Japanese Cotton Cheesecake

I really wanted to try to make this one. Japanese cotton cheese cake. A cake you can simply buy anywhere in Singapore. You can find some stores selling it in malls. However, it is not easy to find here, in the Netherlands.

To be honest, I really miss the cake shops back home, in Asia.

So, I tried to make this one a few months ago. I just have had the chance to post it.
The first effort was a total loss case. I did not mix the egg whites correctly. The cake separated. The second one was better, but can be better. The key is not to overmix it but you have to mix it correctly. So, no overmix but also no undermix.

The recipe below was taken and quoted from Little Teochew's blog. She makes very beautiful Japanese Cotton Cheesecake and she gives very good tips. Follow her tips for a good and delicious cotton cheese cake.

Here are the ingredients:
1. 140g fine granulated sugar
2. 6 egg whites
3. 6 egg yolks
4. 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
5. 50g butter
6. 250g cream cheese
7. 100ml fresh milk
8. 60g cake flour (it is not easy to find cake flour in the supermarket here. My tip is: go to Asian shop, you will find the cake flour on one of the racks)
9. 20g corn flour
10. 1/4 tsp salt

Steps

1. Preheat the oven at 160°C. Melt cream cheese, butter and milk over a double boiler. Cool the mixture. Fold in the flour, the cornflour, salt, egg yolks and mix well.

Tips: sieve the flour-cheese mixture before continuing to the next step to ensure a good and smooth cake result.



2. Whisk egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy. Add in the sugar and whisk until soft peaks form.

3. Add the egg whites to the cheese mixture to and fold well. Pour into a 8-inch round springform cake pan or removable-bottom cake pan (lightly grease and line the bottom and sides of the pan with greaseproof baking paper or parchment paper. The side lining baking paper should be 3-4 cm higher than the pan because the cake will rise during baking before settling to its final height). Wrap the base of your cake tin with aluminium foil, to prevent seepage.


Tips: Make sure that the cheese mixture and the egg whites are folded well. If the two do not form a well-mixed mixture, your cake will be separated to an upper sponge-cake like layer and an under pudding like layer.


4. Bake cheesecake in a water bath for 1 hour 10 mins or until set and golden brown at 160°C.


Tips: Instead of baking the cake in water bath, I put 2-3 water containers under the cake in the oven. This will give the same effect, but more practical.

During the first 60 minutes, cover the cake with aluminium foil. Remove the aluminium foil around 10 minutes to the end of the baking time to make the cake top brown and "dryer".


5. Leave to cool in oven with door ajar, about 30mins to 1 hour. Sudden changes in temperature may cause the cake to cool too quickly and collapse.

And here is how my cake looks like. Fresh from the oven.