Cotton Soft Japanese Cheesecake

For this month's Baking Partners Challenge, we made cheesecake! We were given four recipes to choose from...all of which are really good, but I didn't have a hard time choosing which one to make. Aside from being the one that seems easy to do, the Cotton Soft Japanese Cheesecake is something that the hubs has been requesting me to bake for so long. He went to Japan a number of times before we got married, and it was there where he first tried this kind of cheesecake. He said it's very similar to the texture of Filipino Mamon and has a melt-in-your-mouth goodness that's so hard to resist. After seeing the recipe suggestion of Reeni, I knew it's about time I try making this Japanese Cheesecake, not just for Ryan but for the girls and I as well. 

I read that many have encountered two common problems in baking Japanese Cheesecake. First, the top of the cheesecake cracks during or after baking and second, the cheesecake shrinks as it cools down. I wanted to avoid these problems so I followed some tips I found on the internet. I made sure that the cream cheese-butter-milk mixture was cool enough before mixing it with the yolk-flour butter. I also pour the cream cheese batter into the meringue in 3 small portions. I slightly opened the oven during the last 10 minutes of baking and I left the cheesecake in the oven for another 10 minutes (with the oven door slightly opened) so that it can shrink slowly before I take it out. Sad to say, even after doing all these, my cheesecake still cracked and sunk in the middle. I don't have an 8" spring-form pan which was suggested in the recipe, so I used a 7" one and 9 brioche molds...and guess what? All of them sunk and the top of the one baked using the spring-form pan cracked! Honestly, I wasn't happy about it! But after trying it, I realized that there's no reason for me to be sad! It tastes great and the inside seems to be perfect! And after seeing how Ryan and the girls enjoyed eating it despite it's imperfections, I was more relieved!

I would like to thank Swathi of Zesty South Indian Kitchen for another wonderful challenge, and to Reeni of Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice for choosing this recipe! It didn't turn out perfect but it sure was very delicious and cotton soft indeed! I'll definitely be making this again and again until I achieve perfection! (^.^)

For those days when you want a dessert that's light and not too sweet, this cheesecake is the best option!


Ingredients:
Recipe from Diana's Desserts Yield one 8" cheesecake, 12 servings

• 5/8 cup fine granulated sugar
• 6 eggs, white and yolk separated
• ¼ tsp cream of tartar
• ¼ cup butter (½ stick)
• 9 oz. cream cheese
• 3/8 cup fresh milk
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• ¼ cup cake flour /superfine flour
• 1/8 cup cornstarch
• ¼ tsp salt

Instructions:

1. Melt cream cheese, butter and milk over a double boiler on medium heat until well combined. (If you don't have a double boiler, you can just fill a small saucepan with about an inch of water and bring it to a simmer. Place a bowl over the saucepan and melt cream cheese, butter and milk on it.) Remove from heat and allow to cool down.

2. Preheat oven to 325F. Lightly grease and then line the bottom and sides of an 8" round spring-form pan with parchment paper. All I have is a 7" round spring-form pan, so I had to use some brioche molds for the excess batter.

3. In a bowl, whisk egg yolks and lemon juice until egg yolks are well beaten. Add the cake flour, cornstarch and salt and continue whisking until well combined and free of lumps. Fold this into the cheese-butter-milk mixture until well combined.

4. Whisk egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy. Add in the sugar and whisk until soft peaks form. Fold the cheese batter in small amount to the egg white mixture and mix well until you've used up all the cheese batter. Pour into the prepared spring-form pan. Bake cheesecake in a water bath in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes or until set and golden brown. Slightly open the oven during the last 10 minutes of baking. Leave the cheesecake in the oven for another 10 minutes (with the oven door slightly opened) so that it can shrink slowly before you take it out.

Check out what other Baking Partners members have shared this month! I'm sure you'll learn a lot from them!

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