If you've never made a cheesecakes or the ones you've made turned out cracked, too heavy or just plain weird, then let me share with you some awesome tips & secrets on how to make cheesecake perfectly every single time!
When I first started learning how to make cheesecakes I was surprised at just how easy it was to whip up some delicious, impressive cheesecakes right at home. They always looked so intimidating sitting in those bakeries but that's all hype! You'll be putting cheesecake factory to shame in no time! Ok let's get started!
Homemade Cheesecake Easy As 1, 2, 3!!!
There are 3 main parts to a cheesecake: The Crust, The Filling & The Topping!
The Crust: The crust is usually just crushed cookie crumbs, melted butter and sugar. Mixed up and pressed firmly onto the bottom of a springform pan. Easy right!
The Filling- That creamy, decadent stuff is merely lots of fluffy cream cheese, sugar, eggs, milk, vanilla extract, flour & lemon juice. Simply mix it up and pour it into your prepared pan and bake!
The Topping- Here's the pizzaz that makes cheesecake look so fancy and intimidating. It's all about the hype here. You can throw on some cherries, chopped candy bars, cool whip, drizzle on chocolate, caramel, raspberry sauce or whatever else you can think of!
(check out this homemade pumpkin pie cheesecake recipe garnished with walnuts and cool whip YUMM!)
Ready to Make Those Fancy Gourmet Cheesecakes?
OH MY MY MY!!
This is where it GETS VERY FUN & VERY TASTY!
Ready to Make Those Fancy Gourmet Cheesecakes?
OH MY MY MY!!
This is where it GETS VERY FUN & VERY TASTY!
It's so easy to change up the crust ingredients, add in different ingredients to the filling and create delicious toppings to create a totally gourmet cheesecake. Gourmet cheesecakes can be simply breathtaking and with a great recipe I bet you won't even be able to tell the difference between your cheesecake & a professionally made cheesecake!
Watch me make one of my favorite gourmet cheesecakes from this ebook: White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake from start to finish! Can you say "HEAVENLY!!!!!" and so freakin easy!
How to Make A Perfect Cheesecake
Use Good Ingredients: Fresh, quality ingredients makes a cheesecake taste incredible! So go with the best, trusted brands and don't try to reduce the fat by using reduced-fat items. Use the bar-style cream cheese and not the whipped kind.
All Ingredients Should Be At Room Temperature: Yes, the eggs, the cream cheese, EVERYTHING that you are gonna need for your cheesecake should be at room temperature so go ahead and sit it out on your counter for about 30-60 minutes or so.
Don't Overmix: One of the reasons that everything should be at room tempt. is because cold items take longer to mix. Cut the cream cheese into cubes to make mixing easier. Mix the cream cheese & sugar first. Make sure it is super smooth with no lumps before adding in the other ingredients. Cheesecake does not need a lot of air in the batter like other cakes. Mixing creates air. Overmixing causes air bubbles that can make your cheesecake crack. So mix just until everything is combined using a low- medium speed.
Use A Spring-Form Pan- This type of pan was designed for these yummy kinda cakes. The bottom and sides of the pan releases with a snap, literally. I always lined the bottom of the springform pan with foil to make the seal super tight to prevent leaks and I grease the sides as well.
How To Make a Water Bath- Placing water in the oven along with your cheese cakes will help keep it moist which can help prevent cracks. To add a water bath simply fill a shallow pan with water and place it on the oven rack right below your cheesecake. Some people actually prefer placing their pan of cheesecake right into the water. I had a bad experience with the water seeping into my spring form pan and ever since then I've been to chicken to try it that way again. This way works just as good for me.
How To Make a Water Bath- Placing water in the oven along with your cheese cakes will help keep it moist which can help prevent cracks. To add a water bath simply fill a shallow pan with water and place it on the oven rack right below your cheesecake. Some people actually prefer placing their pan of cheesecake right into the water. I had a bad experience with the water seeping into my spring form pan and ever since then I've been to chicken to try it that way again. This way works just as good for me.
