Help im trying to bake a decent cheesecake but lately theyre all cracking in the middle i tried putting a dish with water in the oven but still.This is happening in the cooling period (Im leaving it in the oven)Can u guys please tell how to prevent this from happening? Thanxxx

Is the water in your water bath boiling when you pour it in the pan? I got that tip somewher along the way and ever since then I only use boiling water and I never get cracks anymore.

It sounds like you may be over baking it. Try decreasing the temp and time a little and take it out of the oven to cool. Cheese cakes continue to bake as they cool. I take mine out of the oven and the water bath and let them cool on the counter on a cooling rack. Unless your kitchen is really cold or you have a fan on that shouldnt cause cracking from cooling too fast.

Heres a link that has helped me to perfect my cheesecakes. http://www.baking911.com/cakes/cheesecake_problems.htm

What is the temp. you are cooking it at?

Thanxxx 4 the info and the link .the temp is 350 thanxx once more

If your cheesecake cracks while it is cooling, it is because the cheesecake is sticking to the sides of the pan as it naturally cools, shrinks, and contracts. My solutions for this are:

1) Run a knife all the way around the edges of the pan as soon as it comes out of the oven. If the cheesecake recipe says to cool it in the oven, run a knife around the edges and put it back in the oven.

2) When preparing the pan, carefully butter then spray the pan with nonstick spray (no flour). Sounds crazy, but I now have perfect sides on my cheesecake without using the knife trick (I don't like crust on the side). Good Magic Line cheesecake pans with removable bottoms help too.

Cracking during baking is a separate issue, caused by overbeating the batter after adding the eggs or overbaking. A water bath can help avoid cracks caused during the baking process. If you ever see small cracks developing around the outside edges of the cheesecake, take it out of the oven immediately; these will fix themselves as the cheesecake cools as long as it does not stick to the sides.

Those are great tips!

WOW!!! thanxx 4 all the info u been great!

This is a wealth of info on baking The Perfect cheesecake:
http://www . b a k i n g 9 1 1 .com/cakes/cheesecake101.htm
http://www . b a k i n g 9 1 1. com/cakes/cheesecake_qanda.htm
http://www . b a k i n g 9 1 1 .com/cakes/cheesecake_problems.htm

I always put my spring form inside a larger pan with about 3/4" of water in it, and when done baking, let it cool completely in the oven (overnight!) with the door slightly ajar â works well for me every time.

How funny that we posted about that site at the exact same time?!

I make a lot of cheesecakes and haven't had one crack yet...here are my tips....

-bake at 325 for 1 hour
-grease bottom and sides of pans
-make sure all ingredients are room temp first - I get out all my ingredients and let them sit on the counter while I prepare crust
-beat cream cheese and sugar together with mixer on low speed, but hand stir all other ingredients gently
-I put a 9x13 pan of water in the oven while preheating, then start getting out my ingredients, that way water is boiling by the time cheeseake is in oven
- after baking, I dip a long thin knife in hot water several times while going around edge of cake and then I leave in oven to cool for about 4-5 hours
-- most importantly - don't open the oven door to peek or get a sniff of the yummy smell while it is cooking - I have to give my husband strict orders ....no peeking & no sniffing!!!

I hope this helps!

Ditto EVERYTHING Crystal13 just said, except I use a springform pan instead of a 9X13.

By the way, my name is Crystal, too!

I've never had one crack either.......what's your recipe........I use 1 pkg. of cream cheese, 1 egg, and 1/4 c. of sugar.....then I just double, triple or quadruple as needed. I bake a triple recipe in a 9" springform for 45 minutes at 350 and then turn off the oven and crack the door open on the oven and leave it for 2 or 3 hrs. until it's completely cooled, then pop it in the fridge...I've never had one crack!

