Sugar-Free Japanese Soufflé Cotton Cheesecake

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🍰 Sugar-Free Japanese Soufflé Cotton Cheesecake (Mediterranean Style)

Light • Airy • Creamy • Low-Sugar

🍽 Makes: One 8-inch (20 cm) cake

⏱ Total Time: 1 hr 30 min

⭐ Difficulty: Medium (due to egg-white whipping)

🌟 Ingredients

Yolk Mixture

  • 6 large egg yolks
  • 60 g erythritol (or preferred sugar substitute)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 200 g cream cheese, softened
  • 60 ml milk
  • 40 g unsalted butter, melted
  • 60 g cake flour (or 55 g all-purpose flour sifted very well)
  • Pinch of salt
  • Optional: zest of 1 lemon (Mediterranean aroma)

Meringue

  • 6 large egg whites
  • 40 g erythritol
  • 1/2 tsp cream of tartar or 1 tsp lemon juice (stabilizes meringue)

🍰 Instructions

1. Prep

  1. Preheat oven to 320°F (160°C).
  2. Line the bottom of an 8-inch round cake pan; do not grease the sides.
  3. Prepare a water bath: place the pan inside a larger tray and pour hot water to halfway up the sides.

2. Make the yolk batter

  1. In a bowl, whisk together cream cheese, butter, milk, and erythritol until smooth.
  2. Add egg yolks, one at a time.
  3. Add vanilla, lemon juice, salt, and optional lemon zest.
  4. Sift in the flour and gently whisk until combined and lump-free.

3. Make the meringue

  1. In a clean bowl, whip egg whites on medium speed until foamy.
  2. Add erythritol and cream of tartar.
  3. Beat until soft–medium peaks (NOT stiff — cheesecake needs softer meringue).

4. Fold

  1. Add 1/3 of the meringue into the yolk batter and mix gently.
  2. Fold the remaining meringue in 2 batches, using slow, gentle strokes to keep the batter airy.
  3. The batter should be silky, light, and fluffy.

5. Bake

  1. Pour batter into the pan and tap lightly to release air bubbles.
  2. Bake in the water bath at 320°F (160°C) for 25 minutes.
  3. Reduce heat to 285°F (140°C) and bake another 40–45 minutes.
  4. Turn off oven and let the cake sit inside for 10 minutes (prevents collapse).

6. Cool

  1. Remove from oven, lift out of water bath, and let cool.
  2. Run a thin knife around the edge only if needed.
  3. Chill in the fridge at least 3 hours for the best texture.

⭐ Tips for Perfect Cotton Cheesecake

  • Use room-temperature cream cheese and eggs.
  • Don’t whip egg whites to stiff peaks — it causes cracks.
  • Keep oven temperature low and steady.
  • Chill before slicing for clean edges.
  • For extra Mediterranean flavor: add lemon zest + 1 tbsp olive oil in the batter.

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