Japanese Sponge Cake

A light and delicious sponge cake, garnished with
fresh berries and whipped cream.

This cake is also called a Japanese Cheesecake or Cotton Cheesecake, but isn’t anything like a traditional American cheesecake. It is light and airy, but also with a creamy texture. This cake is not very sweet, and pairs best with a stronger flavor, like fresh fruit or jam.

This cake is baked in a water bath in an 8” cake pan, but needs a parchment collar to cling to as it cooks. Do not use an acetate collar. The beaten egg whites in the batter give the cake its lift, and it needs a non-greasy surface to support it as it bakes.

Add fruit and whipped cream to individual serving plates.

RECIPE:

Japanese Sponge Cake

Servings: 10
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6 large eggs, separated
½ tsp cream of tartar
8 oz cream cheese, softened
¼ cup cream
¼ cup butter, softened
½ cup plus ¼ cup granulated sugar
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 Tbs vanilla extract
½ tsp salt
1/3 cup flour
2 Tbs cornstarch

Toppings:
2 Tbs powdered sugar
Fresh berries (raspberries, strawberries, and/or blueberries), to garnish
Sweetened whipped cream

Preheat oven to 300°F. Prepare cake pan: Line bottom of an 8” cake pan with a parchment paper circle. Use a sheet of parchment paper to make a 4” high collar; place around inside edge of cake pan. Find a baking dish that the cake pan will fit in to make a water bath that comes halfway up the edge of the cake pan.

Separate eggs: Place egg whites in a large metal or glass mixing bowl. Place egg yolks in a small bowl. Set both bowls aside.

Heat water to a simmer in the bottom of a double boiler; reduce heat to low. In the top of the double boiler, add the cream cheese, cream, and butter. Place over the water and stir just until smooth. Remove top pan from heat. Whisk in ½ cup sugar, then stir in lemon juice, vanilla, and salt. Whisk egg yolks into mixture one at a time. Sift the flour and cornstarch into the pan and whisk until fully combined.

Beat egg whites with a mixer until frothy. Add cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Add ¼ cup sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Gently fold 1/3 of the meringue into the cream cheese mixture and fold with a spatula until no streaks remain. Gently fold in the remaining meringue. Pour batter into prepared cake pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

Add about 2 cups of boiling water to a rimmed baking pan and carefully place in the oven (or place pan on oven rack and then add the hot water). Place filled cake pan into the water bath in the oven. Bake for 80-90 minutes, or until golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Carefully remove cake pan from the water bath onto a towel and dry bottom. Place pan on a wire rack; let cake cool in the pan for 20 minutes.

Carefully remove the cake from the pan, peeling off the bottom parchment layer, and place cake directly onto a serving platter. Let cake cool completely, uncovered, on the platter.

Optional: dust with powdered sugar immediately before serving. If desired, cut cake into slices and serve with fresh berries and whipped cream.

Cake can be eaten at room temperature or chilled. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

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