A Japanese twist on dessert: a light, souffle-like cheesecake baked until burnished on top, paired with sake-mirin baked apples and a rich, salty-sweet miso caramel. Finished with pistachios and sesame for crunch, it’s a show-stopper straight from Charlie.
Ingredients (serves 6)
Cheesecake
- 7 egg whites & 3 yolks
- 250g sugar
- 20g flour
- 750g cream cheese
Baked Apples or Peaches
- 6 apples or peaches, halved and cored
- 150ml mirin & sake (mixed 50:50)
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 30g salted butter
- Pinch of sea salt
Miso Caramel
- 250g granulated sugar
- 75g water
- 200ml double cream
- 50g miso paste
- Sea salt, to taste
Garnish
- Chopped pistachios
- Toasted sesame seeds
Charlie Oven Setup
- Light a pile of good quality lump charcoal (about half a football’s worth).
- Bring the oven to 210°C (410°F) for the cheesecake.
- Use the middle rack for even baking.
- For the apples, reduce oven temperature to 180°C (355°F) and use the top rack.
Method
1. Make the cheesecake
Line a springform round pan with scrunched baking paper, letting it rise 2–3 inches above the rim. Whisk together cream cheese, sugar, flour, and egg yolks until smooth.
In a separate clean bowl, whisk egg whites until medium peaks form. Add a spoonful into the cream cheese mix to loosen, then gently fold in the rest. Bake at 210°C (410°F) for 40–50 minutes until the top is burnished and the centre has a firm wiggle. Cool in the tin.
2. Bake the peaches or apples
Mix mirin, sake, and maple syrup. Place halved apples or peaches, cut-side up, pour the mixture into the hollows, add butter and sea salt. Bake at 180°C (355°F) on the top rack for 20 minutes until soft.
3. Make the miso caramel
Heat the cream until just boiling, then set aside.
In another pan, combine sugar and water. Heat without stirring until deep caramel colour.
Remove from the heat, carefully pour in the cream, then stir in the miso and season with sea salt.
4. Assemble
Slice the cheesecake into wedges. Serve with the baked apples or peaches, drizzle with miso caramel, and garnish with pistachios and sesame seeds.
Why cook this in Charlie?
Charlie’s steady charcoal heat creates a beautifully burnished Japanese-style cheesecake with a light, airy centre. Baking apples or peaches above the fire infuses them with gentle smokiness, while miso caramel adds savoury depth and balance – a dessert with true fire-cooked character.