Japanese Cheesecake

Cream cheese batter

• 250 gram Philadelphia cream cheese
• 6 egg yolks
• 70 gram castor sugar
• 60 gram unsalted butter
• 100 ml full cream milk
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp lemon zest
• 60 gram cake flour / superfine flour (1 tbsp cornflour +flour fill 1/2 cup measuring cup)
• 20 gram corn starch
• 1/4 tsp salt

Meringue

• 6 egg whites
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 70 gram castor sugar

METHOD:

1. Pre-heat oven to 200°C / 392°F (Top and bottom heat, no fan force)
2. Grease 8″ x 3″ cake pan with butter, line bottom with baking paper
3. Whisk cream cheese till smooth over a warm water bath
4. Add yolks and whisk
5. Add half the sugar (70 gram) and whisk
6. Warm milk and butter in microwave (high, 1 min) or stove, whisk into batter
7. Add salt, lemon juice, lemon zest and whisk
8. Remove from water bath, sift cake flour and corn starch and fold into mixture
9. Whisk whites at low speed till foamy
10. Add cream of tartar and beat at high speed till bubbles become very small but still visible
11. Gradually add the balance 70 gram of sugar and beat till soft peaks
12. Fold whites into batter 1/3 at a time
13. Pour into cake pan and tap the pan on the counter to release air bubbles
14. Bake with water bath on the bottommost rack in a preheated 200°C / 392°F for 18 mins, then lower to 140°C / 284°F for another 30 mins (let the heat in the oven to drop gradually with door closed) and turn off the oven and leave cake in the closed oven for another 30 mins. Remove water bath and open the door of the oven slightly at the end of the baking for another 30 mins for cake to cool.