Anyone that knows me knows that I will always say, "yes" to two things: wine and cheesecake. Cheesecake has always been my favorite dessert and I am SUPER picky about it. It has to be just right, which is why I don't order cheesecakes from restaurants (except the Cheesecake Factory). The flavor is always off, the texture isn't think and creamy (like I like it), and I just end up disappointed having wasted my time, money, and calories.
Yes, I'm a cheesecake snob. I know it, I claim it.
They say, "if you want something done right, then do it yourself," and that's exactly what I have done. The only cheesecake I eat is made by yours truly and it's perfection. *chefs kiss* But, I always get a few questions about my cheesecakes. Besides, "what in the world did you put in this thing to make it taste so good?," I'm often asked, how did I achieve a non-cracked cheesecake. Once I reveal the water bath method I'm then asked, how did I get my pan not to leak. So, I am going to reveal my cheesecake secrets!
First things, first - ingredients! Room temperature ingredients matter!
Preparing your cheesecake
Use room temperature cream cheese. Cold cream cheese won't mix well and will leave lumps.
Mix your ingredients very well before adding your eggs. Eggs should be the last ingredient you add to a proper cheesecake recipe.
Mix your eggs as little as possible once they're added. Eggs hold air inside the batter, which can rise up and cause cracks.
ALWAYS use a spring form pan.
Water bath! The best way to avoid cracks. We'll get into the details of my method below.
What is a water bath? Is it necessary?
A water bath means a cheesecake is baked in its spring form pan, then placed inside another larger pan with hot water inside. Why? Because cheesecakes LOVE humidity. Why?
Let's get science-y!
Cheesecakes are egg heavy. Eggs need a moist and humid environment to properly rise and avoid drying out and burning.
The steam from the hot water will help the cheesecake rise slowly and evenly, reducing the risk of cracks.
The slow and easy steam baking method helps prevent the cheesecake from sinking as it cools.
So you see, the water bath method is necessary (most of the time) when making a cheesecake, but I'm not going to lie, it can be painful. The water bath is necessary because without it your cheesecake will brown around the edges, became drier, collapse in the center while cooling, and crack. To avoid all of this, I take a few extra minutes to prepare a water bath. To me, it's worth it. If you don't mind these things or plan on covering your cheesecake with a fruit sauce or whipped cream, then by all means you can skip the water bath. But, if using a water bath you are subject to leaks which aren't fun. And I've never met a spring form pan that didn't leak.
Water bath method and preventing leaks
I discovered a hack to prevent leaks a couple of years ago and I'm sharing it today for the first time. Bye, bye leaks! The hack is that good! So let's go through the cheesecake baking process from beginning to end with the hack included.
1. Spring Form Pan
I know it may seem obvious, but some people really don't know you need one. It has a spring on the side that releases the bottom of the pan to make it removable.
2. Line the bottom of the pan and grease the sides
To keep my cheesecakes from sticking to the bottom of the pan I line it with parchment paper. You don't have to do this, but I transfer my cheesecakes to cake boards and lining the pan makes it easier for me to do so. Greasing the sides is a must because it prevents the crust and batter from sticking to the pan and releasing beautifully.
3. Make and bake your crust then add batter to the pan
Pretty self explanatory, right? No tricks here.
4. Cover the bottom of your pan with a slow cooker liner!
Yes, this is the secret, people! Slow cooker liners work perfectly because they're designed to stand up to liquid and high heat. I haven't had a leak since using these babies!
Prior to using slow cooker liners I did what everyone else did and used aluminum foil. The problem with aluminum foil is when folded and crinkled around they pan gets tiny tears that are invisible to the naked eye, allowing water to seep through. The liners don't have this problem. The only problem is that they are HUGE! Simply open the liner and spread it out on your counter, place your cheesecake inside, grab all the access baggage on one side, wind it up and tie it in a knot, making sure to keep the top of the bag right below the rim of the pan to keep water from getting through.
5. Aluminum Foil
I add aluminum foil for double coverage and I can easily mold the foil to come up over the edges of the pan further insuring no water gets through.
6. Set your cheesecake pan inside another larger pan
I use a larger cake pan, but you can use a roasting pan or whatever works for you. Next, you'll fill the space between the pans with warm water. Do this slowly and carefully to avoid spills. Then, you'll bake!
7. Ready, Set, Bake!
As tempting as it may be, avoid opening the oven door during the baking process. Drafts and temperature changes can cause cracks.
Do not over bake! This is another culprit of cracking. You'll know your cheesecake is done when the edges are slightly puffed with a 2-3 inch wobbly spot in the center of the cheesecake.
Follow the above steps and you'll have a perfectly baked cheesecake with no cracks and no leaks. The only moisture I've ever found in my slow cooker bag after baking is condensation and/or melted butter from the crust. If your bag comes out dry, then even better! I hope this information helps. Now, go bake a cheesecake!
Yours Sweetly,
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