The ultimate halloween treat is this super fluffy, super friendly Totoro cheesecake.
I love him so much because he’s a fluffy Japanese cheesecake dressed up as Totoro. Can you imagine if there was a giant cheesecake that you could lie down on, just like this scene in Totoro? I think it would be heaven.
Totoro Japanese Cheesecake
This was my third time making Japanese cheesecake (you can check out the other two times here and here) and by far, this one was the best! It wasn’t too wrinkly, it didn’t crack, and the texture was just spot on. I found the recipe at runawayrice. There are over 400 positive-ish comments on the post so I thought it would be a good one to try and it was!
That being said, I changed the steps a bit based on my other two fluffy cheesecake bakes. Instead of whipping the cream cheese and pushing it through a sieve, I melted it gently over a double boiler along with the milk and butter to ensure that there wouldn’t be any lumps before letting it cool completely.
Tips and tricks
Aside from that, there were two things I would have done differently. The original recipe has a bit of lemon juice in it (I left it in the ingredients list below), but I found it kind of overwhelming and not necessary. The original heats the waterbath the oven while it’s heating up. When I tried to put the cheesecake into the waterbath, it just kind of floated, which made Totoro kind of lopsided. So instead, I put the cheesecake in then roasting pan, then poured hot water in afterwards. But other than those two issues, this recipe totoro-lly turned out.
While Totoro was in his onsen water bath, I prepped his face by melting down some white chocolate, then piping out two giant eyeball whites. I used dark chocolate to make his pupils, nose, whiskers, and chest furries. I also used a sheet of paper to cut out a curved belly for him.
Once he cooled, I released him (just tip the cake over onto your hand, peel off the parchment, then flip over onto a plate). Then, I helped him put on his face, dusted his tummy with icing sugar, and put on his chest furries.
I was so happy with how he turned out: fluffy and SO CUTE. What do you think? Would you be able to eat him?!
fluffy cheesecakes and Totoros,
xoxo steph
Totoro Cheesecake Recipe: Fluffy Japanese Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese at room temp
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup sugar divided
- 1 tbsp lemon juice see notes
- 5 large eggs seperated
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
Special Equipment
- 8 inch x 3 inch round cake pan
- roasting pan
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 315°F.
- Lightly butter a 8” x 3” round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a double boiler, stir together the cream cheese, butter, and milk until the cream cheese melts and everything is smooth and incorporated. Remove from the heat and stir in 1/4 cup sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Let cool completely, stirring to help cool faster.
- While the cream cheese mixture is cooling, separate the eggs, putting the whites in the bowl of a stand mixer. Whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar until frothy and pale, adding in the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar in bit at a time until the whites are whipped into a glossy thick soft peak meringue – one that holds its shape, with a beak that folds over on itself. Be careful not to over whip.
- When the cream cheese is cool, sift in the flour and cornstarch and whisk until throughly combined. Whisk in the egg yolks until smooth and combined.
- Add 1/3 of the whipped egg whites to the yolks and using a whisk, gently incorporate. Add another 1/3 of the whites and whisk again, being carefully not to deflate. Transfer the egg yolk mixture to the remaining egg whites. Whisk together and then use a spatula to fold together.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan – it should come up almost to the top of the pan, about 1/4 inch from the top. Tap the pan against the counter to release any air bubbles.
- Place the cake pan in the roasting pan and place in the oven. Carefully add hot water to the roasting pan so that it comes about 1/2 way up the cake pan. Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes. The top should be lightly golden. Open the oven door slightly open to let cool gently for 1 hour. The idea is to let the cake cool very gradually so it doesn’t crack.
- While the cake is cooling, make a stencil for Totoro’s belly by taking a sheet of paper and cutting out a curved belly. Make Totoro’s eyes by melting down the white chocolate and piping two eyeball whites on parchment paper. Let harden, then flip and pipe on the eyeballs with melted dark chocolate. Pipe out an oval for his nose and six lines for whiskers. Pipe out five open triangles for his chest hairs. Let cool completely on the parchment paper.
- The cake will have natural shrunk from the sides and should be cool enough to touch. Use a cutting board (or your hands) to invert and remove from the pan. Peel off the parchment if desired. Flip back right side up and place on your serving dish. It should be soft, fluffy, and jiggly while it’s still warm.
- Place the stencil over the cake and give Totoro a generous dusting of icing sugar to create his belly. Add his eyeballs, nose, whiskers, and chest hairs. Enjoy!
Absolutely adorable! And not too difficult. I do not make much with cream of tartar and it sounds like an interesting recipe. I usually am intimidated by cake designs, but I could totally handle this one.