Japanese Cotton Cheese Cake

Ingredients:

125g cream cheese (1/2 block)

3 egg yolks

30g castor sugar

30g butter

50g full cream milk

1 Tsp lemon juice

30g cake flour (I have tried plain flour too and it still works)

10g cornflour

1/8 tsp salt

1 tsp Vanilla extract

3 egg whites

1/8 tsp cream of tartar

35g castor sugar

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 200°C (Top and bottom heat, no fan force)

2. Line bottom of a 6in x 3in round cake pan and grease the sides.

3. Separate the eggs and place the egg whites into a mixing bowl and the yolks into a measuring cup.

4.Beat the egg whites on Low speed for 30 seconds. Increase the speed to Medium Low and beat for another 30 seconds or until foamy. Add the cream of tartar. Increase the speed to Medium High and beat until the egg whites just start to thicken. Add 1/4 cup sugar gradually. Continue beating until the egg whites reach the soft peaks stage (approximately 3 minutes using a stand mixer).

5. In a separate bowl, add the cream cheese and milk. Mix on Low speed until creamy and smooth (approximately 2-3 minutes). Add the butter, remaining 1/4 cup sugar and lemon juice and beat for 1 minute. Add the flour and corn starch and mix for another minute. Finally add the egg yolks and mix for 1 more minute. Strain the batter using a sieve.

6. Add 1/3 of the egg whites and gently fold into the batter until mostly incorporated. Add another 1/3 and gently fold. Add the remaining 1/3 and gently fold.

7. Pour the batter into the lined springform pan. Spread the batter evenly into the pan and smooth out the top using a spatula. Holding the side of the pan, gently lift and drop the pan on the counter about 6 times to remove any big air bubbles.

8. Bake in a waterbath at 200C (no fan) for 17 mins on lowest rack in the oven then reduced to 135C for another 30 minutes before switching off oven, and leave cake in oven for 20 mins. Remove from the oven and wait for a couple of minutes if the cake has not yet pulls away from the cake pan.

9. Unmould once cake has pulled away from the sides of pan by inverting on to a smooth non-stick pan, peel off the lining paper and invert it back on to a rack to cool.

10. This cake will shrink (about 1/2 inch or so) after cooling so please don’t despair. Leaving the cake in the oven after it’s done baking helps to minimize some of the deflating

11. Refrigerate the cake for at least 4 hours before eating. The cold air sets the cream cheese and greatly improves the flavor and texture.