Everything You Need To Know To Make The Perfect Cheesecake posted by Taylor Munsell Pin Share Tweet Email SomethingSwanky is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. More than any other dessert, people everywhere have a love-hate relationship with cheesecake. They love it because…well, what’s not to love? Cheesecake is sweet, creamy, tangy, and has a texture that goes down easier than any other cake out there. The “hate” part of the dichotomy, though, comes from the fact that most cheesecake is jam-packed with calories, saturated fats, and sugars at levels exceeding almost any other dessert. In this guide, I’ll tell you how you can make cheesecakes at home that are as delicious and as aesthetically pleasing as the stuff you’d get at the bakery or grocery store. The difference is that, since you have control over the ingredients used in homemade cheesecake, you can easily make it healthier than the store-bought stuff while keeping the delicious appeal. Without further ado, let’s get into the official Something Swanky cheesecake FAQ. Table of ContentsAbout CheesecakesWhat Is a Cheesecake/What Makes a Cheesecake a Cheesecake?Different Kinds of CheesecakePreparing CheesecakeType of Cream Cheese You Should You Use For CheesecakeUse Room Temperature IngredientsAdd the Ingredients in the Right OrderOptional: Substitute Flour For FatBaking CheesecakeShould All Cheesecakes Be Baked in a Water Bath?How Do You Check if a Cheesecake is Done?How Long do Cheesecakes Take to Bake?Serving & Storing CheesecakeCan I Put My Cheesecake in the Fridge if it’s Still Warm?How Do You Know When Cheesecake is Set?How to Serve CheesecakeHow to Store/How Long to Store CheesecakeCan Cheesecake Be Frozen?Cheesecake RecipesCheesecake FAQ About Cheesecakes First, let’s define what we mean by “cheesecake.” What Is a Cheesecake/What Makes a Cheesecake a Cheesecake? A cheesecake is a soft cake made primarily from a mixture of soft cheese, eggs, and sugar. That mixture stands on a base of graham crackers or other pastry. Even though it’s called a cake, most cheesecakes are not really cakes at all since they don’t contain flour or leavening agents except in the base. Different Kinds of Cheesecake Cheesecake has acquired popularity all over the world and spawned distinct versions in many different countries, with the main difference being the type of cheese used in the cake’s soft upper layer and the type of pastry used as the base. For example, Italian cheesecake uses ricotta cheese. New York cheesecake uses cream cheese. German cheesecake uses quark cheese. Japanese cheesecake has separately whisked egg whites and added flour that gives it a texture more similar to a traditional cake. And French cheesecake is not baked at all. One reason cheesecakes are so popular around the globe is because it’s so easy to modify. In other words, you can toss in whatever ingredients you want to radically change the flavor of the cake! For example, you can add any kind of fruit, spice, or extract to easily alter the cake’s flavor profile. You can even replace the sugar with other seasonings and use an unsweetened bread as the cake’s base to make a savory cheesecake that is a great appetizer! Preparing Cheesecake Here are some pro tips to prepare the ingredients for great homemade cheesecake. Type of Cream Cheese You Should You Use For Cheesecake Philadelphia Cream Cheese is the best to use in cheesecake because it has a creaminess and a tang that other brands don’t have. Make sure to use the solid black version, though, instead of the whipped version that is easier to spread. This will increase the fat content, but it will also result in a creamy texture that is a signature of a great cheese cake. If you cannot find Philadelphia Cream Cheese, any brand with around 33% fat content should produce similarly creamy results. And for the love of cheesecake, DO NOT attempt to substitute whipped cream for the cream cheese. Use Room Temperature Ingredients It’s crucial that the eggs, cheese, and any other ingredients to be mixed into the soft layer of the cheesecake be room temperature before you start combining them. The reason is that cold ingredients seize up and have a harder time mixing together smoothly. Since preparing a nice creamy cheesecake is all about texture, cold ingredients can easily ruin the whole thing. To make sure your ingredients are at room temp before mixing them, leave them sitting on the counter at least 30 minutes before starting. Add the Ingredients in the Right Order Always beat the cream cheese by itself first until it’s nice and fluffy, roughly the same consistency as whipped cream. You’ll have to do the beating using an electric mixer set on high, and, even then, it will probably take a while. It’s basically impossible to beat the cream cheese by hand, no matter how determined you are. If you don’t have one, check out my post on the best hand mixers. Next, add the sugar to the whipped cream cheese and mix the two until the texture is smooth. Again, you can use the high beater setting if you want. Last, set the beater to its lowest speed and add the eggs one at a time. As you add each one, gently mix it into the cream cheese/sugar mixture until it’s all the same color. If you have the mixer on high for this step, you’ll over-beat the eggs and end up with a mixture that’s too runny. Optional: Substitute Flour For Fat If you’re craving the flavor of cheesecake but really want to stay away from fat, you can substitute low-fat cream cheese for the full-fat version and add a bit of flour or cornstarch to compensate for the thickness you’re losing. Doing so will make the cake a bit less creamy and more akin to the texture of a Japanese cheesecake. Baking Cheesecake Once your ingredients are ready and you’ve put them on top of the graham cracker or pastry in your springform pan, it’s time to get cooking. Should All Cheesecakes Be Baked in a Water Bath? Yes. Preparing a water bath for your cheesecake will help ensure it cooks evenly and keeps a moist, creamy texture. Not using a water bath will often result in cheesecakes that are unevenly cooked, curdled, and a bit too dry. To prepare a water bath, set your springform pan with the cheesecake in it in a larger oven pan before placing both in the oven. Once they’re in the oven, fill the