Cotton Soft Japanese Cheesecake

A couple of my friends brought this beautiful cake to my office. I was intrigued and asked them what type of cake it was. They told me it was a Japanese Cheesecake. It looked so delicate and mouth watering. I went home and tried a recipe I found online. I love cheesecake and wondered what made this one different. After baking it I discovered this is not your ordinary cheesecake. This is a very light, melt in your mouth cake. It is firm enough that you can treat it like an ordinary sponge cake, but far better than any sponge I have made. With a hint of cream cheese and lemon flavour I was sold. It is incredibly easy to make and it is perfect on it's own.

Cotton Soft Japanese Cheesecake

Ingredients:

40g/5 oz. fine granulated sugar
6 egg whites
6 egg yolks
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
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

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 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.