Cotton soft Japanese Cheesecake

 Came across this recepi by accident and after reading the reviews, I thought it would be great to take on the challenge of making a sponge/cheesecake.  Well, to my amazement this cake is truly soft and spongy with a very delicate and mild flavor.  

The process of making these Japanese Cotton Cheesecake is not really that difficult. All you need to do is to follow the steps closely and you will sure to get the right texture and colour.

Ingredients: (8" Round tin)

- 140g fine granulated sugar
- 6 egg whites
- 6 egg yolks
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 50g butter
- 250g cream cheese
- 100ml fresh milk
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (I omitted this)
- 60g cake flour
- 20g corn flour
- 1/4 tsp salt 
  
Method:

•  Dice cream cheese into cubes and soak with milk (place mixture in a glass mixing bowl or double boiler) for about 30 minutes.
•  While waiting, melt the butter and set aside.
•  Put the cream cheese mixture in a double boiler(refer to the picture above), stir until  smooth and creamy then stir in the melted butter and set aside to cool.
• After the mixture cools down, stir in the flour mixture(sieved the cornflour and cake flour
• together) then follow by one egg yolk at a time, whisk the mixture till well combined.
• Next stir in the lemon juice and rind and whisk the mixture till smooth then set aside.
• In another clean bowl, add cream of tartar into egg white and whisk until foamy.
• Divide the sugar into 3 portion and whisk into the egg white mixture until it becomes stiff  peak  form.(refer to the picture above for the egg white texture, this takes about less then 5 minutes or so)
• Slowly blend the egg whites into the cream cheese batter and mix well until colour combines.
• Place the mixture in a greased prepared tin and give it a big bang to released the bubbles.
• Bake the cake in hot water bath at 170 degree for 15 minutes then reduce the temperature 
•  to 150 degree and bake for another 40 - 45 minutes.
•  Cool the cake in the pan completely, then set aside in the fridge for about 1 hour or more
•  before serving it for a better texture and taste.

Notes:
~ Water bath is a pan of hot water placed into an oven. The hot water provides a constant, steady heat source and ensures even, slow cooking for recipes.

~ The best type of pan to use for a water bath is a roasting pan or other pan with sides at least 1-1/2 to 2 inches high. That will allow you to put enough water into the pan so it won't all evaporate before your pudding or cheesecake has baked.