japanese cheesecake cupcakes

you know that feeling you get after eating a slice of cheesecake?
like you need to workout for a week straight to get that heaviness out of your belly?!
well, move aside, regular cheesecake, this japanese cheesecake is soo light and fluffy, there's no need to hit the gym. AND instead of slices, they're cupcakes instead! so have another, heck, have three (that's how many i had...probably).

japanese cheesecake
adapted from pepsakoy + mowielicious
(the measurements were mostly in grams or milliliters, so i just converted and rounded it off)

8oz cream cheese
6 tbsp unsalted butter
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup cake flour
1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest
6 egg yolk
6 egg white
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 1/2cup granulated sugar


preheat oven at 350 degree Fahrenheit.
mix the cream cheese, butter, milk and vanilla in a bowl over a hot water bath and stir until everything is smooth and creamy. remove the bowl and let it cool.

add the sifted flour to the mixture, and then the lemon juice and zest. next mix in the egg yolk, stir until smooth.

in a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff. use a handmixer to make things easier! slowly add the sugar until stiff peaks form. if this is taking too long, place the bowl on top of a pot of boiling water (double boiler) to quicken things up.

add the egg whites into the cheese mixture, gently fold everything together.

fill cupcake trays 3/4 of the way. and place the tray into a larger baking tray, and fill baking tray with water until it water rises halfway up the cupcake tray. bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes (on the bottom shelf) remove and let the cupcakes cool!

i used regular cheesecake frosting and pieces of strawberries to top.
happy eatings!

with love,
t