Gluten free Japanese cheesecake

I have been out of action in the baking department since I found that wheat doesn't go well with my gut very much.  

Gluten intolerance is a troublesome problem since most convenience food are wheat based. On the other hand, it means I have to banish junk food from my life or suffer the consequences.

The supermarket at my apartment carries some GF flours and I squirrel away the various flours when they are on sale. Now with a mish mash of this and that, it is time to try out the Japanese cake I have been craving for, sans cake flour and sugar. I used monkfruit sugar as a 1:1 substitute, but old habits die hard. I tend to scale back on the sugar instinctively and did so for this recipe even though the monkfruit sugar's calories and carb is negligible. Anyways, it did not taste too bad, but a 50% increase of sugar is recommended!

So here goes - my first gluten free Japanese cheesecake! If I don't let the cat out of the bag, no one will know that it is gluten free or (cane) sugar free at all!

Credits: Adapted from glutenfreeonashoestring

Ingredients:

Dry Mix:

55g gf flour blend. ( I used Bob Red Mill 1-1 )

35g brown rice flour (Bob Red Mill)

20g tapioca flour

1/8 tsp xanthan gum

Cheese , wet Mix:

5 egg yolks (set apart)

100ml milk

55g unsalted butter

1/4 fine salt (I used pink salt)

250g cream cheese (softened)

Meringue:

5 egg whites

1/4 tsp cider vinegar (I did not have cream of tartar, which is the standard for meringue)

100g monkfruit sugar ( 150g reccommended because this cake is mildly sweet)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 160C.

( If the kitchen is cold, preheat to 180C. Baking temperature adjusted to 160C )

Prepare the baking tin :

Line an 8-9 inch springform tin with baking paper. Foil the exterior to waterproof from the water bath.

Prepare a baking tray big enough for the springform tin. 

Set aside.

Prepare the flours:

Combine flours and xanthan gum.

Set aside.

Prepare the wet ingredient:

Place a heat proof bowl over a hot, steaming pot of water.

Add milk, butter, cream cheese, salt.

Whisk to break up cheese and until mixture is smooth and not lumpy.

( You can opt to press the mixture through a sieve to get rid of lumps )

Remove the bowl from the steaming pot. Cool for about 2 minutes.

Whisk in the yolks, one by one. 

(Note: whisk well so that the yolks are not scrambled)

In a few batches, whisk in the mixed flours.

Set aside.

Prepare the Meringue:

Whisk the whites in a stand mixer until course bubbles form.

Add cream of tartar. I did not have this, so I added 1/4 tsp of apple cider vinegar.

Pour the monkfruit sugar or any fine sugar in a steady stream as the mixer whisks.

Stop when meringue forms soft peaks.

Combining the batter:

In 3 batches, spoon the meringue to the yolk batter.

(I use a balloon whisk to allow, gentle thorough mixing)

Preparing to bake:

Pour the batter into the prepared tray.

Use a skewer to draw circles , breaking big air pockets.

Place the springform tin on the shallow tray.

Pour boiling water  on the tray, about 2-3 cm deep. This is your water bath.

Bake at 160C (preheated) for 1.5 hrs.

Cake is ready when a skewer pierced into the center of the cake comes out clean or with 2-3 crumbs.

Leave the oven door ajar and let the cake cool slowly for 30 minutes.

Remove the waterproof foil, cool further.

Cake is best cold, but I can attest it isn't too bad taken warm either.