Saturday 1 September 2012

Cotton Soft Japanese Cheesecake : Dare to Fail








There are things that you were born to fail at. It's written in the stars. Or that's what I think. Like dancing. I can never in the life of me follow or remember the choreography. The moment the music starts, I forget where is left and where is right. Or up or down for that matter. My brain just isn't wired that way.

And then there's the Cotton Soft Japanese Cheesecake. You may or may not have read about my obsession and ensuing exasperation with this cake here and if I had this kind of gung ho enthusiasm when preparing for my SRP or SPM exams, I would have scored straight A's.


I am well aware that this cake has been done to death in the blogosphere. I have viewed so many blogs and admired their perfect cottony cake and followed the numerous tips and tricks. The most notable being The Little Teochew, the Mecca of Cotton Soft Japanese Cheesecake.

But oh no, try as I may, I did get my cake but THAT texture eluded me. It was more on the dense side, too moist but still edible. I guess that's what matters most. 

Just for laughs, this is how a failed Japanese Cheesecake looks like :



Looks like a cardboard box. All leathery.


Or even better, this :

Aiyo! Why your cake look like that one! Like tayar pancet.


Wendy's recipe that uses failed cakes comes in really handy for this. That ugly thing up there actually tastes pretty good. I cut it while it was still slightly warm and it has a firm custardy texture. Quite nice and better still if I had some vanilla ice cream with it.

Haven't I given up already? Noooo........I tried again with water bath using Kimmy's new method. This was what I got :


Much better but the sides are crinkly.

Slight improvement, at least it wasn't all collapsed in a heap. But the texture was still dense and it was too moist. Taste wise, it was good, just too wet for my liking.


Not cottony at all. Dense and too moist.


Certain spots look like it was almost there.

I would go down in history as the person who murdered the Cotton Soft Japanese Cheesecake. Anyway if you haven't already attempted this cake, get the recipe at Diana's Desserts. Even though I failed, I am still documenting the steps that I did below for future reference. And believe me, this won't be my last attempt. Some people just don't know how to give up. Hmmmph!



Ingredients.

Melt using double boiler method.


Mash with fork.



Melted but still lumpy.


Cool mixture and add egg yolks one by one.


Mix in flour.


Strain mixture.
Egg white and egg yolk mixture.



Fold in together.


All mixed.


Pour into lined pan.


The water bath.


Into the oven. Baked for 1 hour 20 minutes.


After cooling in the oven for 30 minutes.

OK only lah. Must try again!




104 comments:

  1. Aiyoh, this cotton soft Jap cheesecake is so difficult to bake ah? Scare me now. It has been in my list as long as I opened my blog, hahaha! Never give up, I support you, wait for the day you share with us a perfect baked cotton cheese cake!

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  2. Jessie, hah! hah! hah! Don't worry, so many people did it beautifully. It's just me lah. I'm sure you can do a much better job. Looking forwards to you Japanese Cheesecake :)!

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    Replies
    1. Hi, how is your improvement on your jap cheesecake now? If u don't mind I can share with u my experience. I love baking cheesecake too.

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    2. To prevent the mixture from getting too lumpy, make sure the cheese mixture completely cool down. ADD in flour 1st!! Use a whisker to whisk the mixture. If its still lumpy, strain it. Then lastly add egg yolks & etc.
      And the reason why your cake came out soggy, mainly I think because the egg white is not at the correct soft peak yet. Baking cotton cheesecake or sponge cake , getting the correct egg white beating is very crucial & they are the one to decide the result of the cake. Good luck :)

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    3. Hi Rachelee84! Thank you so much for your tips! I am still working on the cheesecake :) Good thing is that the kids never tire of eating it even though it comes out not perfect. Will try your method and one day you'll see my improved cheesecake, hopefully hah! hah!

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  3. Practice makes to perfect. But I have yet to practice to make Japanese cheesecake. I should try it one day and see how 'bad' it came out from my oven. :-)

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    Replies
    1. Mel, don't let my failure discourage you! I am still very new in baking. I am sure yours will turn out nicely.

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    2. Oh, one more thing, did you let the cake cool down in the oven itself with the door ajar?

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    3. The first time, I didn't that is why the cake collapsed. Then subsequently, I let it cool in the oven. But still doesn't help.

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  4. Keep trying! My daughter's also was not quite right the first time she tried but when she tried again at home, it came out pretty well -
    https://suituapui.wordpress.com/2010/11/28/keep-on-trying/
    A bit wrinkled at the top - they said she took it out before the cake cooled.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for the encouragement! I really appreciate it. Will check out that post.

