10-12 servings; 20 min preparation; 80 min cooking time.

This cake is incredibly light and soft. It does prove its name. It’s not that difficult to make as it looks. The secret of the cake it not overbeating the egg whites and using  a water bath during baking.

This cake originates from Hakada, Japan and it has been made in the late 40’s. People  wanted a lighter version of a cheesecake that contains less fat and calories. And they succeeded, because the cheesecake is definitely lighter than the New York version. If you like sweeter desserts, add a little bit more sugar or dust it with powder sugar on top.

Ingredients

• 80 ml milk
• 150 g cream cheese
• 50 g butter, room temperature
• 5 eggs, whites and yolks separated
• 50 g all-purpose flour
• 15 g cornstarch
• 80 g sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• powder sugar for decoration

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 150 degrees C.

Heat the milk in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add cream cheese and whisk until dissolved. Add the butter in small pieces and whisk until fully dissolved.

Beat the egg yolks. Add the cream cheese mixture. Add vanilla extract and lemon zest. Whisk well untill fully incorporated.

Sift flour and cornstarch together. Add in parts to the cream cheese-egg mixture. Beat the egg whites with the sugar until fully incorporated. Add the egg whites in parts to the cream cheese using a spatula. Don’t overdo it, the air has to stay in the mixture.

Boil 1 l of water. Wrap the bottom (on the outside) of a spring form with aluminium foil. Make sure that there are no holes. Cover the inside with baking paper. Pour the mixture in the pan.

Put the spring form in a bigger baking form and pour the boiling water in between. It should reach the half of the spring form. Bake in the preheated oven for 80 min. Let it cool completely. Dust with powder sugar. Enjoy!