Tofu and Soya Bean Cheesecake

My family is a huge fan of tofu, and we eat it several times a week cooked in a variety of ways. Naturally, this Tofu and Soya Bean Cheese Cake was a big hit at home. The tofu cheese layer, which sits on top of a layer of chiffon cake, is lighter and healthier than other cheese cakes as the tofu replaces some of the cream cheese and whipping cream

The soya bean powder adds a lovely fragrance to both the cheese and chiffon layer. The tofu and cheese layer has a melt-in-the-mouth texture and goes well with the springy chiffon cake. I have made this cake three times, each time trying to improve my layering skills and remove the cheesecake from the cake ring without damaging it. The instructor taught us to use a hair dryer to heat up the cake ring so that the cake ring will expand and can be easily removed. Another method is to dip a knife in hot water and run the knife along the sides of the cake (this did not work so well as I ended up with rather ugly edges). This tofu cheese cake can be made without the chiffon cake layer – simply use a base of crushed digestive biscuits mixed with melted butter.

Tofu and Soya Bean Cheese Cake (8 x 8 inch)
Recipe by Phoon Huat

Chiffon Layer

• 5 egg yolks
• 3 egg whites
• Brown sugar 80 g
• Soya bean powder 30 g
• Top flour 40 g
• Unsalted butter, melted 30 g (I substituted with 30 g of oil)

Method

• Whisk egg whites till fluffy, add in sugar and beat until doubled in volume and stiff.
• Add in egg yolks and beat till just mixed in.
• Fold in flour gently and in one direction using a spoon or whisk.
• Fold in oil gently in one direction using a spoon or whisk till everything is well mixed in.
• Pour into a 9 inch baking tin which is lined at the bottom.
• Bake at 190 Celsius for 12-15 minutes till a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
• When it is ready, remove the cake from the baking tin and allow to cool down on a cooling rack. Cover the cake to prevent it from drying out.
• When the cake is cooled, place an 8 inch square cake ring onto the cake and trim off the excess cake outside the ring. This will help the cake fit snugly into the ring so that the tofu cheese layer does not seep through. Place the cake ring with the cake inside on a serving tray.  You can also use a baking tin with a removable base, but make sure the cake fits the size of the baking tin. 

Tofu Cheese Layer

Group A:

• Cream cheese, softened at room temperature 230 g
• Caster sugar 70 g
• Smooth silken tofu 230 g
• Sour cream or yoghurt 50 g
• Soya bean powder 30 g

Beat cream cheese and sugar on high speed for 3 minutes. Add in tofu, yoghurt and soya bean powder and beat on high speed for another 4 to 5 minutes.

Group B:

• Diary whipping cream 50 g

Whip the diary whipping cream till stiff and place in refrigerator until you need it.

Group C:

• Soya bean milk 100 g (Another option is to use 30 g of soya bean powder and mix with enough water to get 100 g of soya bean milk)
• Gelatine 15 g

Double boil soya bean milk and gelatine over a water bath till the gelatine is completely dissolved.

Method

Combine Group A, B and C ingredients and mix well. Pour the mixture onto of the cake layer in the cake ring. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours till the tofu cheese layer is set. Sprinkle with soya bean power and cut into squares to serve (I added some green tea powder into the soya bean powder for colour).