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  5. Hi Phong Hong, good try but I was advised to always try recipes with smaller portion. I have some cream cheese in my fridge and still looking for a reliable recipe. My cousin bakes cottony soft cheesecake very often but it's quite dense and moist too. I never see the whole cake, only the cut slices [ugly parts hidden somewhere]. Keep trying and I'll join you soon.....

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    1. Thanks, Kimmy. I will try again soon. Hope you will experiment and let me know how it works out.

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  6. :) you made me smile, I can only admire that you still want to try-I hardly do it-when I fail with a recipe I almost never repeat:)

    Blog about life and travelling
    Blog about cooking

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  7. Hi Phong Hong, thanks for sharing the step by step photos. This cake is in my list for the longest time, still half heart to bake or not to bake.

    Keep up the good job, wish you good luck in your next attempt.

    Have a nice weekend.

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    Replies
    1. Amelia, your are most welcome. Good things are to be shared, even failure, so that others will learn from it. Yes, I will try again!

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  8. Hi Phong Hong, Yes never give up. I'm sure you can do a better job on your next attempt.

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    1. Thanks Ann, I need all the encouragement. I will definitely give it another go :)

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  9. First of all, thanks for visiting my blog. :) I admire your perseverance attitude, I bet you will succeed one day in getting the right texture. When I browsed through your step-by-step pictures, one thing caught my eye, your water bath. From my understanding, the cake pan should be immerse inside the hot water bath for making cheesecake. So, do you think this might be the problem?

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    1. I did try immersing it before. Got the same results. Kimmy did hers this way and it worked for her souffle cake. Thanks very much for your observation and I appreciate you coming by.

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  10. For a failure, your cheesecake looks pretty darn tasty! I've always immersed my cheesecakes when doing a water bath, too.

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    1. Hi Lizzy, it did taste alright, just that the texture wasn't the ideal one. But never fear, I've got a whole bunch of cream cheese in the fridge and I shall troop on!

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  11. phong hong, never give up ( i know u won't :)

    i always do like this when i make cottonsoft JC, chiffon cake..
    - put 1/3 of egg white mix/meringue into yellow egg mix . then mix it with handwisk (use folding techniques/kaup balik kata org melayu hehe - NEVER STIR the mixture
    repeat until the last 1/3 but then use rubber/silicone spatula
    -mix it well but DO NOT overmix (if overmix the cake will drop)
    - always use boiled water for waterbath (make sure it was just boiled)

    hopefully, i will get the better result/cake for the next trying :)

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    1. K. Nor, thank you so much for the petua. Next round I will try your method. And thank you for dropping by my blog. I tak putus asa :)

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  12. Wow! Such a Soft and fluffy Cake. using cheese this way is new to me, will try soon, Thanks for sharing

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    1. Swasthi, it's supposed to be soft and fluffy, but mine wasn't like that. Hope yours turn out!

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  13. Do not despair, Phong Hong. I am sure one day we shall see your perfect japanese cheesecake. I've confidence in you.

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    1. Auwww....Veronica, that's so sweet of you. I am very touched, thank you!

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  14. LOL...your title had me curious hahaha...


    Ya try and try again. me also have to try making Yam Cake. Tried many times and not sucessful Maybe like you said somethings are written in the star that we cannot make

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    Replies
    1. We can defy fate if we persevere! That's me getting philosophical LOL! You try that yam cake again. One day sure jadi :)

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  15. PH, that's the right attitude, keep practicing till you get it right, i look forward to your post that says "Nailed it! :)

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    1. Hah! Hah! Hah! Thank you, Esther! Now I'm all fired up!

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  16. Bravo that you keep trying! I am sure some day you will get it perfect...

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  17. Phonh Hong, honestly, I don't see any failure in your super soft, mois, and droolworthy simple cheesecake!

    You did an amazing job on this and I admire you for striving at perfection:) Your step-by-step photo tutorial is amazing and its very inspirational to make me want to try this soon!
    Thanks for sharing:)xo

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    Replies
    1. Sorry dear for mispelling your name...instead of the G, I typed the H which is right next to it; not looking at the keyboard, or checking for errors. I type too fast, and sometimes careless!

