Microwave-Steamed Cream Cheese Mini-Cakes

Submitted by Nose5775

"Not cheesecakes, but small cream cheese-flavored cakes. This is another recipe from Harumi Kurihara, reputedly sort of the Japanese parallel to Martha Stewart or Delia Smith. The cookbook was translated from Japanese to English in England, so all the recipes are British-style; I have tried to give some American approximations. Steaming is a common technique in Japanese cooking, and Ms. Kurihara has mastered the art of steaming in the microwave, offering specific times at specific wattages that actually work. I had to break out the instruction manual to my microwave to figure out the wattage. Steamed cake is a bit different in texture from baked and takes some getting used to for Americans, but this does taste much like cakes I have bought at Japanese and Korean style bakeries, and you can make them at home in the microwave. Ms. Kurihara offers two filling suggestions. I tried the peanut butter one, and found it to be exactly like fillings I have had at the aforementioned Japanese and Korean bakeries, but in those cases the cakes were plainer and drier; I thought it conflicted a bit with the cream cheese. I think these would be really good with dcwang wang's green tea mousse, recipe #103075, though I haven't tried that yet. It may be just my American tastes, but I love these cakes drizzled with chocolate syrup. They taste just like Boston Cream Pie. Easy microwave Boston Cream Pie."

 

• Ready In: 16mins
• Ingredients: 15
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 40 g cream cheese
• 7.39 ml white wine
• 14.79 ml double cream
• 14.79 ml sunflower oil or 14.79 ml other vegetable oil
• 1.23 ml vanilla extract, to taste
• 2 medium eggs
• 50 g granulated sugar (about 3 Tablespoons, I think)
• 50 g plain flour (about 3 Tablespoons, I think)
• 2.46 ml baking powder

• Butter cream filling

• 44.37 ml caster sugar
• 50 g unsalted butter, softened
• 44.37 ml double cream

• Peanut cream filling

• 29.58 ml caster sugar
• 88.74 ml double cream
• 59.16 ml crunchy peanut butter

directions

1. Line 4 ramekins (9 x 5 centimeters) with greaseproof paper- you can either cut pieces to size, or just press the paper into the dishes so the finished cakes will have a ripply, crinkled-paper shape.
2. Put the cream cheese and white wine into a heatproof container, cover, and microwave for 20 seconds at 500 watts.
3. Take out and whisk until creamy.
4. Add the double cream, oil, and vanilla extract, and mix well.
5. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs.
6. Add the sugar and whisk until it thickens.
7. Add the flour and baking powder to the egg mixture.
8. Whisk lightly, then add the cream cheese mixture.
9. Half fill each ramekin dish with batter.
10. Cover loosely with cling film/plastic wrap, allowing plenty of room for the cakes to rise.
11. Microwave on low heat (150-200 watts) for 5 minutes.
12. Turn up to a higher heat (500 watts) and microwave for another 1 1/2 minutes.
13. Turn the cakes out while they are still hot and peel off the greaseproof paper.
14. Optional buttercream: Mix caster sugar with softened butter until it becomes pale.
15. Slowly add double cream, mixing as you go.

16. Optional peanut filling:

17. Add caster sugar to 6 double cream.
18. Whisk for 5-6 minutes, until thick, then add peanut butter and mix well.