Souffle cheese cupcakes

It has been a long time that I've updated my blog. During this period of absence, I've done very little baking. Not too sure what I had been up to, but I'm left with little time and energy to bake after busy work week, dramas. It also doesn't help that I've no idea what I want to bake.


Whatever, I've a block of cream cheese that's going to expire very soon, and also that my younger brother had organised a housewarming on Good Friday, it seem a perfect calling for me to bake something on this day. This 'something' took a while to conceive as I'm totally clueless these days ~~ but definitely has to include cheese ~~ which is this month Aspiring Bakers #6: Say Cheese, hosted by Noms I Must. It was only till the eleventh hour that I decided to bake and finally deciding on baking this Souffle cheese cupcakes.



I'm happy with the outcome, and my family and relatives like them very much. The texture is very soft and tender, and resembles the Cotton soft Japanese cheesecake that I baked previously. Comparing, this Souffle cheese cupcakes is much easier to prepare and bake than the Cotton soft Japanese cheesecake. Taste-wise, both are equally good.




Souffle Cheese Cupcakes
(Recipe adapted from SeaDragon, with slight modifications)
Makes about 15 cuppies

125g cream cheese
60ml milk
40ml canola oil
3 egg yolks
40g caster sugar (reduced to 25g)
20ml lemon juice (extracted from 1 lemon)
30g cornflour, sifted
3 egg whites
70g caster sugar (reduced to 60g)

1. Preheat oven to 150°C. Place a large tray of hot water inside the oven just below the shelf where the cheesecakes are to be baked.
2. Line 15 muffin holes with paper cups or use cupcake holders.
3. Soften cream cheese with milk and oil in a bowl placed over simmering water, or in a double-boiler. Whisk until smooth, remove from heat and let cool until lukewarm.
4. Beat egg yolks with 25g sugar until combined, beat in lemon juice. Gradually whisk in cheese mixture to combine. Lightly whisk in sifted cornflour, mix well.
5. Beat egg whites until foamy. Then gradually beat in 60g sugar, spoonful by spoonful, until firm but just under stiff peaks stage.
6. Fold 1/3 of the egg white mixture into the cheese mixture until thoroughly mixed in. Repeat two more times with the remaining egg white mixture.
7. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups using ice-cream scoop, filling each cup nearly to the rim.
8. Place the muffin tray on the shelf just above the tray of hot water.
9. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the tops of the cheesecakes are lightly browned. Test doneness when skewer inserted come out clean.