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    2. Elisabeth, thank you for your compliments. I really appreciate it. Don't worry about the typo error. It's just my nickname anyway :)

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  18. Fail? Hmmm.. Don't look like you did. Least the first step is done. You challenged yourself to bake cotton soft Jap Cheesecake. I think I am too chicken shit to even try it. LOL.. but I can relate the perfectionist in you of wanting to perfect every single baking project. I am like that too. I am definitely going to challenge myself. Btw, I have had a lot of baking failures too :P. I guess it makes us better as cooks/bakers. No?. cheers, Jo

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    1. Jo, you are like my cheerleader LOL! I have been admiring your beautiful cakes and bakes and I bet you could get this one right. You are right, our baking failures teach us a lot and we become better with more practice. I've thrown away countless failed cakes. I even messed up brownies once or twice :D

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  19. Prior to my blogging life, I think I tried once making this Japanese cheesecake and it works well for me. I have forgotten the recipe and the method that I used. Maybe I should try baking this again...

    I admire your perseverance baking this cake and hope that you will succeed making a cottony Japanese cheesecake soon :D

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    1. Thank you, Zoe. And please bake this cake. I could learn a thing or two from you :)

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  20. Replies
    1. Thanks, Jay. I guess its the taste that really matters :)

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  21. Hey never give up, I know you can do it better in your next attempt. I can't remember how many failure cakes I've DUMP them in the dustbin.lol 加油。

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    1. Hah! Hah! Hah! Very comforting to know that I am not alone :)

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  22. PS...my chiffon cake did not sink after it cooled. Though a number of Tuesdays with Dorie bakers did have that problem. I think it is dependent on whipping your egg whites to the perfect spot...not underwhipped, but not overwhipped and dry. They should be pillowy and glossy. I think it takes some practice to know you've reached the correct stage...but keep on trying!!! Good luck!

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  23. After I went through your step by step photo, I also spot the step you fold egg yolk and meringue, like K. Nor said using hand whisk for first 1/3 meringue , just simply stir it and don't need to scare to deflate the batter as this step is to lighten the batter in order to easy fold with the balance meringue. Then use a spatula to gently fold another 1/3 meringue and final fold the balance 1/3 meringue. This is how I usually fold egg yolk batter and meringue for sponge cake and chiffon cake.
    Ya, one more thing , do not use non stick paper to line the pan.
    I have a post on this cake too, maybe you would like to check out.

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    Replies
    1. Sonia, thank you for your advice. I will check out your post:)

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  24. hi phong hong, you are someone who is really full of determination. It has been a very long time since i baked a soft cheesecake like this, way before blogging. while double boiling the cheese and milk, you can use a whisk to do it and keep stirring, i think there's easier to get a smooth mixture rather than a fork. cheese is at room temperature. i think you will do it better next time after all the above advices and comments given by friends. jia you!! sorry i laughed at your deflated cheese cake, looks like ham chim paeng. LOL!

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    1. Hah! Hah! Hah! Ya, lah like ham chim paeng! Lena, its ok, I laughed at it myself. Better than crying over a deflated cake, hor? I will try again and will do another post if it turns out.

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  25. Hi Phong Hong,
    You made me laugh with your description of tayar pancet! Hahahaha! You are very persistent, and that is good, otherwise "bo-kam-buan" if don't try again! I hope you get it right the next time round! Cheers!

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  26. Ya lah, Joyce. So many times already I very "boh kam guan" with this cake. I will try again and must make success to "uan siew" (revenge) heh..heh...heh....

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  27. Hi! I can totally empathize! i had the same experience. baked 6-7 japanese cheesecakes and all failed. at least yours looked like they had character. mine totally sank - literally.
    keep going!

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  28. Hi! I can totally empathize! i had the same experience. baked 6-7 japanese cheesecakes and all failed. at least yours looked like they had character. mine totally sank - literally.
    keep going!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Yi Ling! Wah, you too? This one is probably my 13th or 14th attempt. Lost count already. The kids never complained though, they just ate. Hah! Hah! As long as its edible, not too bad lah.

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  29. I really respect your persistence laa phong hong lol! If me, I gave up liao after the 2nd try. Hope to see a successful bake in your next post:D I noticed that you didn't add a third portion of the meringue into the cheese batter first to lighten it before adding the rest of the meringue. Maybe you could try that the next time.

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    1. Hi Jeannie, yah I just dump the whole thing in. Next time I will lighten the egg yolk mixture first. That's my problem, breaking the rules sometimes. You will see another post. Its either CSJC Success At Long Last or CSJC Curtains!

