Last Sunday, I made this Japanese cheesecake with my daughter. It turned out very nice. It has a lighter taste and a softer texture than a regular cheesecake, but is still very creamy. The special ingredient ? ……. Meringue ! It allows more air to be incorporated into the cake batter and hence, a fluffy cake. So if you find regular cheesecake too heavy, this may just be right.
By the way, you can now “yum” my recipes on Yummly if you have an account.  Just click the Yummly button under each recipe. Thanks in advance !

For the cake

• 3/4 cup cake and pastry flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 400 g soft cream cheese
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 60 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 6 egg yolks
• 200 mL whipping cream
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• pot of boiling water for baking cake

For the meringue

• 6 egg whites
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

To make the cake

1. Preheat oven to 325ºF
2. Line a 9 inch spring-form cake pan with slightly greased parchment paper
3. Wrap base of pan with two layers of aluminium foil to prevent seepage
4. Sift together flour and baking soda, set aside
5. Using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter, cream cheese and sugar until fluffy
6. Add egg yolks, lemon juice, vanilla extract and whipping cream, mix until blended
7. Add flour mixture, mix until smooth
8. Pour batter into a different large mixing bowl
9. Clean and dry used mixing bowl thoroughly before making meringue
10. To make the meringue, use the electric mixer with whisk attachment, whisk egg whites and cream of tartar at medium speed until frothy
11. Increase speed to high, gradually add in sugar
12. Whisk until stiff peak is formed
13. Gently fold meringue into cake batter until just blended, do not over mix
14. Pour batter into cake pan, place on a tray filled with boiling water and bake for about 60 minutes until golden brown, a tooth pick should come out clear when inserted in the middle
15. Turn oven off, leave oven door ajar for about 20 minutes before taking cake out. This will prevent cake from shrinking too much due to sudden drop in temperature.  A slight shrinkage is normal.
16. Remove baking tray, let cool on rack completely
17. Remove from cake pan, refrigerate for 2-3 hours or overnight in an air tight container
18. Cut, serve and enjoy!

Adapted from http://www.justonecookbook.com