I've sold cheesecakes for 25 years, so I've made thousands of them. Sometimes they just crack no matter what you do. I agree to have all the ingredients at room temperature. Beat your cream cheese and sugar until very smooth. Once you add the eggs and whipping cream only beat until blended. You don't want to incorporated air. You can bake in a water bath but it totally changes the texture of a cheesecake. If you want a heavy, New York type cheesecake don't use a water bath. After my cakes have been out of the oven about 15 minutes I gently open the sides of the springform pan and then close them again. As has been said, the cake will stick to the side and crack as it cools if you don't do that.

But, cracks are very easily covered with yummy ganache or buttercream! I have several photos of cheesecakes in my photos.

Jodie

Oh - as a side note to my reply - I put the 9x13 pan of water on the rack directly under where I put my cheesecakes - I've never directly stuck my springform pans in a water bath - I find I still get the benefits of a water bath without having to worry about sticking the whole springform pan in the bath

Thanxx 2 all of u guys for the tips I was doing a white chocolate cheesecake i did the pan w/water underneath not the water bath but i think what happenned was due to not runing the knife around before it cooled will do better next time thanxx 2 u!!!

Putting a pan of water in the oven does not do the same as a water bath. It does increase the humidity in the oven, which may help keep the top of a cheesecake from drying out as fast, but a water bath slows the cooking of the cheesecake down, especially around the edges, kind of like Wilton Bake Even strips do for a cake. Water boils about 212 degrees F, so a water bath helps keep the outside of the pan about this temp, and produces a level topped cheesecake. It also makes the texture creamier, more like a custard, especially if the recipe does not contain cornstarch or flour. This may or may not be what you are looking for as there are many types of cheesecakes. I'm no expert, but I think what works best depends on the recipe and what you are trying to achieve. A new york cheesecake is baked at higher temps without a waterbath; the cheesecake rises as it bakes and falls in the middle as it cools, and the texture is rougher at the edges that baked faster. If you do try a water bath, wrap your springform pan with two layer of heavy duty foil; I've had soggy crusts when I didn't.

Here is what I do with some of my cracks. I often make cheesecake and swirl in light amounts of berry jam before baking. Then when it comes out if there are a few small cracks I put more jam in those. Gives a nice marble look to it.

The oven is to hot. You can comfortably go down to 300. I've even baked at 275. The CC pan is supposed to sit in the water. The sides of the CC can get no hotter than 212. Cook until it is like starting to firm up like jello does. Turn the oven off shut door. Check back in about 15 minutes.

Mike

Cheesecake batter is a "souffle" of sorts, so try to reduce the amount it will puff up by not allowing much air to be incorporated during the mixing process (mix on low with a paddle, or by hand - don't whisk or whip). The food processor is a nice alternate way to mix without incorporating a lot of air too.

Room temp ingredients will ensure everything mixes together quickly, which will also reduce the amount of air in the final batter.

Lastly, it's worth the effort to find a good recipe that does not require a water bath... there are several out there, so keep looking. (the water bath is such a hassle)

My last cheesecake cracked down the center...first time that has happened. I line the springform with wax paper, and not until I read Heather's post did I recall I forgot to spray the sides of pan with Pam. Of course it would stretch/pull and crack...I'll be really careful to remember it next time and see if that won't fix it!

Oh... and if you cheesecake does crack, you can add this topping which is amazing - I put it on all of my cheesecakes whether (cracked or not).

For an 9 or 10-inch cheesecake, mix the following together:

16 oz sour cream
1/2 c sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Remove cheesecake from the oven and pour mixture on top. Return to the oven for 5 minutes. Cool cheesecake as directed in the recipe and chill before serving.

One more quick tip... the internal temp at the center of the cheesecake should be 160 when it's removed from the oven. It will still jiggle a bit in the center, but "carry over cooking" will continue for a while as the cheesecake cools.

Chilling for at least 4 hours will ensure a nice, firm, "set" cheesecake.

Sorry to disagree CC isn't like souffle. It's a custard treat it as such, and there won't be any issues.

Mike

Hi Mike. What I meant was that it puffs like a souffle, and the more air that is incorporated into it during mixing, the more it will puff up (and then collapse when cooling). Sorry for not making that clear .