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  30. I really salute you, practice makes perfect! One day I believe your effort paid off :) and you will be the person who make the best Jap cheesecake, cause you are the one who had already experience most jap cheesecake recipes. Just don't forget to share tips & triks with us :)

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    1. Hah! Hah! Hah! I hope so! Sure, I will share the tips and tricks if it works out :)

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  31. the leathery one looks like a giant bread with some filling inside ;-)). i salute you for trying so many times. i wld have given up. well, soldier on and hope to see your victory post one day.

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    1. It does, doesn't it? Well, thanks and hopefully a victory post is in the making :)

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  32. Back to let you know that my ranch dressing should keep for 4 days, covered in the fridge :)

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  33. May be it was due to your oven. Is your oven program set at fan assistance mode? I have tried my oven with fan assistance mode the cake turned out like yours. I have tried my oven with only upper and lower program. First I baked the cake at 160°C for 10 minutes, then slowly turned down the temperature to 130°C and finally to 120 °C, a total of 60 to 70 minutes baking time, the cake turned out pretty good.

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    1. Hi there! I think my oven is fan assisted. Its a microwave with convection function. I'll be trying out the cake again and if it works out, I'll post it. Thank for dropping me a note on this. Much appreciated.

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  34. Go go go! U will succeed! Btw am using a convection oven also :)

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    1. Thanks, Peng! Will be trying again soon.

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  35. Hi there,
    Try to add meringue to the cheesecake batter instead the other round. Fold in meringue gently.
    As the flour mixture, mix in slowly in 3 portions.
    As for your pan, do wrapped with foils because the bottom will cause the cake condensed with water.

    Never give up, practice makes perfect! Fighting!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for taking the time to write me! I will take your advice when I next attempt this cake. I need all the help I can get :)

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  36. Oh my! Looks like we've had our share of "pancet" recipes this week. Gimme five!!
    Is this really so difficult? Now you've got me wanting to see how "pancet" I can make a cotton cheesecake. I've bookmarked a recipe somewhere. Gotta go see if that one works.
    I bow to your resilience :)

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    Replies
    1. Ping, if you bake this cake make sure your pan is NOT non-stick. Harrr...that is the secret. The batter must be able to cling on to the sides or else it will collapse. There will be another post on this as soon as TGG month is over.

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  37. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  38. Where you did wrong was when you dump all the egg yolk mixture straight into the egg whites. What happens is you create lumps, deflates the egg whites and create pockets of bubbles.
    You should fold gently 1/3 of the egg whites into the egg yolks, then fold that mixture into the remaining egg whites mixture gently and thoroughly. Or you can fold the egg whites into yolk mixture 1/3 at a time, folding well each addition. Do you notice the texture of your batter at the end? You can see the lumps of egg whites visibly. You can compare the texture of your cake mix with that of this video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dD0pXE5n3bc.
    Hope this helps :)

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    1. P/s: Please please do study the steps in the Youtube video link above before you try the cake again. Very very positive that you will make it if you follow the steps in the video exactly. Always compare the texture and look of your mixture at every step. I have learnt and succeed in every of my new cooking and baking adventures just by doing the above. :)

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    2. P/P/S: Use parchment paper to link the cake tin. It always gives me the best result.

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    3. Hi there, Lai Ling Leong! Thank you for taking the time to give me your comments. I will take your tips into consideration and will watch the video. As a matter of fact, I'm baking the cake this afternoon and your comment certainly came at a very good time!

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    4. LOL :) What a coincident, I just made one this afternoon too. Mine turn out this way.

      Right after resting 30 minutes in oven with door a jar a little
      https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151253354603421&set=a.10150109281308421.289997.783228420&type=1&theater

      After complete cooling, remove all lining paper and plating.
      https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151253492203421&set=a.10151161360153421.468273.783228420&type=1&theater

      How did yours go?

      Regards
      Lai Ling

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    5. Ok. Here's the final picture of a piece of the cake. Kept it in the fridge wrap with foil and cling wrap overnight before cutting.

      https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151254503073421&set=a.10151161360153421.468273.783228420&type=1&theater

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  39. P/s: Some tips to share. I had lumps of egg whites in my mixture, possible because I had whipped the egg whites a bit too much, it was on a medium peak stage rather then soft peaks. So what I did was I sieve the final mixture to rid the clumps of egg whites before putting it into the baking tin.

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  40. LLL, you can actually sieve the final mixture? Oh, that something new to me. My cake turned out a lot better than previous times, the best result so far I would say. So, it has to be chilled before slicing? I did not do that and perhaps that's why I did not get clean cuts. The texture and taste was really good, not dense like previous times. I will be making another attempt, this cake is so popular at home :) And I will put it up on a future post. I could not access your photos on Facebook :) Thanks again for sharing!

