Strawberry Cotton Soft Japanese Cheesecakes

Who else is in love with Japanese cheesecake? They have the most beautiful texture; soft, light and fluffy, nothing like the super rich, heavy cheesecakes that you normally get. I've been dying to try this fabulous Cotton Soft Japanese Cheesecake recipe from Diana's Desserts for the longest time, and if you haven't tried it before, you must!

I got totally hung up on the idea of making toadstool cupcakes in the last few weeks. And though it seemed like a cute idea, a plain cupcake decorated to look like a toadstool seemed a little blah. So I was really excited when I got the idea to combine it with my attempt at these cotton soft cheesecakes. The result was better than I had hoped, the cheesecake recipe is lovely and completely matches its name. I was surprised that the cheesecake itself wasn't that sweet, so it ended up matching very well with the strawberry jam and white chocolate buttons that topped it off. I would have made my own strawberry topping with fresh strawberries, sugar and gelatine, but unfortunately I didn't have the time or the ingredients. So if you feel like trying that, be my guest because I'm sure it will make it taste even better!!

I know it's been a little quiet on this blog recently, but I'm taking it pretty easy and only baking it when the mood strikes, because I don't want my entries to feel forced and rushed. There are so many amazing food blogs around at the moment and I think it's important to do what you love and are passionate about, without comparing yourself against others.

Anyway, if you are in a cheesecake mood, or even a sponge cake mood, this is the recipe for you. The cake is somewhere between a baked cheesecake and a very light sponge, and I think I could eat about 3 of them in one sitting if I had no self control. Of course, I love splitting them up into individual portions, and decorating them to look like toadstools makes it all the more fun. They would be great for a kid's tea party I think! Though now I'm totally regretting not putting a pair of eyes on one of them, but that might make me want to create more Mario characters as baked goods.

Strawberry Cotton Soft Japanese Cheesecakes
(adapted from this recipe, makes about 14 cupcake sized cheesecakes)
140g/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)
250g strawberry jam
Optional: White chocolate buttons

Melt cream cheese, butter and milk over a double boiler. I used a whisk to break up any lumps. Cool the mixture. Fold in the flour, the cornflour, egg yolks, lemon juice and mix well.

Whisk egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy. Add in the sugar and whisk until soft peaks form.

Add the cheese mixture to the egg white mixture and gently fold until just combined. Spoon into cupcake tray lined with paper liners, filling to about 5/6ths full.

Bake cheesecake in a water bath (I placed my cupcake tray in a roasting tray that was 3/4 filled with water) for approximately 30 mins or until set and golden brown at 160 degrees C (325 degrees F). A skewer inserted into the centre should come out with some moist crumbs attached. To avoid the cheesecakes cracking or collapsing, turn the oven off right before they are ready and then leave the oven door slightly open so they cool gradually. After 5 minutes, remove them from the oven and let them sit in the tray for another 10 minutes. Remove from the tray and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

While the cheesecakes are baking, place strawberry jam in a small saucepan and gently heat, stirring until smooth. Set aside to cool and set slightly. When your cheesecakes have cooled, spoon a layer of strawberry jam over the top.

Optional: Decorate with white chocolate buttons to make them look like toadstools, which is kind of awesome. Leave to set for about half an hour and then remove paper cases before serving. Can be stored in fridge overnight.