Japanese Cheesecake (with cream)

Less than two weeks to go before Chinese New Year, and I can see many food-bloggers posting recipes for CNY cookies. I haven't started making any yet, though usually I just stick to making pineapple tarts. My sister just came back from Malaysia and brought over a few jars of CNY goodies which I have started snacking on, and at this rate, there might not be any left by the time CNY comes around. Anyway, I plan to make the tarts closer to CNY so that they are still fresh when I serve them to friends and family. In the meantime, instead of twiddling my itching-to-bake fingers, I decided to try out this cheesecake recipe that was posted by Nami a few months ago on Just One Cookbook.

I halved the recipe, knowing that if I made the whole batch, I'd have no trouble finishing it, and then I would in trouble as that would leave me with little room for feasting during CNY (including the days leading up to it). I've made many versions of cheesecakes in the past. So, what's the verdict on this one? Hmm...like a cloud - light, melt-in-your-mouth creamy and fluffy, just the way I like it. Surprisingly, that little bit of rum added a nice hint of sweetness that made the cake taste extra special.

As the cake tends to firm up a bit in the fridge, I find it best to let the cake sit out for a while before serving. We thoroughly enjoyed this cheesecake and I can't wait to bake it for my mum when she comes to visit. Please find the recipe after the jump.

Japanese Cheesecake
Adapted from Just One Cookbook

Ingredients

400 g (14.1 oz) cream cheese, at room temperature

60 g (4 tbsp) caster sugar

60 g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature

6 egg yolks, beaten, at room temperature,

200 ml heavy/thickened cream

10 ml (2 tsp) lemon juice

1 tbsp rum

60g plain flour
20g cornflour

6 egg whites

100g (7 tbsp) caster sugar for meringue

3 tbsp Apricot jam + 1 tsp water

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160C (320F). Boil some water for the bain marie or water bath and prepare a roasting pan that is large enough to fit the baking pan.
2. Grease the base and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Line the base with baking paper. Prepare 2-3 large sheets of aluminium foil and use them to cover the outside of the pan. This has to be leak-free and waterproof to prevent water (from the bain marie) from seeping into the cake. Alternatively, use a regular (non-springform) baking tin, in which case the foil is not necessary.
3. Sift the plain flour and cornflour together. Set aside.
4. Using a stand mixer, beat cream cheese and 60g caster sugar until smooth. Add butter and beat again.
5. Add yolks to the mixture and beat until well mixed. Then, add the cream and beat again  until very smooth. Scrape the bottom of the bowl as the cheese tends to get stuck there.
6. Add lemon juice and rum and mix until smooth and lump-free. Switching to a whisk attachment will help break up the lumps.
7. Sift the flours into the mixture and beat on low speed until incorporated.
8. In another clean bowl, whisk the egg whites on medium speed until frothy. Increase speed to high and gradually add sugar. Continue to whisk until just stiff peaks. Do not overwhisk as it may cause the top of the cake to crack while baking.
9. Add 1/3 of meringue to the batter and mix well. Then, add the rest of meringue and fold in gently with a large flat spatula until well combined.
10. Pour the batter in the springform pan and level the top. Lightly tap the tin on the table 4-5 times to get rid of any large air bubbles.
11. Place the springform pan (covered with foil outside) in the roasting pan and place it in the oven such that the top of the cake is level with the middle of the oven. Before closing the oven door, pour the boiling hot water into the baking pan until it reaches 1 inch high. Moisture from the water will prevent cracks on the surface of the cake.
12. Bake at 320F (160C) for 60 minutes or until lightly golden. Then reduce temperature to 300F (150C) and bake for about 20-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
13. Turn off the oven and let the cake sit in the oven with the door slightly ajar (I wedged an oven mitt in between) until it has cooled completely. Remove the cake from the pan.
14. In a small bowl, combine apricot jam and water and microwave for a few seconds. Sieve the jam to remove bits of apricot. Spread the warm jam on the cake and refrigerate briefly for 1-2 hours before serving.

