4-Ingredient Chocolate Japanese Cheesecake

Hey guys, check out this insanely fluffy awesome 4-ingredient Chocolate Japanese Cheesecake I just made!

Ohhhhhh yeah, I could watch this on repeat all day. Anybody else?

In my last post, I shared how to make this vegetarian-friendly Japanese Tofu Katsu Curry since (surprisingly) I found real veggie options tough to come by during our two-week trip. But let’s be honest: it didn’t really matter because I spent most of my time stuffing my face with adorable sweets and fluffy Japanese cheesecakes like this one instead!

The first cheesecake that I tried in Japan actually came from a rest stop while we were traveling from the Shimane Prefacture (or what my Tokyo friend fondly calls “the Alabama of Japan”) to Hiroshima. Now if you’ve never been to a Japanese “rest stop” before, the name can be misleading: they’re more miniature-shopping-center-meets-respectable-dining than our dingy, slightly sketchy versions. This particular one was complete with four noodle stands, a convenience store, a dog park, and a full bakery! I ended up buying anpan (a sweet red bean paste bun) and one of Japan’s signature slices of Japanese cheesecake, which turned out to be every bit as wonderful as I hoped. And of course, the moment I got back to the States, I threw myself dramatically into the kitchen and made my own chocolate Japanese cheesecake–because #chocolate, duh.

And wow, was it Fluff Heaven. I mean, look at that fork just sinking in!

To make this cheesecake, all you need are four ingredients: eggs, cream cheese, white chocolate, and cocoa powder. That’s it. You probably have all of the ingredients sitting in your kitchen right now. In fact, I’m not even sure why you’re still sitting here reading this when you could be off making this Chocolate Japanese Cheesecake RIGHT NOW, but hey–your life choices, people. That’s all on you.

Once you’ve grabbed a mixing bowl, all you do is beat together your softened cream cheese, melted white chocolate, egg yolks, and cocoa powder until everything is as smooth as a baby’s bottom. Then you add the egg whites, which is the key to success here with Japanese cheesecakes: see, you have to beat them for at least 3-5 minutes, until they’re floofier than if a cloud and a marshmallow mated and had a beautiful cloud-mallow child. Then you fold it gently into the cream cheese mixture and voila! Transfer it all to a lined 8-inch springform pan, and within 60 minutes you’ll have produced one of Earth’s most glorious (and simplest) desserts.

So what are you waiting for? Grab your ingredients and start baking!

4-Ingredient Chocolate Japanese Cheesecake

Yield: 1 8-inch cheesecake

4 ingredients come together to form one incredibly fluffy Chocolate Japanese Cheesecake! This simple but elegant dessert is perfect for family and friends, and has become one of my most requested recipes.

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Ingredients

• 6 eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups white chocolate
• 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line bottom of 8-inch springform pan with lightly oiled parchment paper and set aside.
2. Separate egg yolks from egg whites. Set aside.
3. Place white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on high in 20-second increments, stirring each time until white chocolate is melted. (Pro tip: Be careful to watch your white chocolate as it seizes very easily when overheated!)
4. Add melted white chocolate and softened cream cheese to a large bowl. Cream together until completely smooth. Beat in egg yolks. Add cocoa powder and stir in until combined.
5. In a separate large mixing bowl, beat egg whites with a hand mixer on high until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the whites into the cream cheese mixture until everything is slightly lightened. Gently fold remaining egg whites into cream cheese mixture until no white streaks remain.
6. Pour batter into prepared pan. Place pan into a 9x13-inch pan that has been filled with 1 inch of boiling water.
7. Bake in oven for 40-45 minutes, or until top is a golden brown and cheesecake is slightly jiggly. Turn off oven and allow cheesecake to sit for an additional 10 minutes, then transfer 8-inch cake pan to a wire rack. Allow cheesecake to cool completely before removing from pan and transferring to plate. Chill for an additional 4 hours (or overnight) and enjoy!