Japanese Soft Cotton Cheesecake

           The soft & moist texture of the sponge cake used for my Strawberry Shortcake I made two weeks ago reminded me of the cotton cheesecake which I've not baked for sometime. Yesterday, I managed to bake it in the morning. 

            The cake is super delicious! Unlike the regular cheesecake, this cake is spongy, moist & tastes very light. Preparing it is quite similar to preparing chiffon cake. Like the regular cheesecake, it is baked using the water bath method. I thought it would taste better if eaten with chocolate ganache & strawberry. I was right! The rich ganache & fresh strawberry provide a good balance!

Japanese Soft Cotton Cheesecake

Adapted from Diana's Desserts

Ingredients:
250g/9 oz. cream cheese
50g/2 oz. butter
100 ml/3 fluid oz. fresh milk

6 egg yolks
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp vanilla paste (I added.)
60g/2 oz. cake flour /superfine flour (sifted)
20g/1 oz. cornflour (cornstarch)

140g/5 oz. fine granulated sugar
6 egg whites
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

Instructions:

1. Melt cream cheese, butter and milk over a double boiler. (I used a hand whisk to stir.) Cool the mixture. 
2. Add in egg yolks, lemon juice & vanilla to the cream cheese mixture & mix well. 
3. Fold in flour. Set aside.
4. Whisk egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy. Add in the sugar and whisk until soft peaks form. 
5. Fold in the egg white mixture into the cheese mixture.   
6. Lightly grease and line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch cake pan with greaseproof baking paper or parchment paper. Wrap bottom of pan with aluminium foil to prevent water from seeping into the pan.
7. Pour cake batter into pan &  bake in a water bath for 1 hour 10 minutes or until set and golden brown at 160 degrees C (325 degrees F). (I baked for 30 minutes in my small oven.)
8. Remove pan from oven & leave to cool slightly for about 10 minutes.
9. Remove cake from pan & leave to cool completely or store in fridge.
10. To serve, slice cake & pour ganache over & serve with sliced fresh strawberry.

Makes 1 (8-inch) cheesecake.

Chocolate Ganache 

Source: Creative Making of Cakes by Alex Goh.

500g chocolate
270ml whipping cream
20g butter

           Melt chocolate over double boiler. Cook whipping cream till boiling. Pour into chocolate & mix till well blended. Add butter & mix till well combined.