Japanese soufflé cheesecake

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 300 g cream cheese
• 100 g milk
• 50 g butter
• 6 eggs
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 160 g sugar
• 1 packet of vanilla sugar
• 60 g flour
• 20 g cornstarch
• 1 pinch of salt
• 3 tbsp apricot jam

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Rest time approx. 4 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 2 hours 20 minutes; Total time approx. 7 hours 5 minutes

a little more work, but worth every step

Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F) conventional heating. Fill a deep baking sheet with water and place it in the oven. The water level should reach at least 2 cm (0.8 inches) above the surface. Butter a 26 cm (10-inch) springform pan, line it with baking paper, and butter it again. It’s important to leave about 5 cm (2 inches) higher at the edge of the pan to create a kind of “house” for the cake. Wrap the bottom of the pan twice with aluminum foil to prevent water from getting into the batter. Baking foil is particularly good for this, as it’s larger and fits completely around the pan. Heat the milk and butter together and melt the cream cheese over low heat. Mix everything well. Separate the eggs and fold in the egg yolks along with the flour and cornstarch. Strain the mixture through a sieve. Briefly beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt. Add the sugar, vanilla sugar, and lemon juice and continue beating until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is very stiff. Continue beating for about 1 minute at the lowest speed to achieve particularly fine-pored egg whites. Now carefully fold the egg whites into the cheese mixture using a spatula, ensuring that the batter is as evenly distributed without losing its airiness. Pour the batter into the tin, cover with aluminum foil, and place it in the baking tray filled with water. Bake the cake for 70 minutes, then remove the aluminum foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes until it has taken on some color. Turn off the oven, but leave the vent on. After 10 minutes, open the oven door a crack and leave the cake in the oven with the vent open for at least another 30 minutes, or preferably 1 hour. This is extremely important to prevent it from cracking or collapsing. Now remove the sides of the springform pan and the baking paper. Cover a suitable cake plate with some cling film and turn the cake out onto it. Leave to cool in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight. Remove the cake from the plate using the cling film and turn it out again. Heat 3 tablespoons of apricot jam, strain it if necessary and spread it over the cake.