Fluffy Japanese Cotton Cheesecake Cupcakes You Must Try
These delicate Japanese Cotton Cheesecake Cupcakes combine the richness of cream cheese with a light, airy soufflé-like texture. Perfect as a refined dessert or an elegant snack, they are simple to make and customizable to suit various tastes.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
Ingredients
Scale
- 250g cream cheese, softened
- 50g unsalted butter
- 100ml whole milk
- 60g cake flour (or sifted all-purpose flour)
- 20g cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 6 large eggs, separated
- 100g granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar (or lemon juice)
- Powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 320°F (160°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- Soften cream cheese and butter to room temperature. Separate eggs.
- In a saucepan over low heat, melt cream cheese, butter, and milk together, stirring until smooth. Cool slightly.
- Sift cake flour, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually mix into cream cheese mixture until smooth.
- Lightly beat egg yolks; add to batter along with lemon juice. Stir gently.
- In a clean bowl, whisk egg whites and cream of tartar until frothy. Gradually add sugar while whisking until stiff peaks form.
- Fold one-third of the meringue into the batter gently. Fold in remaining meringue carefully to preserve airiness.
- Fill cupcake liners about 3/4 full. Tap pan gently to release air bubbles.
- Bake 25–30 minutes until lightly golden and springy to the touch. Avoid opening the oven while baking.
- Cool in tin 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.
Notes
Use cake flour for a lighter crumb, or sift all-purpose flour twice as a substitute.
Folding the meringue carefully is critical to maintain fluffiness.
Avoid sudden temperature changes or opening the oven door during baking to prevent shrinking.
Customize with matcha, cocoa, or citrus zest by folding into batter before adding meringue.