Happy Birthday to Sin Cheah

A birthday cake for Sin Cheah :D

We were lazy and used can whipped cream instead so.... the result did seem a bit sloppy. Pei Hwan sponsored the fruits and her mother help with the arrangements.

Japanese Cotton cheesecake [original recipe]

After the first attempt at the cheesecake, I decided to try again, this time with the original recipe. No reduction. The one with the 4 eggs.

Recipe refer to Passionate about Baking, adapted from Alex's Goh recipe.

More familiar with the steps this time, I took some pictures along the way =b


Ingredients:
(A) 160g Cream Cheese, 25g Butter, 120g Milk
(B) 40g Flour, 30g Cornflour
(C) 4 Egg yolks
(D) 4 Egg whites, 1/8tsp Cream of Tartar, 100g Sugar, pinch of Salt

Method:

1. Grease and line the bottom of two 20-cm oval pans. Wrap outside of the pans in foil.
2. Place (A) in mixing bowl and stir over double-boiler until thick. Remove it from double-boiler.
3. Add (B) and mix until well combined. Add (C) and mix until well blended.
4. Whip the egg whites in (D) until foamy. Then add the remaining (D). Continue whipping until soft peaks. Add it into the cheese mixture from step (3).
5. Pour the cheese filling onto the prepared oval pans. Bake in water bath at 160C for 40-45 minutes or until well incorporated.
6. Remove cake from the oven. Remove the cake from the mould immediately. Set aside to cool.

Notes:
1. I reduced the sugar to 90g.
2. I sieved the mixture after step 3.
3. I used 150C and must have probably took at least 2 hours to bake =_= I am not sure what I did wrong. It was still moist whenever i tested the cake.
4. I cover the top of my cake loosely with an aluminium foil as soon as I saw that the top is golden brown in colour, which is after, about 35 mins.
5. I used hot boiling water for the water bath.
6. I used a 8 inch round cake tin, greased the bottom and side of the cake tin and line paper at the bottom only.
7. For step 6, I used a small spatula to run between the cake and tin, and leave the cake to cool inside the tin.

This egg separator makes life a little easier for separating eggs.

The cream cheese mixture before sieved.

sieved them nice and slow =b

see how they become smoother now?


Beating egg white till soft peak

Poured them into my 8 inch cake tin


Ah, yes. The sponge is definitely taller than first attempt. :D

Japanese cotton cheesecake (75% of original recipe)

I had never made any sponge related cake before cause I have this phobia. Okay, maybe phobia is a little too much. But I am really really scared that my cake would collapse, too dense or dry or... that's why I had always made muffin. Cause they are easy.

My friend encouraged me to try. My mom as well, she told me that she used to make countless failed butter cake until she was eventually satisfied. Oh, she never follow recipe and only estimate by eyes.

So why started with Cotton cheesecake, you might ask? Well, I really want to make a dessert that my family would like. My parents are not big fan of chocolate and I remembered my younger brother told me he prefer light cheesecake compared to those heavier type.

I chose this recipe from wendyywy, who adapted from Alex Goh. Her cakes look really pretty and told. I also refer to another site from The Little Teochew which I find is very very helpful especially for a beginner like me. She offers several tips and tricks. Really really really helpful!

Baked this cake nearly 2 weeks ago but was too busy to post.

Wendy's recipe only calls for 3 eggs. She reduced the ingredients slightly for her 8 inch round cake tin. I only follow her cake recipe and did not do any topping like she did. Please visit her page for her fruit topping's instructions.

[Recipe below copied from Wendy, please visit her site]

Ingredients:
125gm cream cheese

90ml milk

15gm butter

30gm flour

24gm cornstarch

3 egg yolks

3 egg whites
pinch of salt

1/8 tsp cream of tartar

75gm sugar

Methods:
1. In a heavy saucepan, cook cream cheese, milk and butter until thick and smooth. Set aside.

2. Preheat oven at 160C. Boil some water.

3. After the cheese mixture has turned warm and mix in both flours. Stir with a whisk until smooth.

4. Put egg yolks into the cheese mixture and stir until well combined.

5. In another clean bowl, beat egg whites until frothy. Put in cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks, add in sugar gradually and beat until stiff (soft droopy peak that will hold its form).

6. Fold 1/4 of egg whites into cheese mixture, and then another 1/4 of the egg whites.

7. Pour the cheese mixture into the remaining egg whites and fold.

8. Pour batter into a lined pan (you can just line the base and grease the sides, it's not a must to line the sides as well. Springform or regular pan will be fine, but spring form's base must be wrapped.)

9. Place cake pan into a slightly bigger, shallower pan. Fill the bigger pan with boiling water and put in oven to bake at 150C for 45 minutes.

10. Unmould cake immediately upon removal from oven, if not, the cake will shrink a lot. (If you're using a regular pan you can release the sides by running a knife between the cake and pan, and leave the cake in the pan to cool down).

My note:
1. I reduced sugar to 60g which is just right for my family's standard. They don't like it too sweet.
2. I follow Wendy's instruction all the way. Except I sieved the mixture just as Little Teochew advised after step 4 above.
3. I used double boiler method to melt my butter, cheese and mixture in step 1.
4. I was really slow and preparation alone took me one and a half hour! Haha

The outcome of my cake is quite short. Slightly over 1 inches only. For a first timer, I think I might have done something wrong somewhere. I am not sure. But the texture and taste are great. They are soft and cottony. My family love it. So was my brother, who is very picky at food. I cut out 2 small pieces for my fren, Hwan and she told me she loved it! :)

Such great joy when someone tell you that he/she loves your desserts.