How to make Japanese souffle hotcakes, cotton-soft cheesecake and baked cheese tarts

A trio of sweet recipes straight from the streets of Tokyo to save you lining up for your Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tart and Uncle Tetsu's fluffy cheesecake fix.

Soufflé hotcakes

Japan's soufflé hotcakes are incredibly popular and impossibly fluffy (fuwa fuwa). At renowned kissaten (coffee shop) chain Hoshino Coffee in Tokyo, they are served late into the night with whipped butter and a choice of black sugar, maple syrup or honey. In summer, you'll also find hotcakes with strawberries and cream; in autumn, mont blanc hotcakes with chestnuts and chestnut cream.

INGREDIENTS

30g plain flour

¾ tsp baking powder

2 eggs, separated

1 tbsp milk

20g sugar

maple syrup, cream or fruit, to serve

METHOD

1. To make the hotcake batter, sift the flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks and milk together and fold into the dry ingredients until just combined.

2. Just before cooking, beat the egg whites and sugar together in a clean, dry bowl, until stiff peaks form. Fold into the hotcake base, taking care not to overmix.

3. To make one large hotcake, preheat the oven to 180C and grease and line a 16cm metal cake ring with baking paper. Grease a medium oven-safe nonstick frying pan, place the cake ring in the centre and heat over medium heat until a drop of cold water placed in the pan sizzles, but doesn't evaporate immediately. Pour the hotcake batter into the cake ring and transfer the pan to the preheated oven for approximately 15 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the hotcake comes out clean.

4. Remove the hotcake from the oven and, using a pair of tongs, carefully remove the cake ring and baking paper. Place the frying pan back on the stovetop over medium heat. Carefully flip the hotcake and cook until the other side is golden brown.

5. To make four small hotcakes, grease a large non-stick frying pan and place over medium heat until a drop of cold water placed in the pan sizzles, but doesn't evaporate immediately. Place four even mounds of batter in the pan and reduce the heat to low. Using the back of a ladle, shape the mounds into circles. Cook for approximately 5 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of a hotcake comes out clean, then turn and cook for a further 5 minutes, or until both sides are golden brown.

6. Serve the hotcake or hotcakes immediately, accompanied by your choice of toppings and condiments.

Serves 2

Note: If making a single large hotcake with this recipe, you will need a 16cm metal cake ring, which you can find in baking stores.

Cotton soft cheesecake

Cotton soft cheesecakes (or soufflé cheesecakes as they are known in Japan) are light, soft and fluffy, with a citrussy tang from lemon juice and yuzu jam. This popular dessert is achievable as long as you pay close attention to timing – otherwise the cake will crack! While it might be tempting to eat it right away, it is best chilled overnight, as the fresh cake will be too crumbly.

INGREDIENTS

70g castor sugar, plus extra for dusting

200g milk

200g cream cheese

120g egg whites (from approximately 3 eggs)

80g egg yolks (from approximately 5 eggs)

10g cornflour

40g plain flour

20g lemon juice (from approximately ½ lemon)

yuzu jam or orange marmalade, to glaze

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 165C and line a greased 16cm round cake tin with baking paper. Grease the inside of the paper and dust the walls with sugar. Put the kettle or a large saucepan of water on to boil.

2. Heat the milk and cream cheese in a small saucepan over low heat and whisk until homogenous. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, then slowly add 50g sugar, whisking continuously until the sugar dissolves and stiff peaks form.

4. Transfer the cooled cream cheese mixture to a large mixing bowl and add the egg yolks, whisking to combine. Repeat the process with the remaining 20g sugar, followed by the cornflour, the flour and finally the lemon juice, in that order, whisking to combine after each addition. Gently fold the mixture into the egg whites, then pour into the lined cake tin.

5. Place the cake tin into a deep baking tray and transfer to the oven. Very carefully pour boiling water into the baking tray until it reaches halfway up the sides of the cake tin. Bake the cake in the water bath for 35 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 155C and bake for a further 10 minutes.

6. Switch off the heat and leave the cake in the oven for 10 to 20 mins to set fully. Remove the cake from the water bath and leave to cool to room temperature before turning out and placing on a cake rack.

7. In a small saucepan, heat the yuzu jam over low heat until it thins. Brush the cake with the yuzu jam to glaze. Once the glaze has set, cover the cake and refrigerate overnight.

Serves 8-12

Baked cheese tarts

Lines can often be found outside Japan's baked cheese tart shops, which are filled with rows of mini pastries with golden shells and an oozy cheese filling. The tarts are baked in small batches, meaning customers get to enjoy them fresh from the oven and piping hot.

INGREDIENTS

10g unsalted butter

50g castor sugar

120g cream cheese

1 egg

15g plain flour

120g thick cream (minimum 48 per cent milk fat)

Shortcrust pastry

100g cold unsalted butter, diced

200g (1⅓ cups) plain flour, plus extra for dusting

1 tbsp castor sugar

1 tsp salt

1 egg yolk

2 tbsp iced water

METHOD

1. In a large mixing bowl, use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Mix the sugar, salt and egg yolk into the flour mixture, then add the water and knead briefly until it comes together as a smooth dough. Take care not to overwork the dough, as this will result in a tougher pastry that shrinks when baked. Flatten the dough into a disc, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.

2. Dust the pastry with a little flour and roll out to a thickness of 3 mm. Line two 15cm tart tins or 20 5cm tartlet tins with the pastry, pressing it into place where the sides and base meet. Cover and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, make the filling. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter, sugar and cream cheese on medium speed until smooth. Add the egg and continue beating until it is fully incorporated.

4. Scrape down the sides of the mixer and sift in the flour. Beat on medium until smooth, then transfer the mixture to a clean bowl. Wash the bowl of the stand mixer.

5. Fit the whisk attachment to the stand mixer and add the cream to the bowl. Whip the cream until it is light and fluffy and retains its shape when the whisk is lifted. Fold the cream into the cream-cheese mixture and transfer the filling to a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle.

6. Preheat the oven to 200C.

7. Prick the bases of the tarts with a fork. Line each tart with a piece of baking paper and fill with baking weights, dried beans or uncooked rice. Blind-bake the tart cases for 10 minutes. Remove the weights and baking paper and bake the tart cases for an additional 5 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the oven and cool.

8. Reduce the oven temperature to 170C if making two large tarts, or leave at 200C if making small tarts.

9. Fill the tarts with the cream cheese filling. For large tarts, bake the filled tarts for 20 minutes; for small tarts, bake the filled tarts for 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes before consuming.

Makes two 15cm tarts or 20 small tarts

Note: If desired, you can glaze the tarts with apricot or yuzu jam. Refrigerate the tarts for 2 hours, then follow the glazing instructions for the Cotton soft cheesecake (see recipe above).

This is an edited extract from Tokyo Local by Caryn Liew and Brendan Liew, published by Smith Street Books, $39.99, photography © Alana Dimou