Japanese cotton cheesecake

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 160°C fan/180°C conventional. Grease a 20cm loose-bottom round cake tin and line the base with baking paper. Wrap the outside base and about 2cm up the sides tightly with a double layer of foil to prevent water getting in during the water bath.

2. 2

   Set a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water (bain-marie). Add the cream cheese, unsalted butter and whole milk and whisk gently until completely smooth and warm, about 5 minutes.

3. 3

   Remove the bowl from the heat. Sieve in the plain flour and cornflour and whisk until there are no lumps and the mixture is smooth.

4. 4

   Separate the eggs into yolks and whites. Whisk the egg yolks briefly, then add them to the warm cheese mixture one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Stir in the lemon juice, vanilla extract and salt.

5. 5

   In a very clean, dry bowl whisk the egg whites to soft peaks using an electric whisk. With the whisk running, add the caster sugar in three additions and continue whisking until glossy, stiff peaks form (about 5–7 minutes).

6. 6

   Fold a third of the meringue into the cheese batter to loosen it, then gently fold in the remaining meringue in two additions using a spatula. Work quickly but gently: fold from the bottom and lift rather than stirring.

7. 7

   Pour the batter into the prepared tin, smooth the surface and tap the tin gently on the worktop to release any large air pockets.

8. 8

   Place the tin in a large roasting tin. Carefully pour boiling water into the roasting tin until it reaches halfway up the sides of the cake tin. Bake for 50 minutes at 160°C fan/180°C conventional, until the top is pale golden and a skewer inserted near the centre comes out with just a few damp crumbs.

9. 9

   Turn the oven off. Prop the oven door open a crack and leave the cake inside to cool slowly for 1 hour — this gradual cooling helps prevent the cake from collapsing.

10. 10

    Remove the cake from the oven and from the water bath. Take off the foil and loosen the cake from the tin, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours to set fully before slicing.

11. 11

    Just before serving, dust the top lightly with icing sugar and slice to serve.

Tips

• Use room-temperature cream cheese and eggs — they incorporate more smoothly and give a silkier batter.
• Ensure the bowl and whisk are spotless and grease-free before whipping egg whites; even a trace of fat will stop the meringue from forming stiff peaks.
• Wrap the tin tightly in foil and use very hot water for the bath so the oven temperature stays steady during baking.
• If you want neat slices, warm a knife under hot water, wipe dry and slice in long, confident strokes.
• Make the cake a day ahead: chilling overnight improves sliceability and the texture becomes even silkier.

Substitutions

• cream cheese → mascarpone, same quantity (300g)

  Stays close

• plain flour → gluten-free plain flour blend, same quantity (60g)

  Noticeably different

• unsalted butter → vegetable margarine, same quantity (50g)

  Noticeably different

Nutrition

Per serving · estimated

337

Calories

8 g

Protein

27 g

Carbs

23 g

Fat

2 g

Fibre

16 g

Sugar

300 mg

Sodium

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