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Hokkaido Cupcakes with Cream

 

One thing that often plagues me is that I can never get my sponge cakes to be soft and fluffy like the ones from the Chinese bakeries. There has to be some sort of special ingredient that gives the cake that ethereal texture, and for a long time, the answer has eluded me. I am generally not an advocate of instant cake mixes, as I find that they usually produce cakes with an unpleasant chemical aftertaste. This time however, I had to succumb to the fact that I am never going to achieve the perfect sponge unless I use a sponge cake mix of some sort. When I chanced upon this Hokkaido cake mix at a baking supplies store a few weeks ago, my gut (or more like my stomach) told me to grab a packet immediately. I then realised that I didn't have a recipe for the cake. Fortunately, when I approached the shop owner about it, she smiled and said "I'll give you the recipe". She proceeded to pull out a thick folder bursting with recipe printouts of all sorts, and handed me a small cut-out of the Hokkaido cake recipe which I safely tucked into my pocket. I continued eyeing the folder whilst secretly hatching a plan to recipe-nap it and run away. Well, that didn't happen, but I did ask her (nicely) for another recipe.

It appears that Hokkaido cake has been quite the fad since early last year, though I only managed to buy and eat some recently. I'm not exactly sure of the origin of these cakes, and contrary to its namesake, I read somewhere that it originated in Malaysia. Coincidentally, my cousin attended a baking class conducted by a Japanese lady, where she was teaching how to make Hokkaido Chiffon Cake, and it didn't look anything like the ones I made. I guess it's just like Hainanese chicken rice did not originate from Hainan Island, but Singapore/Malaysia.

Anyway, Hokkaido cupcakes are really popular in Malaysia and they are basically chiffon cupcakes with cream or custard centres. Sometimes they come in chocolate and other flavours too. I made plain ones with a fresh vanilla cream and custard filling, and that cake mix is fantastic. The cake was super soft, just like the ones I got from the bakery. The cake does shrink considerably straight out of the oven, but once you pipe the cream into the centre, it comes back to shape again.

The recipe below uses the Hokkaido cake mix (a blend of flours I presume), and if you don't have the cake mix, I suppose you could substitute with cake flour since it looks like a basic chiffon cake recipe.

Hokkaido Cake

Ingredients

5 egg yolks
1 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp milk
70g Hokkaido cake mix
25g corn oil or canola oil

5 egg whites
4 tbsp caster sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Cream filling (mix together):
1 cup thickened cream, whipped
1-2 tbsp icing sugar
1/2 cup prepared instant custard (use instant custard powder mixed with milk)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160C. Place egg yolks, sugar, milk and cake mix in the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk on medium speed until light and creamy. Then mix in the oil.

2. In a another bowl, whisk egg whites with sugar and cream of tartar until soft peaks (or just stiff), then fold in with the egg yolk mixture above.

3. Spoon the mixture into paper cups about three quarters full. Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.

4. Pipe the cream into the centre of the cakes, and dust the tops with icing sugar. Refrigerate before serving.

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Sweet and Spicy Pork Ribs

I grew up in a culture where rice is a staple food, and almost every meal (that my mum cooked) would consist of boiled white rice served with a variety of meats, soups and vegetables. Mum's a fantastic cook who takes pride in the food she prepares for us, which is why I always look forward to her cooking whenever I go back to visit. I try to learn as much as I can from her, although in the much earlier years, before my foray into the kitchen, I was merely interested in consuming the end product and not so much how it was prepared.  I have, however, picked up many kitchen tips from her since then, which are truly invaluable and have probably saved me from countless pain and heartaches in the kitchen. Thanks Mum!

With my family, I've followed the same tradition of serving rice for dinner (except for the occasional fast food or fish and chips on the weekends - kids, you know, gotta keep them happy). There are  endless types of dishes that go with rice, ranging from healthy stir-fries and stews to sinfully indulgent deep-fried foods (which is really okay if you don't eat them too often).

In today's post, I'm featuring these crunchy deep-fried pork ribs slathered with a creamy chilli and tomato sauce (this probably falls under the "sinfully indulgent" category). I've made these three times already, simply because they are sooooo addictive and deliriously good. It's a little like sweet and sour pork, but more spicy than sour (uhh... hence I named it sweet and spicy pork ribs). G enjoyed them so much that he claimed he would drive miles just to eat it. But really, this is a simple and easy dish to pull off, and most of the ingredients should already be stocked in the fridge or pantry. I've specifically used Lingham's chilli sauce in the recipe as it has a sweet garlicky flavour that gives the sauce that "special" taste. It should be available in most good supermarkets, otherwise try substituting with Thai sweet chilli sauce instead.

