Japanese cheesecake with miso caramel
Serves: 12
Prep time: 35 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Martin Poole
Japanese cheesecake with miso caramel
Sometimes referred to as soufflé or cotton cheesecake, this Japanese dessert has a distinctive, feather-light texture thanks to a lower proportion of cream cheese and lots of fluffy whisked egg whites
Serves: 12
Prep time: 35 minsTotal time: 
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
348Kcal
Fat
20gr
Saturates
11gr
Carbs
36gr
Sugars
30gr
Fibre
0gr
Protein
7gr
Salt
0.6gr
Sarah Akhurst
Our Food Director Sarah is a food obsessive, and spends most of her time scoping out the latest food trends, experimenting in her own kitchen, or making her family wait to eat while she photographs every dinner she makes for the 'gram! A complete Middle Eastern food junkie, she is never far from a good shawarma marinade, a pinch of Aleppo chilli or a sprig of dill
See more of Sarah Akhurst’s recipes
Sarah Akhurst
Our Food Director Sarah is a food obsessive, and spends most of her time scoping out the latest food trends, experimenting in her own kitchen, or making her family wait to eat while she photographs every dinner she makes for the 'gram! A complete Middle Eastern food junkie, she is never far from a good shawarma marinade, a pinch of Aleppo chilli or a sprig of dill
See more of Sarah Akhurst’s recipes
Ingredients
- 60g salted butter, diced, plus extra to grease
- 120ml milk
- 250g full-fat soft cheese
- 200g granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
- 6 large eggs, separated
- 60g plain flour
- 20g cornflour
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
For the miso caramel
- 100g granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp golden syrup
- 30g salted butter
- 120ml double cream
- 1 tbsp white miso
Step by step
Get ahead
The cheesecake and caramel keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Bring the cheesecake to room temperature, and warm the caramel to a pouring consistency before eating.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas 4. Grease and line a deep 20cm diameter fixed-base tin, making sure that the baking paper forms a collar that stands at least 6cm above the rim of the tin.
- Put the butter, milk, soft cheese and 50g of the sugar in a heatproof bowl and place over a pan of simmering water, making sure the water doesn’t touch the base of the bowl. Whisk gently until the butter has melted and you have a smooth mixture. Stir through the vanilla, remove from the heat and let the mixture cool slightly.
- Whisk the egg yolks together, then gently whisk these into the cheese mixture. Sift the flour and cornflour together, then gently whisk this through the egg and soft cheese mixture, adding the lemon juice.
- Put the egg whites into a free-standing mixer and whisk to soft peaks. Gradually add the remaining 150g sugar, whisking until you have a meringue-like mixture. Add a third of the egg white mixture to the soft cheese mixture and slowly fold through until you have no lumps of meringue. Repeat with another third of the egg whites. Now add the whisked mixture to the egg whites left in the mixer, folding until combined. Pour into the lined tin.
- Sit the cheesecake tin in a large roasting tin and pour in boiling water to reach halfway up the sides. Carefully transfer to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 160°C, fan 140°C, gas 3 and bake for a further 30 minutes. The cheesecake should be double its original height and set, but still with a slight wobble. Turn off the oven but leave the cheesecake inside for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely in the tin.
- For the miso caramel, put the sugar, syrup and 2 tablespoons of water in a small saucepan and heat gently, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a simmer and leave to bubble for 5 minutes, or until it starts to turn a deep amber colour. Meanwhile, melt the butter in another pan and whisk together with the cream and miso, then when the sugar is a deep amber colour, whisk in the miso cream. Continue to simmer for 1-2 minutes, until thickened, then remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Serve the cheesecake at room temperature and drizzle over the caramel.
