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Viral Japanese Cheesecake Ice Cream Sandwiches

Japanese cheesecake ice cream sandwiches with a jiggly, cloud-like cheesecake exterior and a cold, creamy strawberry or mango ice cream center. Baked in a water bath for a pillowy texture, then frozen into soft, stackable ice cream sandwiches.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Rest time (cooling + freezing) 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Japanese-American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Japanese cheesecake
  • 6 oz cream cheese softened
  • 4 oz unsalted butter 1/2 stick, softened
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 cup cake flour sifted
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 6 egg whites
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
Ice cream filling
  • 0.5 gallon strawberry or mango ice cream softened

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Make the cheesecake base
  1. Preheat the oven to 325F. Melt the cream cheese, butter, and whole milk together until smooth, then cool slightly.
  2. Whisk in the egg yolks, cake flour, vanilla, and fresh lemon juice until smooth.
  3. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually add the sugar and beat to stiff glossy peaks.
  4. Fold the egg whites into the cream cheese mixture in three additions. Keep folding until the batter is uniform and airy.
Bake for a jiggly center
  1. Bake the batter in a parchment-lined 9x13 pan in a water bath for 25-30 minutes. Look for a pale golden top with edges set and the center still gently wobbly.
  2. Cool the cheesecake completely. Let it cool to room temperature before chilling if needed.
Assemble and freeze the sandwiches
  1. Cut the cheesecake into squares. Sandwich a scoop of softened strawberry or mango ice cream between two squares.
  2. Wrap the sandwiches and freeze for 1 hour. Serve when the cheesecake is still slightly jiggly.

Notes

Pro tip: aim for a warm, pale-golden cheesecake with a gently wobbly center—overbaking will reduce the signature jiggle. Store wrapped sandwiches in the freezer up to 2 weeks; thaw 3–5 minutes for the best soft texture. No-bake version isn’t recommended for the jiggly structure. If you want a lighter option, use reduced-fat cream cheese and swap to no-sugar-added ice cream for a closer-to-audit sweetness level (texture may be slightly softer).