Japanese Rare Cheesecake (No-Bak Cheesecake)
A flawlessly smooth, classic Japanese "rare" (no-bake) cheesecake set with gelatin. Lightly tangy with sour cream and a refreshing lemon profile, topped with a vibrant handmade lemon curd. An archive classic updated with professional, foolproof pastry techniques.
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 465kcal
Ingredients
The Crust
- 8 sheets Graham Crackers finely crushed
- 28 g Unsalted Butter 2 tablespoons, melted
The Cheesecake Filling
- 226 g Cream Cheese 8 oz, must be room temperature
- 162 g Sour Cream room temperature
- 160 g Heavy Cream cold
- 45 g Granulated Sugar
- 7 g Fresh Lemon Juice
- 5 g Powdered Gelatin
- 30 g Cold Water for blooming
The Lemon Curd
- 1 large Whole Egg
- 1 large Egg Yolk
- 90 g Granulated Sugar
- 118 ml Fresh Lemon Juice
- 43 g Unsalted Butter cubed
- 2 g Powdered Gelatin
- 15 g Cold Water for blooming
Garnish (Optional)]
- Edible flowers
- Fresh berries
- Whipped cream
Instructions
The Crust
- First, line the bottom of a 6-inch springform pan with parchment paper.Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the finely crushed graham crackers and melted butter until the mixture resembles wet sand.
- Next, press the mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Finally, chill in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.
The Cheesecake Filling
- To begin the filling, place 30g of cold water into a small, heatproof cup.Then, sprinkle the 5g of gelatin powder evenly over the surface. Do not stir; instead, let it sit for 5 minutes to hydrate (bloom).
- While the gelatin blooms, whip the heavy cream in a medium bowl until it reaches soft-to-medium peaks. Do not overwhip; importantly, it should hold its shape but remain luscious and smooth. Set this aside.
- Next, in a large mixing bowl, whisk the room-temperature cream cheese until completely smooth.
- Afterward, add the sugar and whisk until dissolved.Then, pour in the lemon juice and room-temperature sour cream, whisking until the mixture is entirely unified and free of lumps.
- Crucially, you must temper the gelatin. Gently warm the bloomed gelatin in the microwave (about 10–15 seconds) until fully melted into a clear liquid. Because warm gelatin can seize when it hits the cooler batter, scoop 3 tablespoons of your cream cheese mixture into the melted gelatin. First, whisk this small amount together, and then pour the entire gelatin mixture back into the main batch of cream cheese batter. Whisk thoroughly.
- Now, add one-third of the whipped cream to the cheese mixture to lighten the base.
- Next, switch to a rubber spatula and gently fold in the remaining whipped cream in two additions, taking care not to deflate the air.
- Finally, pour the filling over the chilled crust, smooth the top with a small offset spatula, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Lemon Curd
- First, bloom the remaining 2g of gelatin in 15g of cold water for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a small stainless steel saucepan (off the heat), whisk together the whole egg, egg yolk, sugar, and lemon juice.
- Next, place the pan over medium-low heat. Continually stir with a rubber spatula, scraping the bottom and sides, for 3–5 minutes until the mixture thickens and just begins to simmer.
- Immediately remove from the heat. Then, stir in the cubed butter and the bloomed gelatin until completely melted and smooth. To ensure a silky texture, pass the curd through a fine-mesh strainer. Lastly, place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming, and chill in the refrigerator.
Assembly
- Once the cheesecake is fully set, carefully release it from the springform pan.
- Next, pipe or gently spread the chilled lemon curd over the top.
- Finally, garnish as desired—with fresh berries or edible flowers—or simply serve it pure and unadorned to let the classic flavors shine.
Notes
Chef's Note on Gelatin: Standard grocery store gelatin packets (like Knox) usually contain about 7g of powder. To make this perfectly seamless without a jewelry scale, you can estimate using approximately ⅔ of a packet for the filling and the remaining ⅓ of the packet for your lemon curd. However, utilizing a digital scale for the exact metric weights listed will yield the most professional, accurate results
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 465kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 280mg | Sugar: 28g