grease a 9-inch round glass pie pan or spring form pan.
Put cream cheese and 3 tbsp of sugar in stand mixer and mix on medium-high speed scraping down sides occasionally.
Separate egg whites in a separate bowl and add egg yolks, one at a time to the cream cheese - mixing after each addition. Continue mixing on medium speed while preparing egg whites.
Beat egg whites with an electric hand mixer adding 3 tbsp of sugar until soft peak stage.
Gently fold egg whites by hand into the cream cheese mixture, careful not to deflate the egg whites. Pour mixture in prepared pan.
Bake 20-25 minutes or until the center is set and no longer jiggly.
Remove from oven and cool before slicing.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS:
Dress up your cheesecake however you like! Chocolate Drizzle and whipped cream? Raspberry coulis, white chocolate cream? The only caveat is that the cheesecake is super light, so if you go too heavy on the toppings, it will get lost. I kind of like to keep it simple. Fresh fruit, dusting of powdered sugar. Fresh. Simple. Delicious.