Let them eat Japanese soufflé cheesecake

Think cake and we can’t help but draw a mental picture of one coated with fondant and layered with icing, but as the health craze catches on, we are increasingly moving away from decadent indulgent cakes to naked ones (devoid of icing). That also probably explains the popularity of the Japanese soufflé cheesecakes aka cotton cheesecakes. Taking the best of both world’s — the East and the West, the Japanese-style cheesecake is not as sweet like its western counterparts and is similar to a soufflé (light and airy). It stands out because of its jiggly, fluffy texture, making it an experience to handle and devour. With more and more places baking it, we quizzed pastry chefs about what’s working for it.

Novelty factor piquing curiosity

While we have had our fair share of raspberry and blueberry cheesecakes, the Japanese-style cotton cheesecake have a novelty value that makes eating it an engaging experience.Chef Nester Gracias, who has recently introduced it to the Scribble Stories menu, says, “Our menu is fun and quirky. Therefore, we decided to introduce a Japanese cotton cheesecake where the diners can wiggle it to witness the fluffiness of the cheesecake. It’s cotton-like, light and airy with a delicate flavour in comparison with a traditional dense and creamy cheesecake. The USP is its feather light texture making it dangerously easy to eat.”

Pairing cake with ice cream and nuts

But that’s just the beginning as you can mix things up pairing it with ice cream or nuts. Jahan Bloch, pastry chef at Bandra-based, The Omakase Kitchen, whose soufflé cakes have a loyal fan following, shares, “I started making Japanese-style cheesecakes more than two years ago. While the traditional cheesecakes have umeboshi (pickled plums in it that are added to bring tartness to the cake), we make it without them as it’s difficult to source. We have served ours at our pop-ups pairing it with wasabi ice cream, honey comb and walnuts. However, there are purists who prefer it without any pairings. So, we sell it by slice and also accept orders by kg.” While The Omakase Kitchen’s version is a hit, Daniel Patissier in Bandra also draws crowds for their Japanese-style cheesecakes.

Regular cheesecake v/s Japanese-style cotton cheesecake

For those wondering, what distinguishes the two apart from the texture and taste, a Japanese style soufflé cheesecake varies from a regular one on different counts. Swapnil Doiphode, sous chef at Yuuka, The St Regis Mumbai, shares, “In general, a cheesecake is a dessert made with cream cheese and butter as the primary fillings. Some include flavours and fruits, but the basic core is usually the same. The Japanese version is a similar concept but has a fluffier, lighter presentation. It does not have a crust, and it typically uses eggs that have been separated — only the yolks are added to the batter, whereas the whites are whipped into a fluffy meringue before being folded into the cream cheese mixture. It is uncommon for this sort of cake to be flavoured or to contain speciality toppings.” That and the fact that it happens to be less sweet than traditional cheesecakes, makes it a hit with the calorie conscious according to chef Y Kalyan, pastry chef The Fatty Bao. So, the next time, you head out, go ahead and say soufflé cheesecake, it’s time you moved from regular cheesecake to a more fluffier version of it.