larger pan with water until the water level is about halfway up the cheesecake pan. Pro tip: Before placing the springform pan in the larger oven pan, place it in a cake pan that is just slightly larger than the springform pan. This extra layer will keep the cheesecake from getting soggy during baking and will also serve as an insurance policy in case the springform pan is not totally water-tight. How Do You Check if a Cheesecake is Done? Open the oven and agitate the cheesecake, either by pincering it between two heat-proof spoons and giving it a little shake or by using oven mitts to do the same. If the cheesecake is done, the center will jiggle slightly while the majority of the cake’s surface will stay put. If the cake is underdone, the entire surface will jiggle. You can also stick an oven thermometer into the cheesecake. When it’s 150 degrees Fahrenheit, the cheesecake is done. This method leaves a hole in the cake, though, so I don’t recommend it unless the jiggling method really does not appeal to you. How Long do Cheesecakes Take to Bake? After the soft ingredients are in the pastry crust, cheesecakes generally bake for about an hour at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cooking heat and time are different for different cheesecake recipes, though, so consult the one you’re using to be sure. Serving & Storing Cheesecake After working so hard to make a perfect cheesecake, it’d be a shame if it got ruined during serving or storage. To avoid that happening, familiarize yourself with these tips. Can I Put My Cheesecake in the Fridge if it’s Still Warm? No. If a warm cheesecake is put in the fridge, water droplets from condensation will form on the cake’s surface and ruin the texture. It’s best to let the cake cool to room temperature (which usually takes about an hour) before putting it in the fridge. That being said, a cheesecake should be refrigerated for at least four hours after cooling to room temperature to help it set. Before putting a cooled cheesecake pan in the fridge, run a knife around the edge of the cake to prevent sticking later on and cover the pan in plastic wrap. How Do You Know When Cheesecake is Set? You know a refrigerated cheesecake has set when the surface has a subtle gleam and is firm to the touch, like hardened chocolate sauce. At that point, you know the cake is creamy enough to eat. A cheesecake that has not set yet will have a wet and eggy texture. It usually takes at least four hours in the fridge for a cheesecake to set. It’s even better to refrigerate it overnight. How to Serve Cheesecake First, run a knife around the wall of the pan to make sure the crust will not stick. Even if you did the same thing earlier, a second time cannot hurt. Next, lightly heat a regular kitchen knife—not a cake knife—and use it to cut pieces just like with a regular cake! Make sure the knife is not too hot or it could curdle the cheese. For better aesthetics, dip the knife in warm water between each cut to make sure it does not get gummy. How to Store/How Long to Store Cheesecake If a cheesecake is still in the pan, you can wrap the pan in plastic wrap and then tinfoil and store the pan in the fridge for up to five days before the cheesecake starts to lose its flavor. If the cheesecake has already been taken out of the pan, store the remaining pieces in an airtight container like Tupperware. Wrap the container in tin foil and keep it in the fridge for up to five days. Store bought cheesecakes have more preservatives and can be stored for up to a week rather than five days. Can Cheesecake Be Frozen? Yes. If wrapped in plastic wrap and foil, cheesecake stays good in the freezer for up to a month. The texture and flavor will get a bit iffy after that, but the cake will still be pretty good for another month. Cheesecake Recipes Now that you know how to prepare, serve, and store cheesecakes, it’s time to get cooking with these hand-picked cheesecake recipes! Lemon Cheesecake with Blueberry Sauce Get the Recipe Copycat Cheesecake Factory Pumpkin Cheesecake Get the Recipe New York Style Cheesecake Get the Recipe White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Recipe Get the Recipe Cheesecake FAQ What kind of pan is best for cheesecake? A springform pan is your best bet. It won’t affect the cooking process, but it’s a lot easier to release the cheesecake cleanly if you use a good-quality springform pan. Remember that springform pans aren’t generally water-tight, though, so prepare for that fact. How do you keep a cheesecake from cracking without a water bath? Cracking is caused by sudden changes in temperature. So if you leave your cheesecake in the oven while the oven is preheating rather than just sticking the cake into a hot oven, the cheesecake is less likely to crack.When it is finished baking, leave the cheesecake in the oven with the oven door cracked open until the cheesecake and the oven return to room temperature. Then take the cheesecake out of the oven and let it sit on the counter for a few minutes before putting it in the fridge.Even if you do all of this, it’s very difficult to keep a cheesecake from cracking without using a water bath. Does cheesecake rise when baked? No, it should not. The crust on the bottom is the only part that is supposed to rise when baked, but all cheesecake recipes ask you to bake the crust in the pan before adding the cheesy filling anyway so it shouldn’t be an issue.Over-beating the eggs in a cheesecake creates pockets of air. Those pockets cause the cheesecake to rise during baking and then settle back afterwards. This can cause the cake to overflow the pan during baking. How do I know if my cheesecake is undercooked? Use a finger to lightly press down on the center of the cheesecake while it is still in the oven. If the cheesecake is still undercooked, the center will still be liquid and your finger will sink into the cake. Become a Cheesecake Master Cheesecake is one of the hardest baked goods to get right. There are just so many places to go wrong, and so many precautions to take in order for the goods to come out perfect. When you do everything properly, though, it really is one of the most rewarding—and delicious—experiences you can have in the kitchen. Here’s hoping this cheesecake FAQ guide will help you to see what I mean!
