Japanese Souffle Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 250g cream cheese, at room temperature
• 60g unsalted butter
• 120ml whole milk
• 6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
• 60g plain flour
• 20g cornflour
• 120g caster sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• A pinch of fine salt
• 2 tbsp apricot jam, for glazing
• Butter and baking paper, for the tin

Before you cook

• Heat the oven to 160C conventional, with a shelf set in the lower third.
• Butter a 20cm round cake tin that is at least 8cm deep and line the base and sides with baking paper, letting the side paper stand 3cm above the rim.
• Wrap the outside of the tin in two layers of heavy foil if it has a loose base, so no water can seep in.
• Separate the eggs, putting the whites into a spotlessly clean and dry bowl and the yolks into another.
• Put the whites in the fridge until you need them.
• Sift the flour and cornflour together twice.
• Boil a full kettle of water for the water bath.

Steps

1. Put the cream cheese, butter and milk into a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water.
2. Stir the mixture with a whisk for about 5 minutes until it is completely smooth and no lumps of cream cheese remain.
3. Lift the bowl off the pan and let the mixture cool for 5 minutes until it is warm rather than hot.
4. Whisk the egg yolks into the cheese mixture one at a time, until the batter is glossy and uniform.
5. Sift the flour and cornflour into the batter and whisk gently until it is smooth.
6. Add the lemon juice and the pinch of salt, then push the batter through a fine sieve into a clean large bowl to catch any lumps.
7. Take the egg whites from the fridge and beat them with the cream of tartar on medium speed until they turn foamy and opaque.
8. Add the caster sugar in three additions, beating for about 30 seconds between each.
9. Beat until the meringue holds a soft peak that curls over on itself when you lift the whisk, and stop there, because stiff peaks will tear the batter and crack the top.
10. Fold a third of the meringue into the cheese batter with a whisk to slacken it.
11. Fold in the remaining meringue in two additions with a spatula, cutting down through the middle and sweeping up the side, until no white streaks remain.
12. Pour the batter into the lined tin from a low height and smooth the top.
13. Tap the tin firmly on the worktop three times to release large bubbles.
14. Set the tin inside a deep roasting tray and pour boiling water into the tray to a depth of 3cm.
15. Bake for 25 minutes at 160C, then turn the oven down to 130C and bake for a further 55 minutes.
16. Check that the top is evenly golden and the centre wobbles as one piece when you nudge the tin.
17. Turn the oven off, open the door a crack and leave the cake inside for 20 minutes so it cools slowly and does not sink.
18. Lift the tin out of the water bath and cool it on a rack for 30 minutes, then run a knife around the paper and turn the cake out.
19. Warm the apricot jam with a teaspoon of water and brush it over the top for the traditional shine.
20. Serve the cake slightly warm for maximum bounce, or chill it for a denser, more custardy slice.