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Help!
I have a wonderful cheesecake recipe that gets rave reviews. I enjoy baking it, but I'm never quite satisfied with the results because of my edge! I see photos of cheesecakes, and they all have a creamy smooth edge; mine is part brown and part yellow. Any suggestions on how to get a pretty edge? I don't want my crust to come up the sides. Any advice would be appreciated!
Your problem may be resolved by baking your cheesecake in a water bath at 325 degrees. This allows for a slower, gentler heat which often gives a smoother, crack-free appearance to cheesecakes and may help with over-browning.
How to bake a cheesecake in a water bath:
Place your greased springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Securely wrap foil around sides of pan. Place springform pan in a large baking pan; add 1 in. of boiling water to larger pan.
Bake cheesecake at 325 degrees (even if recipe is written for 350). You may need to bake the cheesecake a bit longer than indicated in the recipe since baking in a water bath is a slow, gentle heat and can take longer.
When cheesecake is done, remove springform pan from water bath; remove foil. Cool cheesecake on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight. Remove sides of pan.
Taste of Home Test Kitchen
I worked a Taste of Home Cooking School last night & learned from Chef Michael Barna that over-mixing a cheesecake can also lead to cracks.
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I just made a cheese cake in my crock pot today. I used a baking dish (any round dish that will fit in your pot), and put in 2 cups of water, then made the recipe for a cheesecake, cooked on Hi for 3 hours, then lifted out the dish and let it cool. It is in the refrigerator overnight. This is great! A water baking method, and doesn't even heat up the kitchen! I didn't have to do much "trouble" with a water bath in the oven either. No cracks, and came out great. You don't even have to use a springform pan.
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