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  41. Hi Phong Hong,
    Congards! You are almost there. :)
    You can. Just be gentle. I did it on mine as I did over-beat the egg whites. I bought some fresh eggs and it was not refrigerated, it whipped up so fast it caught me off guard. By the time i added the last addition of sugar, it was already near medium peaks. As a result, I had clumps of egg whites in the mixture, so i sieved it.
    Yes it needs to be chilled before slicing. You will get a very nice textured cake once you chilled it overnight. Good cheese cake = Patience.. :)
    Good luck in your next attempt :).

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    1. Sorry about that, must be my FB security setting blocked here. Here are the pics

      1) Just left oven onto cooling rack. You will notice the cake is a bit out of shape and there are some minor cracks. But you will also notice there are no wrinkles on the cake. I will share with you a list of tips in my next post. (Too long to put into 1).
      http://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t391/gnileo/0.jpg

      2) After Cooling for about 1.5 hours on cooling rack. Cake is completely cool to touch. Moved it to plate. You will notice the cracks are gone and the cheesecake shape is now more even.
      http://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t391/gnileo/1-1.jpg

      3) This is how a slice looks like after the cake is in the chill box overnight.
      http://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t391/gnileo/2-2.jpg

      4) This is how it looks like in the inside.
      http://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t391/gnileo/3.jpg

      Sorry about the quality of the pics. The photographer (my BF) did not really do the cake justice :(

      Regards
      Lai Ling

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    2. P/s: I wrap the cake with tin foil and cling wrap before putting into the chill box. Important. Protect the cake from losing too much moisture in the chill box.

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  42. Here are some tips :)
    1) Q: Batter Lumpy after adding flour to cheese mixture. A: This is expected. You need to run your mixture after adding flour through wire sieve. This step is a must or your cheesecake will not raise proper and it could cause cheese cake to have a heavy bottom. 2) Q: Must I add flour to cheese mixture. A: Yes it is a must. This is the only way to make sure the flour is mixed thoroughly and does not leave flour lumps. 3) Q: Cheesecake wrinkles A: Temperature of the oven is too high. Please note that this cheesecake is not really a cake, but it is more like a pudding. Therefore it has to be baked on lower temperature and should be baked longer (normally 70 - 80 minutes at 150 Celsius). Tip: I wrap my cake tin with 3 layers of foil and make sure the bottom of the pan is submerge into the water ban marie style. For those who do not do the ban marie submerge style, please take care to turn the temp of oven down and my advise is to wrap the tin with foil as well to prevent wrinkles to form at the side of the cake. Someone once told me, how to know if the temperature is right, is by monitoring how the cake rises. Cheesecake should not raise too much and too fast. If you notice your cake raising very fast, your oven temp is too hot. Turn it down. Another reason why the cheese cake has bumps is often over-beating the egg whites. Medium peaks and hard peaks egg whites when mixed into the cheese batter tend to leave clumps of egg whites in the batter. Sometimes this happens to me as well. My way to fix this is i sieve the final mixture one more time before pouring it into the cake tin. Be gentle when you do this. 4). Q: Cheesecake collapse A: This could be caused by many factors. i) Measurement of ingredients are off. The batter could be too watery. ii) Oven temp too hot, causing cheesecake to raise too fast and collapse when heat is turn off (taking cheesecake out from oven immediately after baking) iii) Opening the oven door during baking and closing it back. Do not do this. Cheese cake are sensitive to temperature changes. Do not touch the oven door till it time is up. After turning off the oven, leave door ajar for at min 30 minutes, till when you put your hands at the gap of the oven door you do not feel intense heat coming out from the oven. After taking out from the oven, immediately remove foil wrap, de-pan, and peel off parchment paper lining at the side of the cake, cool on wire wrack to prevent soggy bottom. If you use a cake pan with a removable bottom, make sure when you de-pan, you remove the metal bottom from the cake as well. 5) Q: Cheesecake flat and turn out like New York cheesecake A: Under whipped egg whites. Egg whites, under whipped, tend to collapse when mixed into the batter. As a result, it will take like New York cheesecake rather then Japanese cheesecake. 6) Q: Cake taste too-eggy A: Use good quality cream cheese. I always Philly cheese. Turns out excellent on all my cheesecakes. 7) Q: Substitute for Cream Tatar A: It can be safely left out. Make sure you are very gentle when you mix the egg whites into the cheese mixture. Cream Tatar acts as egg whites stabilizers. I like to skip it as well, as I do not like the after taste of it in the cake. 8) Q: What is Cake flour. A: Is basically also wheat flour but low in gluten. If you don't have it, make your own. Recipe: 1 cup All purpose flour, 2 Tbs Corn flour. Method: Measure AP flour, remove 2 Tbs of AP flour, add in the 2 Tbs of corn flour. Sieve 5x. 9) Q: How to measure dry ingredients using cups A: Scoop, scrape a table knife across the top of the cup to level it. Always use the same cup.

