Mia's Recipe: Japanese (New York) Cheesecake Cupcake

As in my Japanese Cotton Cheesecake post last week, I've mentioned I went on a baking spree that Sunday. Now, to be exact, I went on a cheesecake baking spree. Apart from the cotton cheesecake, I've also baked some NY cheesecake cupcakes. Now I can't really differentiate NY cheesecake against Japanese cheesecake (those sticks selling at Beard Papa), so if you know how to, please tell me!

Now, let's get on with the ingredients so we can get started. 

We will need:

For the crust base

Vanilla Wafers or Digestive Biscuits - 120g

Butter - 40g 

(You might wanna use a bit more butter with Digestives)

For the cheesecake

Cream Cheese - 200g

Caster Sugar - 60g

Eggs - 2 nos.

Fresh Cream - 150ml

Lemon Juice - 1 tbsp.

AP Flour - 3 tbsp.

Butter - 20g

First up, melt your butter in a hot water bath and then place the wafers/biscuits in a ziplock bag and smash them with a rolling pin or any alternatives. Otherwise, you can crush them in a food processor until fine. 

 I crushed my digestives with a wooden spoon, actually. 

 Mix in the melted butter until they resembles wet sand. 

Spoon the wet crumbs mixture into the muffin tin/sillicon cups lined with cupcake liners. I've used 1.5 to 2 tsp. each and then felt that my base was too thin when my cupcakes were baked. Will recommend doubling what I've used (3 to 4 tsp.) on a No. 8 cupcake liner. 

Press down the crumbs firmly into the cupcake liners and leave in the fridge for them to set for at least 30 minutes. 

Meanwhile, we shall prepare the cheesecake mixture.

Beat the softened cream cheese until smooth and add in caster sugar. Mix well.

Add eggs (beaten) bit by bit, mixing well with each addition. 

Add fresh cream and mix well.

Add lemon juice and mix well. 

Sift in flour and mix well. 

Finally, add in butter (melted) and mix well until the mixture is smooth. 

The batter will be pretty runny and liquidy. 

Pour the mixture into the crusted cupcake liners until 3/4 filled and bake at 170 degree Celsius for 20 minutes. 

Do not check the readiness of the cupcakes by inserting a toothpick, expecting them to come out clean, because they shouldn't!

I gauged by seeing my cupcake tops getting slightly browned (some didn't because my oven sucks) and developing this layer of sheen over the top. If you tap the top of the cupcakes, they should have this subtle 'jiggly' texture to it. 

Cool the cupcakes down to room temperature and chill them in the fridge for at least 3 hours before serving. 

If you can see, the insides remain very soft and moist. I didn't do a good job with tapping out the air bubbles, though. :(

Till then,

Mia

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Mia's Recipe: Japanese Cotton Cheesecake

On Sunday, I totally went on a crazed baking spree and baked 2 kind of cheesecakes. One of them is the Japanese Cotton Cheesecake (Cupcakes). Sounds good? So let's get on with the ingredients so we can get started. 

We will need: 

Cream Cheese - 200g (I may experiment with the usual 250g tub another time)

Milk - 200ml 

Butter - 60g

Eggs - 6 nos.

Sugar - 140g

Flour - 60g (I used AP, but I believe cake flour is the best choice)

Corn Starch - 20g

First, heat up the milk in a pot over heat and melt in the cream cheese and butter until mixture turns smooth and leave it to cool.

Separate the egg yolks from the whites (make sure absolutely no traces of yolks get into the whites) and beat the whites till frothy. Add in sugar in 3 batches, beating in between each additions and then continue beating on high until meringue stage (peaks formed). 

I beat mine for 20 minutes in total, on mid-high speed. 

By this time, your cream cheese mixture should be cooled. Add in the egg yolks and mix until well combined. 

Sift in the flour and corn starch and mix well. 

Next, temper the cream cheese mixture by adding in 1/4 to 1/3 of the meringue and stirring until well combined (very important!) 

Pour the tempered cream cheese mixture back into the meringue and fold lightly to combine. 

Take note not to over mix this final mixture, if not your cakes will not come out fluffy and 'cottony'! 

 Scoop the batter into your muffin tins lined with cupcake liners (I did 2.3 tbsp for each no. 8 sized liners) and bake them over a hot water bath at 160 to 170 degree celsius for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the top is nicely browned. 

Baking over hot water bath simply means pouring some boiling water in your baking tray before sitting your muffin tins directly into the water, but making sure they're not immersed. 

I baked my cupcakes at 160 degree celsius for the first 20 minutes before turning up my heat to 170 degree celsius when i realised my top were still pretty 'white'. I want to get my top nicely browned and was worried that continuing to bake them slowly at 160 might dry out their centre. 

As you can see,  my cupcakes shrank pretty bad. This was because I baked mine in 2 batches and I must take out this first batch before I can put in my 2nd batch. They immediately collapsed and shrank when i set them out on the cooling rack, due to the sudden drop in temperature. 

For my 2nd batch, I decided to off the mains after 22 to 23 minutes (instead of 25 minutes) and let the cupcakes cool slowly in the oven itself. The shrinkage was less obvious.

 And here's a shot of how the middle looks like. Extremely fluffy and moist. :)

Till then,

Mia

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