Japanese (Osaka) Cotton Cheesecake

This is how it works, you yearn for some cheese, you yearn for a guiltless afternoon, and that's how you   have to have a slice of this. Its like the combination of Angel food cake and New York Cheesecake. Sit in a laid back summer chair, enjoy the breeze and watch the white curtain floating. Then, you'd know, that minute, that moment, you didn't miss anything better.

From the way i described this, you should know by now, how little amount of butter this cake contains. Imagine the woman in the painting, wearing her retro yellow lemon dress, curly red hair and a basket of white daisies. We all wish we were her.

As a matter of fact, this is my third Japanese cheesecake. Third time is a charm, as they always pronounced. However, i will always fight for an even better cheesecake, until i get that texture i've long remembered. The first time i had this cake and I could never forget that feeling. 

The secret to all these fluffy, heavenly cakes, is stiffen egg whites (and lots of research). Do not ever be discouraged by them, i remember my first time with these egg whites. I cried. I perspired. I worried. The only thing to look after is dry dry utensils, room temperature eggs and a pinch of salt. Voila. 

Japanese Cotton Cheesecake

adapted from Diana's Desserts

Ingredients:

140g/5 oz. fine granulated sugar  6 egg whites  6 egg yolks  50g/2 oz. butter  250g/9 oz. cream cheese  100 ml/3 fluid oz. fresh milk  1 tbsp. lemon juice  60g/2 oz. cake flour /superfine flour  20g/1 oz. cornflour (cornstarch)  1/4 tsp. salt or cream of tartar

Instructions: 1. Melt cream cheese, butter and milk over a double boiler. Cool the mixture. Fold in the flour, the cornflour, egg yolks, lemon juice and mix well.  2. Whisk egg whites with cream of tartar (or salt) until foamy. Add in the sugar and whisk until soft peaks form.  3. Add the cheese mixture to the egg white mixture and mix well. Pour into a 8-inch round cake pan (Lightly grease and line the bottom and sides of the pan with greaseproof baking paper or parchment paper).  4. Bake cheesecake in a water bath for 1 hours 10 minutes or until set and golden brown at 160 degrees C (325 degrees F).  Makes 1 (8-inch) cheesecake, 12 servings.

One tip before pushing the tray into the oven is to tap it onto the table a few times. This is so that you wouldn't end up with bubbles as you can see in my cakes. (Honest, these pictures do not give enough credit to the actual texture of the cake.)

Enjoy, 

Jes