Japanese Soufflé Cake with Pumpkin Spice Whipped Cream

I told almost everyone that after the wedding cake I didn't want to see cake or cupcakes for a while....

Clearly, this was the sleep deprivation speaking and I was seriously lying to myself. 

Here I was the very next day, plotting (after catching up on sleep) the next recipe I was going to pounce on. 

This has been on my to do list for a while. Pictures on Pinterest of this airy dessert caught my curiosity - some of the pictures titled this confection "Japanese Cheesecake", but I think soufflé cake is more appropriate after making and tasting eating devouring it.

This gets it's cheesecake name because cream cheese is an ingredient, but it is far from the likeness of the traditional cheesecake in my opinion.

Because whipped meringue is incorporated into the batter, the cake comes out light and fluffy, while the butter and cream cheese add some richness and a melt in your mouth experience. Just like a soufflé.

Warning: This cake is deceiving to your conscience because it feels like you are eating air. Sweet, delicious air that has sugar (well, not that much) and calories. Don't say I didn't warn you.

I adapted the recipe I found on the Sprinkle Bakes blog very slightly. I Just added 1 teaspoon of vanilla - because it just felt weird not to add vanilla in a cake recipe. Feel free to omit. I, however, was not able to stray from my vanilla comfort zone. I also topped it with some pumpkin spice whipped cream - Yum! See the recipe below or click on the Sprinkle Bakes link above to get the printable version:

Cake Ingredients:

9 oz. cream cheese (one 8 oz. brick plus 1 oz. of another brick)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/3 cup fresh, whole milk

6 eggs, room temperature - whites and yolks separated

1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

1/2 cup plus 1/8 cup extra fine granulated sugar

1/3 cup plus 1 tsp. cake flour

3 tbsp. corn starch

1 tsp vanilla or flavored extract                             

Let's Bake!

1. Melt cream cheese, butter and milk in a heat-proof bowl over a pot of simmering water.  Stir occasionally to break up cream cheese and combine the ingredients.  Remove bowl from heat and allow to cool. Mixture will be thick.  If lumpy, use a whisk to vigorously beat the mixture until smooth. Set aside.
2. When mixture has cooled, fold in the egg yolks, flour and corn starch.  Fold until thoroughly incorporated.
3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
4. In a large bowl, whisk egg whites with an electric mixer until foamy.  Add the cream of tartar and mix again, gradually adding the extra-fine sugar a little at a time until soft peaks form.  Note: Soft peaks:  mixture should be white and opaque, and meringue will fall onto itself when the beaters are lifted from the bowl.
5. Add the cheese mixture to the egg white mixture and fold together until well incorporated.  
6. Pour into an 8-inch round spring-form pan that has been lightly greased and lined (sides and bottom) with parchment paper.  Place a piece of aluminum foil over the top of the cake so it does not brown.
7. Bake in a water bath for 1 hour 10 minutes.  When timer sounds, bake for an additional 10-15 minutes with the oven door cracked.
8. Carefully remove pan from water bath and let stand until cake pulls away from the sides of the pan.  Remove spring-form ring and serve.

6 Eggs at room temperature, separated.

Double boiler on medium heat; melting cream cheese, milk and butter.

When cream cheese mixture cools, slowly mix in egg yolks and cake flour mixture.

Whip meringue with cream of tartar and superfine sugar into stiff peaks.

Gently fold in cream cheese mixture into meringue.

Set up a water bath in a pan with a rack (this prevents condensation on the bottom). Pour batter into a lined pan and bake. 

Pumpkin Spice Whipped Cream

3 cups heavy whipping cream

1 Tbsp vanilla

1 Tsp pumpkin spice extract (or 1 tbsp pumpkin spice syrup)

1 Tsp

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 Tbsp Powdered Gelatin

1 Tsp pumpkin pie spice

1. Make sure your bowl and cream are very cold. I like to pop my bowl in the freezer for a few minutes. 

2. Whip up the heavy cream until it gets to a thick viscosity.

3. Add in powdered sugar and gelatin and whip until medium peaks form

4. Add in vanilla and pumpkin spice extract and pumpkin pie spice

5. Whip until there are stiff peaks. 

6. Dollop or pipe onto frost and pipe onto cake and enjoy!