Thursday, April 5, 2012

Japanese Cheesecake with Ginger White Chocolate Ganache



oooh, the Japanese Cheesecake.

ever so hard to master the perfect cake, 
ever so delicious when you get it almost right.
and if this is almost right...i'm good with that...for now.


covered with a GINGER WHITE CHOCOLATE GANACHE...
it's a whole new ball game...

on it's own the cake is fabulous, light and airy, but matched with the rich ginger chocolate ganache it makes an even more fabulous decadent dessert...perfect for any special occasion.


this particular recipe is baked in a round spring form pan, but i think it is traditionally presented in rectangular servings.  to get the rectangles you lose a bit of cake, but throw some ganache on the funny shapes and i assure you, nothing will go to waste.
i consider those little scraps..."abstract petit fours".


as shown in the photo above you can see 
i have not conquered the perfect Japanese cheesecake.
i followed the instructions and tips from Little Teochew's fabulous blog post, but as she mentions over and over again in the comments...it's all in the egg whites.  i DO know how to whip a good egg white, but i think it takes practice to get it just right for this cake...AND PRACTICE I WILL.  i love this cake... light texture, slightly moist, holds up very well, cuts crisp and clean and works as a great blank canvas for ganache and other flavorful toppings.
photo on the left shows the shrinkage that i encountered.  this is something one tries to avoid, again, by following the tips from Little Teochew...and the photo on the right is a different kind of bain marie method.  instead of putting your cheesecake in the bath and risking leakage into the cake you set small dishes of water in the corners of the oven.
   

Japanese Cheesecake Recipe please go to Little Teochew's blog.  read all the comments and follow her instructions to the "T".  you might not have the perfect cake, but i guarantee you will have a delicious cake.

GINGER WHITE CHOCOLATE GANACHE

6 oz. good white chocolate, chopped.  i used Guitard white chocolate.
1/2 cup heavy cream (plus 1-2 Tbsp extra that gets lost to the pan and strainer)
1 heaping Tbsp. minced fresh ginger.
(you might need to make more (like 1/2 again) if you are doing total coverage of the cake)

put chocolate in heat resistant bowl.  set aside.
slowly heat your cream and ginger in a small sauce pan...stirring to almost boil.
pour hot cream/ginger through a strainer over chocolate in bowl.
let sit for a moment then begin to stir until all the chunks have melted.  i needed to set this over a double boiler i had ready just to melt the last chunks.  i found that i needed to stir vigorously towards the end because white chocolate acts different than regular chocolate.  it wanted to look separated.  if this happens just whisk until it comes together.
let it cool slightly so its not piping hot.  the hotter it is, the thinner your coating will be.  i like to have my cake slightly chilled when going for the "drip down the sides look".
if you want total coverage i suggest you put the cake over a cooling rack.  try to pour over the cake in one fell swoop...with ganache it needs to be one big pour for a smooth finish...no going back for a re-touch...that's why i like the drip method.  there is a little more leeway.

let sit to set...or chill in fridge for a more firm set.
i prefer the cake with ganache after it has set in the fridge.  it will have a slight dull finish, but after you bring it out and by the time you serve it should retain a slight beautiful sheen.
photos are after it set in the fridge, so you can see the sheen came back.

PS...if you have ganache left over...rewarm over double boiler.  you will need to whisk vigorously because of the separating i mentioned above.  i thought the left-overs were a gonner, but after whisking it came together and worked well for my "Abstract Petit Fours".



12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Looking at the even textures and air bubbles in the cake, I should say you have done really really well. The sloppy sides might be due to removing the cake from the oven too quickly. I'm not sure about the temperature in your room, but leave it in the oven for at least 2 hours. If you've already done that, it might have been the temperature of the oven. it might not have been hot enough to set the sides in shape... I, too, am striving for the perfect japanese cheesecake... ;) I think you have done so well, I might just have to learn from you..

Jules and Ruby said...

Jessica...hi...i'm so glad you're striving to get it right as well. there are so many variables. yes, i did leave it in the oven for about 1 1/2 hours. maybe your right, maybe i should turn the temp, up 5 degrees. my top isn't as brown as Little Teochews cake. maybe i will remove the foil cover sooner. and maybe i will whip the whites just a tad more. i wonder if my oven was too humid in the cooling down period because there was a little sweat on the outer parchment...hmmmmmmmm...thanks so much for your comment.

Jules and Ruby said...

hi BEN...always glad to see a comment from you

Debs @ The Spanish Wok said...

Oh wow, this looks and sounds delicious, have saved for another day, thanks.

Now following your blog too.

You are welcome to join in my food blogger event THE SOUP KITCHEN, here all bloggers are welcome, hope to see you participate soon.

Spencer said...

Looks absolutely delicious. I would love to try it. Not that it would last too long in my hands!

Marta @ I love breakfasts said...

Looks absolutely amazing.

Anonymous said...

A couple tricks I have learned about cheesecakes: Spray the ring only with PAM--not the bottom. This will allow it to sh
rink in from the sides, so you won't have cracks. Let the cheesecake sit in the oven for 1 solid hour after you turn the oven off. When cooled, put it in the refrigerator overnight before trying to remove it from the pan or the ring.

Susan Boardman said...

OMG....you are killing me with these wonderful recipes!! I don't remember how I found this site but now I am following with great anticipation!! thank you....

Jules and Ruby said...

Susan...so happy you're following. at least i know there's someone out there...lol. i'll do my best to keep it up

Unknown said...

Thank you

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Unknown said...

My mouth was literally watering. That cake looks superb!

rev chris said...

Where can I find this recipe I followed the link you provided for the blog but it was 'access denied '

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