Ingredients:
The base
2 eggs
25g vegetable oil
25g milk
30g cake flour
30g granulated sugar
5g lemon juice
5g vanilla extract
Notes: By cake flour, I mean low protein flour, which normally contains 7-9% protein (Mine is around 8%). Not self-rising flour.
Cheesecake
185g softened cream cheese
20g softened unsalted butter
2 egg yolks
15g granulated sugar
10g cornstarch
130g milk
36g egg white
20g granulated sugar
5g lemon juice
5g vanilla extract
Steps:
Cake Base
- In a clean bowl, separate the eggs. Keep the egg white bowl cool in the fridge.
- In another bowl, mix well vegetable oil and milk, add in cake flour, and mix well.
- Preheat the oven to 302℉(150℃).
- Take the egg white bowl out of the fridge. Add in lemon juice, granulated sugar and vanilla extract and use a hand mixer to beat until it forms soft peaks. Take a scoop of whipped egg white to fold into the batter until just combined. Pour all the batter back into the whipped egg white and gently fold it in until just combined.
- Line the baking tray (28*28*2.6cm) with baking mat or parchment paper (don’t grease the pan), pour all the batter into the baking tray, smooth it out and give it a tap or two to break the air pockets. Send into the oven to bake for 18-20 minutes.
- Take the cake out of the oven right away, and let it cool down on the cooling rack until cool to touch. Release the cake from edges using an icing spatula, turn it upside down and peel off the baking mat. Use a mini cheesecake mold to cut out many small cake bases. Set aside.
Cheesecake
- In a clean bowl, mix well 2 egg yolks, cornstarch and 15g granulated sugar until well combined. Set aside. Heat the milk until simmer; pour into the egg yolks mixture while whisking quickly to mix them well so you won’t cook the egg yolks. Pour all the mixture back into the saucepan, whisk over medium heat until thickened. Set aside.
- In another bowl, bring together softened cream cheese and butter, mix until well combined and smooth. Pour in the egg yolks mixture and whisk until well combined. Set aside.
- In a clean bowl, bring together 36g egg white, 20g granulated sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract, use a hand mixer to beat until thickened, can form very very soft peaks. Sift in the batter, and gently fold it in until combined. Pour all the batter into a piping bag.
- Preheat the oven to 185℃(365℉). Line the baking tray with parchment paper or baking mat. Line each mini cheesecake mold with cake base on the bottom and parchment paper around. Fill each mini cheesecake mold with batter.
- Grab another baking tray, pour in enough water (enough to last in the oven for 20 minutes), place the first baking tray in it, and send into the oven to bake for 20 minutes, or until the cake surface turns golden brown.
- Take off the cake molds when they are cool to touch.
*About the temp, if you have a two temps setting oven, set the top temp as 190℃(374℉), the bottom temp 100℃(212℉) and bake for 20 minutes; if not, set it as 185℃(365℉) and with more water for water bath, so you won’t burn the bottom of the cake.
