Techniques › Baking and pastry
Baking cheesecake without cracks
Intermediate Baking and pastry
Baking cheesecake without cracks is mixing gently, baking low and slow, and cooling gradually so a cheesecake sets smooth and creamy instead of cracking.
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How do you do it?
- Use room-temperature cream cheese and beat it smooth before adding anything else. Add eggs last, mixing on low just until blended.
- Bake at a low 300 to 325°F, ideally in a water bath.
- It's done when the edges are set and a 2- to 3-inch circle in the center still wobbles like jelly when you nudge the pan.
- Turn off the oven, prop the door open, and let it cool there 1 hour. Run a thin knife around the edge, then chill overnight.
Why does it work?
Cheesecake is really a custard, set by egg proteins. Overheat it and those proteins tighten and squeeze out water, so the cake puffs, then shrinks and cracks; it also turns grainy. Air beaten in rises and then collapses. As it cools, the cake shrinks, and if the sides stick to the pan, the pulling tears the top. Gentle heat and slow cooling prevent all three.
What are the common mistakes?
- Beating hard after the eggs go in — too much air, then a puffed, sunken, cracked top.
- Baking until the center is firm — it overcooks into a dry, cracked cake.
- Cold cream cheese — lumps you'll be tempted to fix by overmixing.
Still stuck? Watch someone do it on YouTube.
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