Blueberry! Strawberry! Chocolate! Coffee! These are the few among the many flavours of desserts that we eat these days. One particularly popular dessert is the cheesecake - yes! The name itself gets us salivating, I'm sure. Cheesecakes are very popular and definitely top the list of 'must taste desserts' of almost every individual. And if it's Japanese Cheese cake, it's a cherry on the top.
HISTORY OF CHEESECAKES
cheesecake with fresh raspberries for dessert
To understand the history of this wonderful dessert, we will have to travel back in time to 5 th century B.C. The earliest mention of the cheesecake is made by the Greek physician, Aegis. He mentions the presence of three kinds of cheesecake all used for religious purposes. These three types/recipes of cheesecakes are, labium cake, savillum cake and placenta cake. Among these, the modern cheesecakes have adopted the recipe of the placenta cake which has the crust separately baked from the cake.
Also read Philly Cheese Steak RecipeThe cheesecake acquired an English origin by the 1300s because it was found in an English chef's cookbook. The dish did not, however, form into its modern form until the 18 th century. The modern cream cheese was found and added to the recipes only by the 19 th century. Currently, there are two different types of cheesecakes - one which is baked and the other one which involves unbaked cream cheese filling with a crumbled biscuit base.
NATIONAL VARIETIES OF CHEESECAKES
Cheesecakes can also be differentiated on the basis of the national varieties. These include:
Let us now delve deeper into one particular type of cheesecake - Japanese cheesecake.
JAPANESE CHEESECAKE:
Also read 10 remarkable things to be learned from Japanese cultureThe Japanese cheesecake has originated from Hakata. It is also popularly known as cotton cheesecake and light cheesecake. The cake uses lesser sugar and cheese. It contains fewer calories and is less sweet than the standard cheesecake found around the world. The cake was popularised in the 1990s by Uncle Tetsu's Cheesecake bakery.
From the given alternative names, it is very clear that the Japanese cheesecake is very soft and has a sponge like attribute. The Japanese cheesecake is of three types. In the bakeries of Japan, they do not mention 'cheesecakes' plainly anywhere. They only mention
1.Baked cheesecakes are the usual cheesecakes which have eggs, cream cheese, heavy cream and flour. These kinds of cheesecakes are baked in an oven. This kind of cheesecakes may sometimes have a biscuit crust or may not have the crust.
2. Rare cheesecakes are the no bake cheesecakes which use cream cheese, sugar and a gelatine mix which are chilled in the fridge. This kind of cheesecake does not use eggs ad is often served with berries. A biscuit crust is always used in this cheesecake.
3. Soufflé cheesecakes are the original Japanese cheesecakes, which were invented in Japan. This is the cheesecake which is known all over the world as Japanese cheesecake. Now, we will see as to what the ingredients are and how we can make this wonderful dish.
- Butter
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Corn starch
- Cake flour ( all-purpose flour)
- Cream of tartar
- Cream cheese
- Topping of choice - chocolate syrup, maple syrup, berries, jam, etc.
INGREDIENTS OF THE JAPANESE CHEESECAKE:
The ingredients of the Japanese cheesecake are as follows:
RECIPE OF THE JAPANESE CAKE:
Step 1
The oven should be preheated to 390 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 2
A cake can is to be greased with butter and a parchment paper should be placed at the bottom of the can. This is to make sure that the cake can be removed smoothly after the baking.
Step 3
Take a large bowl. This bowl has to be filled with boiling water. The boiling water bowl has to be big enough to hold on to a dish which will contain the cream cheese like a hot water bath.
Step 4
Take cream cheese in a shallow dish. Keep this dish over the bowl with the boiling water. This will help soften the cream cheese.
Step 5
While the cream cheese is softening, take the eggs and separate it.
Step 6
The softened cream cheese should be whisked until it is smooth and creamy.
Step 7
The milk and butter should be added to the smooth and creamy cream cheese.
Step 8
Take the separated yolks and whisk them. Slowly add sugar while the eggs are whisked and mix both yolk and sugar properly.
Step 9
Remove the shallow dish of cream cheese from the hot water bath. Now, sift in corn starch and cake mix into the mixture of cream cheese, butter and milk.
Step 10
Take the egg whites and whisk them.
Step 11
Cream of tartar and sugar should be added to the egg whites as they are whisked. The sugar should be added in small amounts at regular intervals to ensure a smooth creamy mixture at the end of the whisking process. The egg whites should be whisked till they reach the consistency of meringue. However, care should be taken to not whisk them too much as that might spoil the end result - the cheesecake itself.
Step 12
The whisked egg whites should now be mixed to the yolks, however not the whole mixture should be added at a go.
Step 13
One-third of the egg whites have to be taken and mixed slowly with the egg yolks until the mixture is properly incorporated. Here, the mixing should be done only using a spatula and not a whisk.
Step 14
After the first 1/3 rd of the mixture has been incorporated into the yolk mixture, half of the remaining egg whites mixture has to be added to the same. Care has to be taken to not deflate the batter.
Step 15
Now the egg white and yolk mixture has to be added to the remaining half of the egg white mixture. Then the whole mixture has to be folded slowly and softly using a spatula until they are properly mixed with one another.
Step 16
Now the mixture has to be poured into the greased cake can that was seen in step number two. The mixture should not be filled up to the brim. It should be a few inches short of the brim level. This is because the cake will rise upon being placed inside the oven. If the mixture is filled till the brim, then there high chances of the mixture overflowing onto the baking tray and over, at times. This will destroy the smooth and soft texture of the cheesecake as well.
Step 17
Now the cake can has to be kept on a baking tray. However, do not directly place the cake can onto the tray. Place a cloth towel on the baking tray and then keep the can over the cloth towel. This is to ensure that the cake can do not directly have contact with the heated surface of the tray.
Step 18
Now keep this set up into the preheated oven and pour water onto the tray for about the height of an inch.
Step 19
Cook the cake in the oven for 18 minutes at the preheated temperature of 390 degrees Fahrenheit. After that, reduce the temperature of the oven to 285 degrees Fahrenheit. At this temperature, the cake should be cooked for 30 minutes. After the thirty minutes are done, turn off the heat of oven. Keep the cake inside the oven itself for another 30 minutes.
Step 20
After the 30 minutes of sitting in time, remove the tray from the oven. Then place the cake can back into the oven without the water bath. This time, keep the door of the oven open. This will allow it to cool down gently for another 30 minutes. When the cake is cooled in this manner, it makes sure that the surface of the cheesecake does not crack.
Step 21
After the 30 minute cooling time, slowly take the cake can out of the oven. The cake would have shrunk a bit from the can edges. Further, it will also be only lukewarm and can be touched. When touched softly the cake should have a small bounce in it and further, it should have a very soft texture. More importantly, it should not have any cracks on the top surface and should not have a hard surface anywhere.
Step 22
Now, gently flip the cake onto a small plate and then again flip it back on to the serving plate to place the right side up. The cake is best when served warm. Ideally, it should have a jiggly movement when moved around - it is the trademark of the Japanese cheesecake. In fact, in many a place, it has been called the jiggly cheesecake because of this.
Step 23
It may be served with berries, maple syrup or any other topping of choice.
Okay, now as you know how to make a yummy Japanese cheesecake, you are all good to go for winning hearts!
