My Sponge Cheesecake Cake is the perfect dessert for anyone who loves the flavor of cheese cake but prefers a lighter bite. A light sponge cake batter is folded into a tender, cheesecake custard. The cake bakes into a delicate, airy cake with a fine crumb with a sweet and slightly tangy cheesecake flavors.
Were you ever in a mood for a delicious cheesecake but not really into a dense dessert? It happens to me all the time.
That was exactly why I created this recipe. I wanted something at the crossroads of a tender Japanese cheesecake and a soft, crumbly Butter Cake. Folding a cream cheese custard in an airy sponge batter turned out to be the perfect way.
The light sponge batter provides enough structure to hold the custard without making the cake dense, while carrying the rich cheesecake flavor throughout every bite.
Let’s Bake
There are three parts to the recipe: the first is making the cream-cheese custard, second is the sponge batter then, third and last is folding one into the other.
- Cream cheese is too cold and the custard is lumpy. To prevent that, take the cream cheese out of the refrigerator a few hours ahead, and/or warm it in the microwave.
- For the sponge batter to bake light and tender the eggs have to be at room temperature. Cold eggs, will not whip into a triple volume and it might effect how light and tender the cake is.
- Not incorporating the batters well. It can be a tricky one since both batters have the same color, and the cream cheese mixture might sink to the bottom. However, there is a small difference as the cream cheese mixture has lemon zest in it giving it a different hue. You can add a drop of food coloring to the cheesy custard, but its best to lighten the custard with 1/3 of the sponge batter.
- Removing the cake from the oven too soon. When we do that, the temperature difference between the oven and the room is too high and the heat will escape from the cake too fast. That might sink the cake and/or create a dense layer at the bottom of the cake (will look like a dense line across the cake). However, as you can see in the picture below, the cake does have a dense layer at the bottom which is ok as long as the texture is cohesive and the sponge batter is not completely separated from the custard part.
Baking the cake
Remember that this is a custard cake and much like any other cheese cake the carry over (cooling time) process is very slow. Do not forget to allow the cake to cool in the oven, door shut.
Pay attention to the cake and not the timer, it is ready when the center slightly jiggles but when you insert a toothpick in the center it comes out clean. Also, the top is dry.
Storing The Cake
Unfrosted, the cake can be sorted at room temperature, covered for up to 3 days. If frosted, place the cake in the refrigerator within 4 hours. The cake is best eaten fresh and/or at room temperature.
Light and Tender Sponge Cheesecake Cake
Ingredients
Cream cheese custard
- 1 1/2 Cup (336g) Cream cheese (1.5 pkg ) at room temperature
- 4 TBS (60g) Unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 Cup (50g) Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 4 TBS (60ml) Heavy cream
- 1 TBS Lemon zest (about 2 small lemons)
- 1 Large Egg at room temperature
- 1 Large Egg yolk at room temperature
Sponge Cake
- 1 1/4 Cup (150g) Cake flour
- 1 1/2 tsp Baking powder
- 4 Large (200g) Eggs at room temperature
- 1 Cup (200g) Sugar
Instructions
Make the cream cheese custard
- Rub the sugar (200g) with the zest, the cream it with the Cream the cream cheese (360g), and butter (50g) until incorporated and smooth.
- Add the vanilla extract (1 teaspoon), heavy cream (60ml), egg (1), and egg yolk (1) and mix until smooth. Set aside.
Make the Sponge Batter
- Preheat oven to 320F. Grease the bottom of 1-9" round pan and line with parchment paper. Do not grease the sides.
- In a medium bowl, sift twice the cake flour (150g) and baking powder (1.5 teaspoon) and mix to fully blend.
- In a large bowl (or a bowl of a standing mixer) whip the eggs (4) and sugar (200g) for 5-7 minutes until triple in volume, thick, and light in color.
- Sift half of the flour mixture over the egg mixture, then use a rubber spatula to fold the flour in. Continue with the second half.
- Add 1/3 of the sponge batter into the cream cheese custard and mix it in to thin the custard.
- Fold the rest of the sponge batter into the cream cheese batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Place it over a large cookie sheet and bake over the middle rack for 40-50 minutes. Once the cake has a golden dry top but a the center jiggles, turn the oven off and let the cake cool in the oven for about 2-3 hours
- Run a knife between the cake and the pan to release the cake from the pan.
Please May I have the recipe for your orange chiffon cake
The recipe is in the caption of this reel:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CoDXM5pOPDr/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Hi! Can I turn this recipe into cupcakes, and if so, how full should I fill the liners, and how many would this make?
Hi Selene, I never tried to bake these as cupcakes, so I can’t say how may will yield, my guess and 18-22. Fill the liner about 3/4 full and check if there are done about 30-35 minutes in.
Hi! Could AP flour be used?
It might make the cake a bit dense, try using bleached all purpose flour.
I made this and it turned out very well. After reading about the difficulty in folding the cake together I thought…Why not add a few drops of food coloring to the cake side. It’s St. Patricks day so I went with green…it worked perfectly! Thanks for the receipe!
great cake!!