Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F ) and grease a 6-inch by 3-inch deep round cake pan with cooking spray.

Fill a medium size pot with 1 liter of water and bring to a boil, then set aside.

Place a glass or stainless steel bowl over the hot pot with water, then add the cream cheese, milk, and milk and stir with a whisk until the cream cheese mixture is creamy without any lumps.

Remove the bowl from the double boiler and add the egg yolk and stir until well combined.

Sift in the all-purpose flour or cake flour and mix until the batter is smooth. Lastly, add the vanilla and mix to combine. Set aside. Note the vanilla extract is optional, you can omit it from the recipe.

Add the egg whites into a clean dry mixing bowl, you can use a hand mixer or a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Beat the egg whites on medium speed until it becomes foamy then add 1/2 of the sugar and beat for 30 seconds, add the remaining sugar and continue to beat until soft peaks are achieved.

Using a spatula add half the whipped egg whites into the batter and fold in by mixing it gently. Then add the remaining egg whites folding gently into the batter until it is smooth.

Pour the batter into the greased cake pan and stir using a thin stick or straw to even out the surface.

Gently bang the cake pan on the counter to remove any air bubbles in the batter.

Add 1 inch of hot water into a large square or rectangular baking tray then place the cake pan onto it.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, then rotate the cake and close the oven door leaving a small open gap to allow the steam inside the oven to slowly escape. Bake for 25 minutes, then rotate again still leaving a gap with the oven door and bake for additional 20 minutes or until golden brown on the top. It took me a total of 70 minutes to bake this Japanese cheesecake.

Carefully remove the cake from the oven and place it onto a cooling rack or kitchen towel and allow it to stand for 5 minutes, then turn it over onto a plate, then repeat onto a serving plate.

Allow the cheesecake to cool before slicing for about 45 minutes.

Enjoy your Japanese Souffle Cheesecake!