Black Sesame Japanese Cheesecake Recipe

• active time: 20 minutes
• total time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

6 egg whites 🥚

1/2 tsp (1.7g) cream of tartar (or vinegar or lemon juice)

1/4 cup (25g) granulated sugar

6 egg yolks

8 oz cream cheese (1 bar)

1/4 cup (55g) butter

1/2 cup (110g) milk + 3 tbsp black sesame powder (mixed into a milk)

1/4 cup (25g) granulated sugar

2 tbsp (15g) corn starch

1/4 cup (34g) flour (use rice flour or Mochiko instead to make a gluten-free Black Sesame Japanese Cheesecake) (Minus 2 tbsp of flour to compensate for the drying properties of the black sesame powder)

Directions

Preheat oven 325-345F. Use either two 6-inch cake pans or an 8-inch one. Line the cake pan(s) with parchment paper (NOT WAX PAPER), rim and bottom. Separate 6 eggs. Place the egg yolks in a bowl, and the egg whites in a mixer bowl. Prepare a bain-marie by putting water in a deep rectangular baking pan or dish.

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

Remove the pot from heat, and add the egg yolks into the batter mixture. Mix well, but gently. Heat the milk in microwave and mix together with the black sesame powder.

Add the cornstarch and flour into the powder. Once again, mix well. Clumps should disappear. Add the black sesame milk mixture. Mix well. The batter should be smooth and liquid-y. You do not have to strain this mixture. (See video) The beaten egg white will thicken the batter.

Set aside the batter as you beat the egg whites into glossy stiff peaks that don't move or budge (see video). Beating eggs is a slow gradual process. Add cream of tartar after you see some foam, and add sugar after the egg whites become foamier and whiter. Once you achieve stiff peaks, place some beaten egg white into the batter and mix together.

Repeat the above step two to three 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 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 325-340F (Depending on your oven, you may have to adjust the temperature.) After 25 minutes, your cake should rise. (My cakes rise by 10-12 minutes.) If it has not risen yet, allow it to stay at the same temperature and give it time to rise, or you might have to raise the temperature if it doesn't rise at all, or unfortunately you may have over-mixed your final batter, or your egg whites were not beaten to stiff peaks. Once the cake rises nicely, crack open the oven door slightly and keep it opened for 10 seconds (approximately). Lower the oven temperature to about 245-265F, depending on your oven and bake for an additional 45 minutes. If your cake top is cracking, the temperature is too high. If the cake is not browning, temperature is too low, or the parchment paper around the rims is too high. If your cake is still wet after 45 min, keep the cake in the oven for. longer.

Allow your cake to rest 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!