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    1. LLL, whoa! Thank you so much! I really, really appreciate you taking time out to give me your tips on the cheesecake. Yes, you have answered some of the questions I've been wanting to ask, like how long should I cool it on the oven and should I de-pan after taking out of oven etc. I've looked at your photos and your cheesecake turned out beautiful!! I am so inspired and I will be putting up mine on a soon to come post. Thanks again!

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    2. Hi Phong, I am glad I am able to help :) Good luck and I look forward to see yours!
      :)

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  43. I saw a friends perfect looking Japanese Cheesecake on FB and was inspired to try. Mine turned out like your second photo! It was tasty though but sadly not as perfect as my friend's one. I did ask her for her recipe but she was not keen on giving it out, however I learnt a lot from reading all the tips and the comments. I think my oven was too hot as I saw the cake rise alarmingly fast! Hope to try this cake again with what I have gleaned here.

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    1. Hi Jackie
      Try this one.
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dD0pXE5n3bc

      Regards
      LLL

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  44. Hi Jackie! Well, never give up! I am still trooping on and I have made improvements :) I hope your cake turns out better on your next attempt. Good luck!

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  45. Dear,
    This is my feveret cake. Nana, my daughter is good in making this cake

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    1. Azie, then I must take lessons from Dr Nana!

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  46. Hi Phong Hong...........this friday i just finished my second attempt trying to bake this japanese cheesecake and came up like the first picture of your cheesecake, that's why i browse around just find good tips for me to bake a better one, next time, just like, i wont give up and i'm a baker, this is the only cake that i have failed.............so good for your still have spirit to try again .

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    1. Hi there! I'm still at it and hope that you will keep trying till you succeed!

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  47. Hi Phong Hong... son funny reading your adventures :), I'm from Quito Ecuador, I don't speak english very well, so I apologize in advance for any mistakes I make. Yesterday I had my first try with this beautifull delicious scary cake, I think my oven temperture was too low and since it was already one hour in the oven, and it was still so white, I increase de temperture for about 10 minutes. It got brown, then I turn off the oven, and left the oven door ajar... I guess I mixed the order of all steps jaja... the thing is that it shrank a little, and is a little moist too, but tastes so good anyway right? I'll try the next time with a higher temperture from the start and let it cool completely in the oven. Hugs from Ecuador...

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    1. Hi Sara! Your English sounds pretty good to me :) For me the best temperature is 140C and I still can't get it right. Grrr.....Will try the cake again this weekend for my mum as she hasn't eaten it yet. Hopefully it works out. Thanks for coming over. I hope your next bake will turn out better!

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  48. Hi Phong Hong, hope that your cheesecake has succeeded! When looking through your pictures of your process of baking the Japanese Cheesecake, I realised that it is important to melt and whisk the cheese + butter + milk till it is completely smooth and creamy (i.e. no lumps at all). I think a lumpy batter of cream cheese lumps could probably lead to the collapse of the cake. But then again, it's been more than a year since you last baked the cake so the mixing of the batter should have no problems haha!

    Regarding the baking of the cake, what I did was that I lined my aluminium tin (one entire piece - i.e. no removable bottom) with baking paper and poured my batter into it and then immersed the aluminium tin in a tray of water that is filled to at least half the height of the batter as the water will slow down the heat transfer process and probably allow the cake to rise slower and hence not deflate significantly when you remove it from the oven. That's what I observed and hope it'd help >.< I'm still in the midst of exploration too =) Cheers!

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    1. Hi Tony! Thank you so much for taking time to share with me your tips. SO far, I have made some improvements but it is not good enough yet :) I will try your method and see if I make any headway with this tricky cake!

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    2. Hey Phong Hong! Thanks for your reply =) All the best in your cake. Do post some pictures of your most recent ventures in this Jap. Cheesecake for us to see =D

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