Cheesecake Cooking Tips: Your average cream cheese cheesecake needs about 1 hour to cook. Cheesecakes need to cook and cool slowly. Never open the oven door while the cheesecake is cooking because drastic changes in temperature can cause the cheesecake to crack. Only open the oven when the cooking time has been reached, in order to check your cheesecake for doneness. Bake the cheesecake on the center rack with a water bath pan underneath. A cheesecake is done when the center is slightly jiggling and the edges are firm. Do not overbake. The center will set as it cools.
How To Cool a Cheesecake: When your cheesecake is done, turn off the oven and just let it sit in there until cooled. You can also prop open the oven door and let cool gradually that way as well. When cheesecake cools it contracts (which can cause cracking) so pull the oven wrack out a little and run a knife around the edges of the pan if needed and then return the cheesecake to the oven to finish cooling.
How to Store Cheesecake After It Has Cooled In The Oven : Once cheesecake has cooled in the oven you can set it out on the counter until it comes to room temperature. Leave it in the pan & cover it with several layers of seran wrap and place in the refrigerater for 12 to 24 hours to completely set.
How to Slice a Cheesecake- To get a perfect, neatly cut cheesecake dip your knife into a glass of hot water and wipe off before making each cut. The first piece is usually the hardest to remove. Run an offset spatual underneath the slice to easily lift it up and remove.
How to Garnish a Cheesecake- Garnishing a cheesecake can be the most exciting part about making a cheesecake. Garnishes can make even the plainest cheesecakes look absolutely breathtaking. I recommend garnishing each slice individually on the plate right when you are about to serve it. Not only will this make cutting it easier but it will ensure that each slice looks equally fresh and beautiful.
How to Slice a Cheesecake- To get a perfect, neatly cut cheesecake dip your knife into a glass of hot water and wipe off before making each cut. The first piece is usually the hardest to remove. Run an offset spatual underneath the slice to easily lift it up and remove.
How to Garnish a Cheesecake- Garnishing a cheesecake can be the most exciting part about making a cheesecake. Garnishes can make even the plainest cheesecakes look absolutely breathtaking. I recommend garnishing each slice individually on the plate right when you are about to serve it. Not only will this make cutting it easier but it will ensure that each slice looks equally fresh and beautiful.
How To Fix A Cracked Cheesecake
A cracked cheesecake really isn't a big deal. They say that if you throw in 2 Tablespoons of corn starch that your cheesecake won't crack no matter what. Hmmm looks like I have an experiment to try out. Meanwhile check out some of my favorite ways to hide a crack.
Method #1.) Reserve a small amount (about 1 cup) of the cheesecake batter and place it in an oven safe measuring cup and bake it along with your cheesecake. If your cheesecake cracks simply use some of this "cheesecake filling" to fill in the cracks once your cheesecake has cooled & set completely. I stir it up with a spoon to get it really creamy, place it in a sandwich bag & poke a hole in the end of the bag and then just pipe the cheesecake filling into the cracks, smooth it over with a spoon, place back into the refrigerator and bam! A gorgeous cheesecake! Crack? What crack?
Method #2.) The water method. If the crack in the cheesecake is super minor you can use warm water and the back of a spoon. Simply add a few drops of warm water around the crack so that the cheesecake becomes creamy, use the back of the spoon to mend the crack together. The water and creamy cheesecake will act like a glue.
Method # 3.) I haven't used this method before, but I hear in bakery's if a cheesecake cracks they will combine 1 cup of sour cream, 1 Tablespoon of caster sugar and a drop of vanilla etract and then spread it over the top of the entire hot cheesecake and then return to the oven to cool.
Method # 4.) Cover it up with garnish like cherries, chocolate, ect.! Depending on the type of cheesecake you are making you can simply dress it up to disguise the cracks and nobody will ever know!
Now you are all set! Go create some awesome cheesecakes...and send me a slice!
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