Japanese Cotton Cheesecake

Add cream cheese in a bowl over a double boiler and soften it

Add butter and slowly mix until it melts

Add 70g caster sugar and mix well until it dissolves

Remove from the stove and add 120 ml full cream milk

Mix well and then cool the cheese cream mixture

Add egg yolks and vanilla extract into the cheese cream mixture and whisk thoroughly

Add lemon zest to cheese egg mixture and mix well

Sieve cake flour, corn flour and salt together

Add flour mixture a little at a time and mix well

Sieve mixture into a bowl to ensure no lumps

Beat egg whites in a separate bowl, add cream of tartar and 70g caster sugar a little at a time and mix well

Beat the egg whites until soft and fluffy

Add meringue one third at a time into cheese cream mixture and fold gently into the mixture

Grease a 9 inch round pan and line the base with parchment paper

Slowly pour cake mixture into the greased pan

Gently tap the pan to release any trapped bubbles

Place cake pan inside a larger pan, filled with hot water (with a piece of cloth below) up to 1 inch water level

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 150C for 1 hour and 15 mins

If cake starts to turn brown, cover with aluminium foil

After 1 hour and 15 mins, switch off the oven and leave cake inside for another 45 mins

Leave the oven door slightly ajar for the cake to cool down slowly in the oven

Take the cake out from the oven and unmold it onto a wire rack to cool down

Refrigerate cake for at least 4 hours before serving