japanese cotton cheesecake.
note: this recipe is adapted from joanne chang’s japanese cotton cheesecake recipe in her book pastry love. makes about 6 mini heart cakes
ingredients
3 large eggs, egg yolks & whites separated
4oz (113g) cream cheese
1/4 cup (60g) creme fraiche
alternatively 1/4 cup (60g) sour cream + 1/4 cup (60g) milk + 2 tbsps (25g) granulated sugar
1 1/2 tbsp (23g) unsalted butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup + 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar (58g total, divided 20g + 38g)
1/4 tsp cream of tartar or lemon juice
1/4 cup (30g) cake flour
pinch of kosher salt
topping: powdered sugar
tools
double boiler: small pot + small bowl that fits snuggly on top of the pot
whisk
mesh sieve
hand mixer + medium bowl or stand mixer with whisk attachment
spatula
mini heart cake pans (3" x 3 3/4" x 1"), greased with unsalted butter
large baking dish/roasting pan, taller than the heart cake pans
paring knife
steps
preheat oven to 400F
egg yolk batter: set up a double boiler and place cream cheese and stir until it melts completely. whisk in creme fraiche (or sour cream + milk + sugar) & butter until combined. remove bowl from heat and whisk in vanilla extract. whisk in egg yolks and 1/2 tbsps (20g) sugar. sift in cake flour & salt, whisk gently until smooth, set aside
meringue: in another bowl/stand mixer bowl, whisk egg whites & remaining 1/4 cup sugar (add in 1 tbsp at a time) with hand mixer/stand mixer on medium-high until soft peaks. do not overmix!
add small amount of meringue into egg yolk batter and whisk until smooth. add in rest of meringue and gently fold to combine with a spatula. do not overmix!
pour batter into greased mini heart cake pans. place cake pans in a larger baking dish. fill the larger baking dish with water so that it comes about 1/4 up the side of the cake pans. bake for 30-35 minutes until the tops are golden brown
turn off oven and leave the oven door open for 30 minutes before taking the cake pans out. place cake pans on a wire rack, then run a knife around the edges of the cheesecakes and invert the cake pans to take out cheesecakes - cheesecakes will deflate slightly, be gentle. let cool before topping with powdered sugar
enjoy!
notes
feel free to use any baking pan or dish you have. you can use the entire batter in a 6” round cake pan or divided into smaller oven-safe bowls or ramekins. don’t forget to grease your pans!
when baking the cheesecakes, you can alternatively preheat oven to 250f and bake cheesecakes for 6o minutes. after 60 minutes, raise oven temperature to 350f and bake for 3 minutes - this is for the golden brown color. baking at a lower temperature prevents the cheesecakes from cracking on top. continue with step 6
you can most definitely enjoy the cheesecakes shortly after they are baked, but it is recommended that you chill the cheesecakes in the fridge before serving
videos
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