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This month I will be talking about Cheese Cakes! How many bakers are intimidated by trying to make and bake a Cheesecake? After you have read my blog, you will be able to make and bake a cheesecake after the tips that I have provided you! So, let’s get started.
First you need to decide on a simple recipe when starting out. You want to read the recipe more than once and see what ingredients are needed and your equipment needed to bake the cheesecake. Then make a grocery list and go to the store to purchase the ingredients required.
Make sure you allow yourself enough time when starting to make and bake your recipe.
Use the springform pan that is required when baking your Cheesecake. Sometimes it may require you to use an 8” or 9” inch pan. Using a springform pan, makes it much easier to remove your cheesecake without it cracking or falling apart.
Make sure to check that the clip on the side of the pan still works correctly, by releasing it and closing it tightly. If it doesn’t then you would not want to use this pan. Butter the bottom and sides of your pan with softened butter and make sure you use plenty of it, don’t be skimpy! Then wrap the outside of the pan with a heavy- duty aluminum foil all the way around and way up the sides of the pan.
By doing this step, it helps prevent water from seeping from the water bath into the cake pan during baking.
Use the conventional bake oven cycle and not the convection. The hot circulating air in a convection oven can cause the cake to bake too fast, brown too much, and collapse in the center as it cools.
Preheat the oven at least half an hour before putting in the cake. Buy a good oven thermometer and keep it inside the oven to double check the temperature before putting in the cake. If you plan on baking a lot, it makes sense to invest in a quality thermometer. Check your oven often, If the temperature fluctuates more than 25 degrees call a repairman. An oven that holds its heat during the entire baking period is essential in baking a great cheesecake. If the temperature jumps too high, the cake can overbake, crack, and crumble, if it is too low, the cake might never firm up enough to slice it!
Most recipes always call for a water bath to bake your cheesecake. A water bath spreads out the heat evenly around the cake and adds moisture to the oven. The cake bakes gently, evenly, and slowly with moist heat. If using this method your cheesecake should come out with golden-brown edges with a slightly golden-tan center and no cracks. For the water bath, choose a pan that’s larger than the springform has sides at least as high. Place the cheesecake pan (wrapped with foil) in the center of the larger one. Add enough warm water to the water bath pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the springform. Place the pans on the middle shelf of the oven.
Keep the door closed for thr first 30 minutes of baking! No one can resist peeking in the oven, but just look through the glass window. If you open the door before the cake has baked long enough to set, the rush of cold air can cause your cheesecake to fall. Check the water bath and add more warm water if necessary. If the water bath starts to boil, add a few ice cubes.
In addition, the water bath, bake the cake at 350 degrees (no higher) and watch so it doesn’t overbake. If the cake bakes too long or at too high a temperature, the batter sets too fast and firms up too much, resulting in a dry crust on the top that cracks easily when you cut the cake. As a cake cools, the overbaked edges shrink and cause a deep crack to form in the center.
Take the cheesecake out of the oven when the edges are set and light golden brown and the top turns slightly golden tan and look set and no longer wet. If it’s still soft around the sides and the color is pale, leave the cake in the oven for five or ten minutes more.
First, carefully bring the water bath (with the cake still in it) out of the oven. Now, gently lift the cake out of the water bath and place it on a wire rack to cool (just leave the foil wrapped around it). If you leave the cake in the water bath, it will overbake! Be sure it’s not in a draft. Walk away and forget about it for two hours. It needs to rest, set, and cool. If it’s moved during this time, it could fall or crack.
After the cake has rested for a couple of hours, remove the foil but keep the cake in the pan. (If the cake is still warm, refrigerate it unwrapped until it’s no longer warm to your touch). Cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until it’s completely cold. This will take at least 4 hours, but I recommend leaving it overnight.
To remove the cake from the pan easily, check to see if it has shrunken from the sides of the pan. If not, run a small warm metal spatula or table knife, around the sides of the pan. Do this gently, moving the spatula up and down all around the sides. Release the latch on the side of the pan. Now, holding the pan from the bottom, push the cake up and away from the sides, letting the ring fall down on your wrist. This keeps the sides of the cake looking smooth.
Now, slice and enjoy your Cheesecake! You deserve it. I hope these tips will help you in baking your first Cheesecake or if you have baked a Cheesecake and some of the issues, I described will help you in preventing them from happening again.
Enjoy!!
Until next month’s Blog.
Happy Baking!!
Lucille
