Ogura cake

Several years ago I started seeing recipes for "cotton cheesecake" and "Japanese cheesecake" pop up all over the place. And then videos too started popping up of a really fun looking cake that was super giggly.

While all the rage in Japan, the cake is actually Malaysian, called ogura. It's deliciously decadent without being rich or heavy. It's as much fun to watch bake as it does to eat. The eggs cause it to rise really high in the oven.

2/3 c. milk
1/2 block cream cheese
1 stick unsalted butter
1/3 c. flour
1/3 c. cornstarch
8 egg yolks
13 egg whites
1 c. sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 325.

Melt together the cream cheese, milk, butter, and vanilla extract. Cook until it's very hot but not bubbling.

In a separate bowl beat the eggs with a tiny pinch of salt. Slowly beat in the dairy mixture and keep whisking until it's slightly cool. Put the flour and cornstarch in a strainer and sift it on top of the eggs. Mix the flours in. 

Meanwhile beat the egg whiles until foamy. And then...keep beating them. Once the egg whites are almost at soft peaks start adding in the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until all the sugar is added and you have stiff peaks in the egg whites. 

Add a quarter of the egg whites to the egg yolk mixture to combine. Then add the remaining egg whites and gently fold in until completely combined. 

Line the bottom on a 9-in spring-form pan with tin foil. Then line the sides of the pan with parchment paper. It needs to extend at least 3 inches above the top of the pan. Cover the outside of the pan with another layer of tinfoil. Put the pan in a larger pan and add water to come halfway up the side. 

Bake at 315 for 25 minutes. Reduce the heat to 290 and continue baking. Check at 50 minutes but I found I had to cook mine for quite a bit longer. Closer to 80 minutes.  

Remove from the oven and remove the sides and bottom. Make sure and jiggle it a bit on the pan before slicing. You won't be sorry. 

Next time I try making this, I plan on adding some orange zest as well. I think and orange cream cake will be perfect.