I have been recently asked a lot of questions, notably by Sissi at Withe a Glass about Japanese-style cheese cakes. Incidentally I had never heard of cheese cakes before I came to Japan 36 years ago. After investigation, cheese cakes have been around the world for quite a long time and developped into many varieties. Among them, the Japanese style seems to have acquired a lot of popularity, to the point that many customers expect them to be on offer in Japanese Izakayas abroad!
I decided it was about time to re-publish a series of them!

The Japanese make a distinction between two kinds of cheese cakes:
-Just “cheese cake” means it has been baked
-“Rare Cheese cake” means that the cake is not cooked.

INGREDIENTS: For 4 servings (18×9 cm pound cake mold)

-Cream cheese (Philadelphia): 150 g
-Lemon juice: 1 large Tablespoon
-Sugar: 45 g
-Plain yoghurt: 150 g
-White wine: 3 large tablespoons
-Gelatin powder or agar agar powder: 5 g
-Fresh cream: 100 ml (half a cup)
-Rum: 1 large tablespoon
-Cake margarine: 30 g
-Coconuts sable biscuits: 60 g
-Allspice: half a teaspoon
-Dried mango: 3~4 slices
-Fresh or canned mango: 4 cubes
-Green pistachio: 4

RECIPE:

Place cooking paper inside a pound cake mold.
Mix crushed coconuts sable biscuits, margarine and allspice.
Spread equally on bottom of the mold.
Leave inside refrigerator.

Cut dried mango into small pieces and season with rum.

In a separate small bowl/deep plate pour in wine. Then (the other round will result in failure!) sprinkle with gelatin powder and mix until smooth.

Soften cream cheese in a microwave oven for about 30 seconds. Add lemon juice, sugar and yoghurt. Mix well until smooth.

Add wine and gelatin to cheese cake mixture and mix well, taking care not to make bubbles!

In a separate bowl, whisk fresh cream up to 7/10 solidity (too solid is not welcome!) . It should still be bubbly. Add a small part to cheese cake mixture and mix well. Add rest of fresh cream and mix carefully, taking care not tobreak bubbles.

Add rum-soaked dried mango to cheese cake mixture. Mix just enough for uniformity.
Pour the lot into mold and leave insid eefrigerator until it has completely solidified.

Decorate with whipped cream, pistachio and mango cube before cutting and serving!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, 47 Japanese Farms Through The Eyes of Its Rural Communities, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento,Adventures in Bento Making, American Bent, Beanbento, Bento No, Bento Wo Tsukurimashou, Cooking Cute, Eula, Hapabento , Happy Bento, Jacki’s Bento Blog, Kitchen Cow, Leggo My Obento, Le Petit Journal Bento & CO (French), Lunch In A Box,
Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, The Herbed Kitchen, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Cooking Cute, Timeless Gourmet, Bento Bug, Ideal Meal, Bentosaurus, Mr. Foodie (London/UK), Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery