Top Tips for mAKING GREAT CHEESECAKE
Want to bake the perfect cheesecake? These tips will show you how. I have picked up quite a few useful tips for baking cheesecakes that don’t crack or run. First you MUST use a water bath, also known as a bain marie. A water bath insulates the environment around your cheesecake helping to maintain moisture, support even baking, and reduce cracks. I have found that preheating the water for the water bath gives me the ideal environment. Next, unlike cakes made with flour, cheesecake is a cooked custard that does not like to have air whipped into the batter. With that, it is extremely important that you minimally mix your cheesecake batter. The only way to fully incorporate all ingredients without over mixing is to bring everything to room temperature. Cold ingredients will clump together and cause all sorts of trouble for your final product. This recipe adds corn starch which most cheesecake purists will object to. The addition of the corn starch helps to add structure to this cake and buys you a little insurance against cracking in the end.
Using a water bath
I have picked up quite a few useful tips for baking cheesecakes that don’t crack or run. First you MUST use a water bath, also known as a bain marie. A water bath insulates the environment around your cheesecake helping to maintain moisture, support even baking, and reduce cracks. I have found that preheating the water for the water bath gives me the ideal environment. Next, unlike cakes made with flour, cheesecake is a cooked custard that does not like to have air whipped into the batter. With that, it is extremely important that you minimally mix your cheesecake batter. The only way to fully incorporate all ingredients without over mixing is to bring everything to room temperature. Cold ingredients will clump together and cause all sorts of trouble for your final product. This recipe adds corn starch which most cheesecake purists will object to. The addition of the corn starch helps to add structure to this cake and buys you a little insurance against cracking in the end.
Baking the Perfect Cheesecake
To bake the cake, I place the filled pan into a larger pan. I fill the pan leaving about a 1/3 to 1/2 inch of space at the top. I then place the cake in the oven and pour the water into the larger pan in the oven. It is a bit safer and I don’t have to worry about splashing or dropping the cake. I bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees and lower the oven temp to 325 for the next hour or so. Determining doneness with cheesecake is tricky. The most common way is to move the pan and if the top moves as one sheet then the cake is done. Since cheesecake is a custard, you will not be able to use a skewer in the center to determine if it is done. You may also use a thermometer. Cheesecake should reach 150-160 degrees. Cheesecake will crack at any internal temperature above 160 degrees so be careful not to over bake.
Avoiding Cracks
Cheesecake is very sensitive to temperature changes. It is important to keep the temperature constant. Try not to open your oven unless you absolutely have to do so. I would recommend keeping it closed for the first 45 minutes of baking. This way you will likely avoid cracks. When the cake is done, turn off the oven and allow to cool in the oven for one hour. I have had a lot of success with this method. I have also heard that you can remove the cake from the water bath to prevent further baking. This is useful information in case you think your cheesecake is over or slightly under baked.
Cranberry White Chocolate Cheesecake
After the cake comes out of the oven run you knife around the edge to reduce the chances of the sides sticking to the pan. As the cake cools, it will begin to contract. If the sides don’t give, the cheesecake will tear away causing cracks. Allow the cake to cool completely. This will take a couple of hours. If you rush to put the cake in the refrigerator, you will have weeping- trapped condensation leading to soggy cake. Refrigerate your cheesecake for at least 12 hours (I know, it will be tough) before cutting, but cooling in the refrigerator is so important because it is the final step to ensure that your cheesecake properly sets up. You want to avoid a runny mess.
Caramel Apple Cheesecake with Streusel Topping
The most important tip is to take your time and let the cake rest. Try to make cheesecake the day before if you can.
Please let us know which of these tips works best for you. Also, check out our latest desserts!
Happy Baking!