Japanese Cheesecake for One Recipe

Kayleigh here. I know I just posted a cheesecake recipe a couple weeks back, so it seems too soon to post another one, but I feel strongly that one should go into battle armed with knowledge and options. Choose the one that appeals most to you, and go forth!

To give a little bit of a background to this, I found that quite a few foods I have come to enjoy in America are slightly different when bought in Japan. Beers are almost all pale lagers, bottled teas were unsweetened and usually green or barley, and peanut butter was replaced with peanut cream- a syrupy, lightly peanut flavored concoction that would best find its home on an ice cream sundae. Desserts were as likely to contain matcha or adzuki beans as they were chocolate, and coffee (if not bought in a can) was often brewed in fantastical steampunk contraptions of glass spheres and metal workings. But what this recipe focuses on is the cheesecakes that I would find, not in the refrigerated aisle, but on the baked goods shelf.

Really, this is pretty far from what the average American would consider a cheesecake, given its light and fluffy texture and mild creaminess-it's like someone mixed a New York cheesecake with an angel food cake. Because of this, I think it's the only cheesecake I've ever had that actually tastes best at room temperature, or even slightly warm. Heavy mix-ins or extra sweet toppings may not pair very well with this- I would recommend flavor add-ins like matcha/cocoa powder or tiny bits like mini chocolate chips or finely chopped chestnuts if you choose to embellish.

Japanese-style Cheesecake for One Recipe

Ingredients:

1 Egg, white and yolk separated

2 ts Sugar

1 pinch cream of tartar

2 TB Unsweetened Applesauce (if sweetened, reduce sugar to 1 ts)

2 TB cream cheese, Plain Greek Yogurt, or Sour Cream (whatever you have on hand)

1/8 Cups Millet Flour

1/8 Cups Vanilla Whey Protein powder

1-2 drops Vanilla Extract

1 Pinch Baking Powder

1 Pinch Salt (tiny amount!)

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Whip egg white, sugar, and cream of tartar in a bowl until stiff peaks form.

2) Combine the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl and stir thoroughly. Gently fold in the egg white mixture afterwards.

3) Pour/spoon the mixture into an oven safe bowl (sturdy coffee mugs or bowls work, and giant ‘Texas size’ muffin tins are great if you want to increase the recipe and make more than one). Bake for 20 minutes, or until the surface is cracked and lightly browned. If baked it in a container with little surface area, then you may also want to check the center with a toothpick to make sure it cooked all the way through.

4) Let sit for 30 minutes or until nearly room temperature, then transfer upside down onto a plate to cool completely. You can also refrigerate the cake for 1 hour or more to enjoy it chilled.

Jason here. So I never got to try any cheesecake while in Japan, or any baked goods really. Gluten free wasn’t really a known thing in Japan. That’s why I was excited to see what Kayleigh was raving about.

Some long time readers may remember the amazing Dragon Cake recipe. The thing about that recipe though… is it is ridiculously sweet. It’s basically sugar infused angel food cake coated with sugar and more sugar on top. If dentists had an arch nemesis, it would be that recipe.

The Japanese cheesecake tastes a lot like angel cake, but without all that ridiculous sugar. Sure it still tastes sweet like angel cake should, but it’s also got a creaminess to it that makes it good to eat all on its own.

We enjoyed our little cakes topped with raspberries, which added a nice tartness to it. Something fruity, but not too sweet is what I would recommend as a topping. As mentioned, the cake itself has a light sweetness to it, so you don’t want to overwhelm it. Something sour or tart makes for an excellent addition.

If you’re interested in trying out Japanese Cheesecake, or just looking for another angel food cake recipe give this one a shot.