Fluffy Japanese Cheesecake

Ingredients

Egg White Meringue (Stiff Peaks)
5 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar (or vinegar or lemon juice) 
1/4 cup (50g) fine (granulated) sugar (Not Confectioner sugar) 

Cake Batter
5 egg yolks
8 oz cream cheese (1 bar) 
1/4 cup (55g) butter 
1/2 cup (125ml) milk 
1/4 cup (50g) fine (granulated) sugar 
2 tbsp (15g) corn starch (magic ingredient) 
1/4 cup (34g) flour (use rice flour or Mochiko instead to make a gluten-free Japanese Cheesecake) (Vanilla extract or powder or lemon juice for extra flavoring are all optional)

Optional toppings: strawberries, confectioner sugar, fruits of your choice, honey, matcha powder, etc...

Directions:
Separate 5 beautiful eggs. Place the egg yolks in a bowl, and the egg whites in a mixer bowl.

Place the butter, cream cheese and 1/4 cup of fine sugar into a pot over low-heat. Allow the ingredients to melt, and mix together into a beautifully smooth batter mixture.

Remove the pot from heat, and add the egg yolks into the batter mixture. Mix well, but gently.

Add the cornstarch and flour. Once again, mix well. Clumps should disappear.

Add milk and optionally vanilla extract or other flavors of your choice.

Mix well. The batter should be smooth and liquid-y. You won’t have to strain this mixture. (See video)

Set aside the batter as you beat the egg whites into stiff peaks (see below for egg beating tips.)

Pre-heat oven to 330F. Prepare a bain-marie by putting water in a deep rectangular baking pan or dish. Place into the oven.

Prepare baking pans— with these ingredients, you can bake one 8-inch cake or two 6-inch cakes. Line the bottoms of the baking pans with circular parchment paper, and the inside sides with rectangular strips of parchment paper. (Not wax paper.)

Once you achieve stiff peaks, place some beaten egg white into the batter and mix together.

Repeat the above step two more times.

You don’t want to over mix the batter. Pour the batter into the rest of the egg whites and mix together using folding techniques. You don’t want to over-mix or under mix. If you over-mix, the cake will not rise. If you under-mix, your cake will be uneven. The egg white will float to the top and you’ll have a meringue-like cake at the top, and a dense cheesecake at the bottom.

Pour the well-incorporated, but not over-mixed batter into the baking pan(s).

Bake bain-marie style for 25 minutes 330F (Depending on your oven, you may have to adjust the temperature.) If your cake is not rising, your oven temperature is too low. Raise by 10 degrees.

After 25 minutes, your cake should rise. If it has not risen yet, allow it to stay at the same temperature and give it time to rise (or you may have to raise the temperature). Once it rises nicely, crack open the oven door slightly and keep it open for 10 seconds (approximately). Lower the oven temperature to about 245-265F, depending on your oven, and bake for an additional 45 minutes. At this point, there is a possibility your cake may crack if the oven temperature is too high.

Allow your cake to rest in the oven after baking for about 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven. Be careful and use oven mitts as needed.

Place a sheet of parchment paper over the cake. Place a plate over the cake and parchment paper. Flip the cake upside down so the top of it is now the bottom while resting on the parchment paper over the plate. Remove the cake from the pan by sliding it out, or gently shaking it out.

Remove the wet parchment paper from the cake, replace the bottom parchment paper of the cake.

Now place another plate— the presentation or serving plate, on top of the cake. It should be on top of the bottom of the cake. Flip the cake again, carefully.

Play with the bouncy jiggly-ness of the cake. Serve when still warm, or chill in the fridge. It won’t be bouncy or fluffy after chilling though!