Japanese Cheesecake Attempt #1

Yesterday I tried to make Japanese Cheesecake from this recipe.
I crossed out my alterations for this round below.

Ingredients:

140g/5 oz. fine granulated sugar
6 egg whites
6 egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
50g/2 oz. unsalted butter
250g/9 oz. cream cheese 8 oz. cream cheese (I only had one box)
100 ml/3 fluid oz. fresh milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice  I didn't have any lemons so I didn't put any in
60g/2 oz. cake flour /superfine flour
20g/1 oz. cornflour (cornstarch)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Method:

1. Melt cream cheese, butter and milk over a double boiler. Cool the mixture. Fold in the flour, the cornflour, salt, egg yolks, lemon juice and mix well.

2. Make the meringue by whisking egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy. You can beat with a stand mixer or handheld mixer. Add in the sugar and whisk until soft peaks form. 

3. Take 1/3 meringue and fold into the cheese mixture, then fold in another 1/3 of meringue. After incorporated, pour the batter back to the remaining 1/3 meringue and fold. FOLD GENTLY. Pour the mixture into a 8-inch round cake pan (lightly grease and line the bottom and sides of the pan with grease-proof baking paper or parchment paper).

4. Bake cheesecake in a water bath for 1 hours 10 minutes or until set and golden brown at 160 degrees C (325 degrees F).

First Attempt:

• I didn't get an extra cream cheese so I only used 8oz instead of 9oz of cream cheese
• I forgot to get lemon so I didn't use lemon juice
• I misunderstood the instructions so I double lined the inside with parchment paper. Since parchment paper is not that flexible, I got a slightly weird shape on the outside. Not a big deal.
• I forgot to research water bath before I started so I just placed a pan filled with water on the rack under my cheesecake (instead of half submerging the cheesecake pan in hot water like you're supposed to). The cheesecake cooked well and there was no cracks although I wonder if this is why my result was a bit more condensed and less fluffy?
  
  LOL. If you look at my picture, I got paranoid that my water bath was too much of a failure so I took the cheesecake out after about 20 minutes, and wrapped the bottom in foil in an attempt to do the water bath correctly (place it in a bigger pan and fill with hot water halfway). Then I realized that I don't have a pan large enough to submerge my cheesecake pan so I had to put it back in the oven.

The outcome looked beautiful. I tasted a small, outer piece after it cooled from the oven and thought it was great. I put the cake in tupperware and let it cool in the fridge overnight and tried again in the morning. It felt harder and a little drier although I'm not sure if this is because I ate further into the cake or because of the fridge.

Outcome:

• It feels a bit fluffier on the top and a bit condensed on the bottom.
• The best part is the top with a slight sweetness to the browned part
• It left a very slight rough taste in my mouth (kind of like when you eat spinach). It went away quickly but I felt it.
• Not much flavor although coworker says he can taste the cream cheese
• *UPDATE* The more I try it, the more I like it... if that makes any sense. =P
  

Adjustments for next time:

• Use a larger pan so that it's shorter and has more top surface. Or make in mini cups.
• Add the extra 1oz cream cheese for the taste
• Add the lemon juice for some extra flavor
• Do the water bath right 
• (optional) try to make some sort of cream cheese frosting?