Japanese soufflé cheesecake (Suflē chīzukēki)

1. Butter the base and sides of a 20 cm round, non-springform cake tin and line with baking paper (3 cm higher than the sides); preheat the oven to 160 °C and put a roasting tin on the bottom of the oven.

2. Melt the cream cheese with the butter and milk over a water bath until smooth, take off the heat and stir in the 5 egg yolks one at a time, then the grated lemon zest and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.

3. Sift in the flour and cornflour and mix until lump-free; strain the mixture through a sieve.

4. Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks, add the sugar gradually and whisk until glossy with soft peaks (the tip should bend over – not stiff).

5. Stir a third of the meringue into the cheese mixture, fold in the rest gently, pour into the tin and tap on the worktop to release large air bubbles; put the tin into the roasting tin and pour in hot water to a depth of 2 cm.

6. Bake at 160 °C for 25 minutes, then at 140 °C for another 45 minutes; turn off the oven and leave the cake inside with the door ajar for 30 minutes, then lift out and serve warm or chilled.

Tip: Japanese cheesecake is wobbly and cloud-soft, halfway between sponge and cheesecake. If the top cracks, the meringue was too stiff or the heat too high. You can dust it with icing sugar before serving.