I’ve been craving cheesecake, but I hate how heavy it is. Japanese cotton cheesecake is light and fluffy like a sponge cake, but tastes like cream cheese and isn’t too sweet. This week, I had 6 eggs that were coming up to their expiry date, so I decided to give it a try. It turned out really well and it’s not nearly as complicated as I thought. I drizzled each slice with my experimental green tea and cucumber sauce that is sweet, but has a refreshing, watery taste to it. Don’t omit the few pinches of salt in the sauce as this really helps to balance the sweetness.
Japanese Cotton Cheesecake
Adapted from Diana’s Desserts
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1 (250 grams) package of cream cheese (not the spreadable kind)
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 6 eggs whites
- 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
- 3/4 cup superfine granulated sugar (it makes a difference in texture)
- 6 egg yolks
- 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 3 Tbsp. cornstarch
- 2/3 cup cake & pastry flour (this also makes a difference in texture)
- 1/4 tsp. salt
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Thoroughly grease an 8-inch round spring-form pan with softened butter. Wrap the outside bottom and sides of the pan with tinfoil to prevent the water bath you bake the cake in from seeping into the pan.
Place the butter, cream cheese and milk in a glass or metal bowl. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water to melt the ingredients together, but be sure not to let the water touch the bowl. Stir with a fork until the texture is completely smooth. Take the bowl off the heat and set aside to let cool a bit.
Meanwhile, beat the eggs whites with the cream of tartar using an electric mixer until they are foamy. With the mixer still going, gradually add in the sugar. Continue whisking until soft peaks form and then set aside.
To the cream cheese mixture, add the egg yolks, lemon juice, vanilla, flour, cornstarch, and salt. Mix well using a fork to combine. Add about 1/4 of the fluffy egg whites to the cream cheese mixture and stir gently with a spatula until incorporated (this helps make the cream cheese texture softer and therefore helping to incorporate the rest of the egg whites with less chance of losing all of that fluff). Add the rest of the eggs whites and gently fold them in until combined.
Pour the mixture into your prepared pan. Place your cake in a large roasting pan (one with a flat roasting rack) and place it in the oven. Fill the roasting pan with boiling water until it reaches just above the roasting rack. I find this method of filling the roasting pan with water when it’s already in the oven eliminates the possibility of water splashing onto your cake or you when moving it into the oven.
Bake for 1 hour 10-20 mins. The top will be golden brown and a toothpick will come out clean. When it’s done, leave the cake in the oven, turn the oven off and leave the oven door ajar for 20 minutes. This should prevent any deep, long cracks from forming on the top. Remove it from the oven and run a knife down the sides of the cake before opening the spring-form pan. Serves 8-12 as is or with the green tea and cucumber sauce (recipe below).
Experimental Green Tea and Cucumber Sauce
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 2 green tea bags (or 2 tsp. loose leaf green tea in a tea ball)
- 1/2 of an English cucumber, peeled and diced
- 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
- 2 pinches of salt
In a small pot, bring the water and sugar to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. Add the tea bags or tea ball and cucumber to the pot. Remove it from the heat, stir and cover. Let it steep until it reaches room temperature. Strain the sauce into a bowl, discarding the cucumber and tea, and pour the mixture back into the pot. Heat the sauce until it starts steaming. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with 1 Tbsp. of cold water. Add this mixture to the sauce and stir while cooking for a few minutes to thicken the sauce. Add the salt and stir. Serve warm over your Japanese cotton cheesecake.
