This cottage cheese cake is so light, fluffy and soft. It only needs 3 ingredients and doesn’t require any flour, butter or oil. The cake can be made ahead of time and stores well.
A slice of Cottage Cheese Cake on a small white plate

This cheesecake is a version of soft and fluffy Japanese style cheesecake. However, instead of cream cheese, the cake is made with cottage cheese.

Ingredients

  • Cottage cheese
  • Eggs
  • White chocolate

Cottage cheese: Make sure to use 4% high protein cottage cheese. Also avoid using a cottage cheese brand that is watery.

Eggs: Eggs provide the light and fluffy structure for this cake.

White chocolate: White chocolate is used to sweeten the cake and help with its texture.

How to Make Fluffy Cottage Cheese Cake

  • The cottage cheese and egg yolks are blended until smooth. The white chocolate is melted and then blended with the cottage cheese mixture.
  • The egg whites are whipped to stiff peaks and then folded into the cottage cheese batter.
  • The cake is baked in a water bath for about 45 minutes and then continues to cook with the oven off for another 45 minutes.
  • I like to refrigerate the cake for a few hours before serving as it helps the flavors develop better but it can be right after it has cooled.
  • If desired, you can dust the cake with powdered sugar or add fresh fruit before serving.

A Cottage Cheese Cake dusted with powdered sugar

Texture

This cake has a very soft, light, fluffy texture similar to Japanese-style cheesecake. The cake is lightly sweet but not super sweet.
A bite on a fork taken from a slice of Cottage Cheese Cake

Expert Tips

  • Make sure your water bath is not too deep. This can cause the cake to overcook at the bottom and become dense.
  • The cake needs to be left in the oven for about 45 minutes to an hour to prevent it from collapsing too much.
  • The cake can be stored in the fridge for a few days.

Cottage Cheese Cake cut into slices

More Cottage Cheese Recipes

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4.93 from 14 votes

3 Ingredient Cottage Cheese Cake

This cottage cheese cake is so light, airy and fluffy. It is just 3 ingredients and doesn't contain any flour, butter or oil.
Servings: 10 slices
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
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Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup (170g) 4% high protein cottage cheese, brought to room temperature, see note before starting
  • 4 large eggs, brought to room temperature, yolks and whites separated
  • 3/4 cup (133g) white chocolate chips, see note before starting

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Grease the inside of a 7 inch round cake pan with a cooking oil spray and line the bottom with parchment paper. Do not line the sides but make sure they are greased. Use a solid one-piece cake pan (no removable bottom).
  • Place a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl. Add the cottage cheese to the strainer, spreading it out evenly. Let it sit for 20-30 minutes, allowing excess liquid to drain into the bowl below. Gently press the cottage cheese with the back of a spoon to release more liquid.
  • Add cottage cheese and egg yolks to a blender and blend until completely smooth.
  • Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until smooth. Let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the melted chocolate to the blender and blend until the chocolate is fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth and uniform in color. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.
  • Add egg whites to a separate clean mixing bowl. Beat at high speed until stiff peaks form. Add one third of the egg white mixture to the egg yolk batter. Fold it in gently with a spatula until no egg white lumps remain. Make sure you scoop up batter from the very bottom of the bowl each time you fold to make sure all of the batter gets incorporated with the egg whites. Repeat with the next 1/3 and then the remaining 1/3.
  • Pour batter into the prepared baking pan. The cake will be baked in a water bath. To do this, place your cake pan into a slightly larger metal baking pan, such as an 8 inch or 9 inch square pan. Make sure to use a pan that is only slightly larger than the pan the cake is baking in so that there is not too much water added. Place your cake pan into the bigger pan. Pour just enough room temperature water into the outer pan so that the water level reaches 1/2 inch. Use a ruler to measure the water to ensure you only have 1/2 inch of water. If your water level is too high, the bottom of your cake will cook too much, causing a dense bottom layer.
  • Place cake with water bath into your oven. Bake for 45 minutes or until top of cake is browned and looks set. (Check on the cake through the oven window and don't open the oven door.) Turn off the oven but do not open the oven door and leave the cake in the oven for 45-60 minutes. It is important to leave the cake in the oven (unopened) because this allows the cake to finish cooking and the gradual drop in temperature prevents the cake from suddenly collapsing. The cake will deflate as it cools, but it shouldn't completely collapse. After 45-60 minutes, you can remove the cake from the oven. Let the cake cool to room temperature. It will deflate a little more as it cools. The cake can be eaten after it is fully cooled but I recommend placing it into the fridge for a few hours which will help the cake flavors develop better. The cake may taste a little eggy to some people if not refrigerated first.
  • To remove the cake from the pan, gently flip it upside down onto a plate and then flip the cake again onto another plate so that it is right side up. If desired, you can dust the cake with powdered sugar or add fresh fruit for garnish before serving. Store any uneaten cake in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

Notes

  • Cottage cheese note: This recipe works best with a high protein cottage cheese that contains between 13 to 14 grams of protein per 1/2 cup (110g) serving. High protein cottage cheese will absorb more liquid and prevent your cheesecake from being too moist. You also want to avoid using low fat cottage cheese which is too watery. I tested this with Nancy's cottage cheese.*
  • *These product links are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
  • White chocolate chips note: Try to start with a fresh, new, unopened bag of white chocolate chips. White chocolate chips that are old or were previously opened don't melt well. I used Nestle white chocolate chips.
Serving: 1slice, Calories: 142kcal, Carbohydrates: 14g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Sodium: 93mg, Sugar: 14g, NET CARBS: 14
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
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