BellaOnline Forums Food and Wine Desserts cracked cheesecake

Do hot water baths really work? My pumpkin cheesecake looked so ugly. I need a remedy before Thanksgiving.

Yes, a hot water bath can make a huge difference. Just make sure that your spingform pan is tightly sealed, you may even want to put a seal of aluminum foil around the bottom where the seal is.

Also, be sure to let you cheesecake cool some before you release it from the pan. This will prevent it from sticking to the sides when you get ready to let it go.

And, of your cheesecake does crack - just spread some coolwhip on the top of it before serving. Everyone loves coolwhip, and then no-one will see the cracks!

You sure do know something about Everything! That's why I love this forum. I didn't want to try it unless it really works because I have a ten inch springform pan and will need to buy another pan for the bath. It doesn't fit in anything I have.

yes, the steam helps keep the custard (thats what a cheesecake is essentially.. a cheese custard)from cracking. Also, watch the time it is cooking and the temp. You can cook it too quickly and it will dry out the outside (even with a water bath) before the custard is set. Additionally, if it is too low, you can just dry the thing out from cooking it so long until it's set.

The key to perfect cheesecake is:

1. Water bath (warm water that has been pre-boiled is best)
2. Sealed springform pan (use plastic wrap and then foil)
3. Low and slow
4. take out when it is just set, there is carry-over heat that will still cook it.
5. let it cool COMPLETELY before taking it out of the pan.
6. Don't cool in the fridge, this will cause thermal shock and water retention. There is nothing worse than a wet cheesecake!

All of what you've said was told to me by a cheesecake baker I met a few years ago. He added one thing though. All of your ingredients must be a room temp. before making your cake. It's a little hard for someone like me, who just decides on the spur of the moment, "I NEED a cheesecake," and grab the cream cheese and eggs out of the frig and go to work on it.

He also said a wet dishtowel under the pan of water is good.

My sister makes the most amazing cheesecake--New York style--and says she doesn't do any of those things except the room temp ingredients. So I've wondered if the oven has something to do with it. For instance, my oven runs hot. If a recipe calls for 350, I might cook it at 345.

And on the subject, we grew up in Cincinnati, home of the most wonderful old German bakeries that made a cheesecake we have not been able to find a recipe for. It was made with a sweet yeast dough. That's all we know for sure. I've come close to making one, but not quite. Anybody else ever ate one of those? My sister and I are dying for one.

I have had ones that have the graham cracker crust, shortbread crust, ladyfinger crust, or a pre-cooked pastry like crust.

That one you suggested sounds good.

And yes.. completely forgot about the room temp thing. that is essential!

I don't always use the water bath. Sometimes I throw some water onto the bottom of my oven as I put in the cheesecake. It steams the oven and provides the essential insurance. you have to be careful though, some ovens don't work well that way.

Also, if you have a convection oven, you NEED to do the waterbath. The amount of air moved will definately dry out the cheesecake.

These measures are insurance policies. If you have an oven you understand and use room temp ingredients... you might not need them.

Thank you for the tips.....mine was wet. I dried it with Bounty! No one knew, and it didn't affect the taste. This was all an experiment for Thanksgiving. Now to make the REAL one REAL pretty! All agreed the pumpkin cheesecake was better than pumpkin pie so that's what they want.

Mmm pumpkin cheesecake. I make a dual layered one with regular cheesecake on the bottom and pumpkin pie on the top, then I also make one with pumpkin mixed in the batter and and swirl it with the regular one to make a marbled cheesecake.

Jase, your pumpkin cheesecakes sound scrumptious! Share a recipe if you can.

I've covered over many a cracked cheesecake with pie filling, which by the way is pretty tasty. I had given up on cheesecakes but with all of these excellent tips, I'm going to have to try one again. I never knew about the room temperature thing. They don't tell you these things in recipes!

When recipes show pictures of the cheesecakes, they are always so PERFECT looking, but you are so right, they don't mention room temp. nor water baths. My recipe didn't even say cool completely prior to refrigerating. I too would like Jase's recipe for the marbled pumpkin one.