Sweet and spicy pork ribs

Ingredients

450g (1 lb) pork spare ribs (or substitute with belly pork, skin removed)
3 tbsp cornflour, extra
2 cups vegetable oil for deep frying
1/2 tsp vegetable oil
Scallions, chopped, for garnish

Marinade:
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 small egg (or half a large egg)
1 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp cornflour
1/3 tsp salt
Dash of pepper

Sauce (combine in a bowl):
2 tbsp Lingham's chilli sauce
1 tbsp ketchup
1 tsp Sriracha chilli sauce (or more to taste)
4 tbsp mayonnaise

Method

1. Slice the pork into 3/4 inch cubes. Spread a few pieces out on the chopping board, cover with clingwrap and pound with a meat mallet to tenderise the meat. Repeat with the rest of the pork.
2. Combine pork with the marinade and mix well. Set aside for 30 minutes.
3. Heat vegetable oil in a deep pan or wok on high heat. Toss the 3 tbsp cornflour onto the pork and toss to coat evenly.  When the oil is hot (slowly lower a piece of pork into the oil - if it sizzles, the oil is ready), add the pork piece by piece so that they don't stick together when cooked. Cook in two batches to avoid overcrowding in the pan.
4. Let the pork fry in the oil for 2-3 minutes before turning over. Fry for another 2 minutes or until lightly golden brown and crisp. Remove and drain on kitchen paper or a metal rack.
5. Heat a medium sized wok or non-stick pan with 1/2 tsp vegetable oil. When hot, add the sauce ingredients and stir with a spatula until it starts to simmer a little (you just want to heat it up). Add the deep-fried pork and toss in the sauce until evenly coated. Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with chopped scallions. Serve immediately with boiled jasmine rice. Enjoy!

 

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Creamy Japanese Cheesecake with Sponge base

 

 

This cheesecake is kind of a cross between cotton soft Japanese cheesecake and American (NY style) cheesecake. Though it does not have the chiffon cake properties of the former, it is not as dense as its American counterpart. From the photos here, you can sort of tell that the cheese layer is slightly fluffy, and there is a layer of sponge cake on the base as well. This version of cheesecake is quite similar to the Hokkaido cheesecake sold at Breadtop, However, I would have preferred a lighter, smoother and fluffier texture, and less "cheesey". Maybe it's just that I overfolded the egg whites and lost all that air and fluffiness. In my next attempt (not so soon), I might use use less cream cheese, add more fresh cream and toss in some cake flour, and see how that turns out. 

 

 

Japanese Cheesecake

Adapted from Kuali.com

Ingredients

Sponge base

4 egg yolks
20g sugar
4 egg whites
80g sugar
100g plain flour
50g butter (melted)

Cheese filling:

500g cream cheese
150g icing sugar
5 egg yolks
20g corn flour
150g thickened/whipping cream
5 egg whites
30g sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
3 tbsp lemon juice

Method

Sponge base: 

 

1. Preheat oven at 180 degrees Celcius.Whip yolks and sugar until light and fluffyFor meringue, whip whites until soft peak and add sugar, continue to whip until stiff peak.
2. Incorporate the meringue into the yolks mixture.
3. Sift and fold in flour and lastly stir in melted butter and mix well.
4. Pour batter into 23cm greased mould and bake at preheated oven for 25 - 30 minutes.
5. Invert the cake directly from the mould once it is baked.

 

Cheese filling:

1. Line a thin layer (slice the cake to 1cm thick) of sponge base on to a 23cm (9in) springform cake pan. Wrap the outside of the pan with 2-3 layers of aluminium foil to prevent water seeping in from the water bath. Preheat oven at 160 degrees Celcius.
2. Whisk cream cheese, icing sugar, corn flour and cream over simmering water until smooth. Remove from heat.Mix in yolks, zest and juice, mix until well incorporated and set aside.
3. To make meringue, whisk egg whites until foamy.
4. Add in sugar and continue to whip until stiff peaks.
5. Lightly fold one third of the meringue (egg white mixture) into the cheese mixture, gently fold in the remaining meringue until just combined.
6. Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake in a water bath in preheated oven for 50-60 minutes until firm and golden brown.
7. Transfer to a cooling rack, allow to cool and refrigerate overnight.
8. Glaze with warm apricot jam before serving and garnish as desired.

 

 

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