Suidobashi Cheesecake Shaped Shrubbery

One day, I think maybe after school or something, Steff, Miyu, and I went to Suidobashi's Tokyo Dome Amusement Park something or another. Anyway, I saw this in the little courtyard below and was like, "Is that a garden in the shape of a cake?" Lo and behold, it was a little shrubbery set just hanging out down there that looked like a chocolate cheesecake with strawberries on it. Notice the slice that's sticking out. It's half a strawberry!!! Sliced right down the middle~!! Only in Japan. Seriously. Only in Japan do they make shrubbery in the shape of food. I think this country has an almost unhealthy obsession with food (despite the average adult weighing in at like 90 pounds) and making unedible, unconventional things into the shape of various food items. I think it's funny and kinda cool, but most foreigners usually have the 'wtf is that?!' look every time they see something like this.

I have this stuffed toy that is in the shape of an ebi furai. Who makes a soft toy in the shape of a fried shrimp with tartar sauce? I gotta take a picture of it one of these days. It's not small either. It's a pretty big sized soft toy--probably about the same volume as a normal pillow...just in the shape of an ebi furai..... But, on the other hand, this is exactly why I love Japan. Where else in the world would you ever see shrubbery in the shape of half a strawberry in soil that is meant to look like a chocolate cheesecake?

Oreo Cheesecake Cupcakes to Maid Cafe NOIR

So Chie's childhood friend, Yuki, former Host Club well, host and owner, decided one day that he had a lot of money and that he wanted to move out of the host club business and into the maid cafe business. It's a long story, but basically, when it opened, Chie and I went to go see him and the cafe (which was in Ikebukuro, I believe Nishi-Ikebukuro), which is odd, as most maid cafes are in Akihabara, the electric town and home to computer/video game otaku geeks and their stores that cater to their odd obsessions. Anyway, I thought it would be nice to bring something, sort of a grand opening, house warming thing all rolled into one. Most Japanese businesses receive bouquets of flowers when they first open, but Yuki had a modest little area on the third floor on a side street that I could have sworn was yakuza territory, but that is only speculation.

I made these cute cheesecake cupcakes for Yuki's new maid cafe, NOIR. I wanted to make cupcakes, but to be honest, cake-like desserts are not my forte. They always end up too dense or with some sort of flaw. They always taste okay, but the texture or the appearance is off. Pies, cookies, cheesecakes (which are more like pies in my opinion) are more my pace. This recipe is super easy. Virtually fool-proof might I add.

For each 8 oz package of cream cheese, 1/3 cup of granulated sugar, and 1 egg. I usually go with the following:

3-8oz packages of softened cream cheese (do not use whipped)
1 c. granulated sugar
3 eggs

Beat together until smooth and you can add a teaspoon of vanilla extract for a bit of richness. Put cupcake liners into your muffin tin. Place an oreo cookie into each liner (this will be your crust). Use a large serving spoon or ladle to pour the batter into the liners. I usually fill them up 2/3 to 3/4 of the way, since they expand just a tad while baking. If they overflow it can get messy, so don't fill them too high. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees F. Cool in refrigerator overnight and top as desired. They taste fine without anything, but you could drizzle melted chocolate or fruit sauce on them.