All of my tricks and tips for getting a crack-free classic cheesecake without a water bath!
Guys. This cheesecake is like crack. But it is not cracked. 😉
There is absolutely nothing better than sliding your fork into a decadent, dense, slightly sweet, slightly tangy classic cheesecake. The creaminess. The graham cracker crust finish. And maybe some fresh berry compote on the side, because WHY NOT?
I avoided home-making cheesecakes for so long, because my brain put up all these little road blocks — the biggest being the dreaded water bath. But championing through was 1000% worth it and I developed a couple tricks along the way!
So pull out your #bakingnerd glasses, your notepad, and your #2 pencil; we’re about to take a deep dive on classic cheesecake and my cheater’s methods for avoiding cracks AND avoiding the tricky traditional water bath.
Why do cheesecakes crack?
In order to understand how to avoid cracks, we need to know why they happen! Cheesecakes usually crack for one of two reasons: drastic temperature changes OR over-baking.
A common solution for crack-free cheesecakes is the traditional water bath, in which you bake the cheesecake pan, filled with batter, halfway submerged in a water bath. But SO many people avoid making cheesecake, because of the water bath, and I totally GET it. Trying to get the height of the water right, dealing with leaky springform pans, fearing a watery cheesecake crust… Aka mental road blocks to awesome cheesecake.
Which is why I bake my classic cheesecake WITHOUT a water bath. And while a cracked cheesecake is 99% as good as a non-cracked cheesecake, below are the methods I use in place of a traditional water bath to avoid cracked cheesecake!
How do I get a flat cheesecake with no cracks?
My cheater’s methods for getting a flat classic cheesecake without a water bath include the following steps:
- (1) a pan of hot water on the bottom rack of the oven (no submerging required);
- (2) an easy DIY insulated cake strip;
- (3) a CLOSED oven from start time to finish time; and
- (4) a careful eye on cook time.
First, we’re going to place a baking sheet or pan of water on the bottom rack of the oven, which will help imitate that warm, humid baking environment and prevent the top of the cheesecake from setting too quickly.
Second, we’re going to insulate the springform pan by wrapping it with a DIY insulated cake strip. This cake strip requires only aluminum foil and paper towels and the post includes step-by-step pictures for an insulated cake strip that can be made in just a few minutes. This will help the cheese cake cook evenly across the middle and the outside–preventing the outer edges from over-baking too quickly!
Third, don’t open the oven! Cook it the full initial 52 minutes without opening the oven.
Fourth, become a pro at judging bake time through the “wobble” method. At 55 minutes, turn your oven light on and give your oven a little shake. I usually place my hands on the handle of the oven door and just push with a baby shake. (Still not opening the door.) By shaking the cheesecake a smidge, you can judge how much “wobble” it has. The cheesecake is done when the outer 1-2 inches of your cheesecake do not jiggle/wobble like jello but the middle 3-4 inches of your cheesecake does jiggle/wobble like jello. Do NOT wait until your entire cheesecake has no wobble or it will be over-baked and increase the chance of it cracking.
If your entire cheesecake wobbles, turn the oven light off and give it a few more minutes. But once your cheesecake has the right amount of wobble, turn the oven completely off and crack the oven door open by no more than 2 inches. Leave the cheesecake to cool very nearly to room temperature but at LEAST an hour. By doing this, you VERY gradually cool the cheesecake and introduce no drastic temperature changes.
Can I make cheesecake without a water bath? Or is a water bath necessary for cheesecake?
You can absolutely make a cheesecake without a traditional water bath. The traditional water bath provides two elements: a steamy, humid oven environment that prevents your cheesecake from drying out on top and insulation for protecting the cheesecake from drastic temperature changes.
We can create these same two elements using the cheater’s methods I describe above. The pan of hot water creates a steamy, humid oven environment. As a result, the cheesecake does not develop a “crust” or “film,” which is more prone to cracking upon cooling.
The insulating cake strip helps insulate the cheesecake to ensure even baking across the cheesecake. The outer edges don’t cook and “set” too quickly or become over-baked (and prone to cracking) before the middle cooks!
Is this a New York style cheesecake? What is a New York style cheesecake?
Yes! New York style cheesecake typically includes sour cream, whereas other cheesecakes include heavy whipping cream. The sour cream makes the cheesecake dense and creamy with a slight tang.
What toppings are good on cheesecake?
- caramel sauce (quick and easy caramel sauce recipe in these blondies)
- hot fudge (recipe for hot fudge in this mud pie recipe)
- berry compote (recipe for berry compote in this lemonberry fool recipe)
- lemon curd (recipe for easy lemon curd in this lemonberry fool recipe)
How do I get a clean slice of cheesecake?
Fully chilled cheesecake. Hot knife. If you really want to go the extra mile, spray the knife with cooking spray. 😉
mikaela | wyldflour
9-Inch Classic Cheesecake
Serves 8-12
This crack-free classic cheesecake is decadent and creamy and is made without a traditional water bath!
1 hrPrep Time
1 hrCook Time
2 hrTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (or about 12-14 full graham crackers)
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup white granulated sugar
- 4 8-ounce packages of full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
Instructions
- Remove the cream cheese, sour cream, and eggs from the refrigerator about 90 minutes before you start so they can come to room temperature. (Exact amount of time will depend on how warm your house is.)
- Place your top oven rack in the middle to middle-low position of the oven. Place your bottom oven rack just below your first rack, leaving enough room for a baking sheet to be placed on the bottom rack.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Prep Your Pan's Insulating Wrap! (Detailed step-by-step pictures available at the link above.) As explained above, this wrap will help you achieve a flat cheesecake without cracks. Roll out a rectangle of aluminum foil that is long enough to fully wrap around your 9-inch springform pan plus six additional inches. (About 34" long.) Now roll out enough paper towel that is almost as long as your foil rectangle, leaving about six inches. (About 29" long.) Run the paper towels under water until thoroughly soaked. Then lightly squeeze the excess water from the towels. You want them to be thoroughly soaked, but not dripping. Carefully spread them out flat again and fold the paper towels length-wise until they are the same or less height as your springform pan. Lay this wet strip of towel out along one long edge of your foil and fold the long edge of the foil over the towels, folding and folding again until you have a very long strip of foil wrapped wet paper towel. Set aside.
- Prep the Crust! I prefer to use graham cracker crumbs, but if you are using full graham crackers, place them in a food processor and pulse until they are the texture of sand. In a medium-sized bowl, stir together graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar. Dump the mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to pack the crumbs tightly into a crust. At the outer edges, use the edge of the measuring cup to build up a 1/4"-1/2" edge and press crumbs against the outside of the springform pan. Place the pan and crust in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- Prep the Filling! Using a handheld mixer or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until smooth. (3-4 minutes.) Add the sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla, and beat until it is thoroughly mixed and there are no lumps.
- Pause a minute to prep the steam bath! Place a baking sheet on the bottom rack of the preheated oven and carefully(!) pour tap water into the pan until at least 1/4"-1/2" deep. Close the oven and let it come back up to temp. Remove your springform pan from freezer, and wrap your "insulating wrap" around your springform pan until the two ends meet. At the point where they meet, twist the two ends together like a twist-tie. Turn the twist until the wrap is securely tightened around the pan and will not fall off. Set aside.
- Back to the filling! Add the first egg and beat on low only until the yellow of the yolk has JUST disappeared. Add the second egg and beat on low only until the yellow of the yolk has JUST disappeared. (Over-mixing will increase the chance of cracks!) Add the third egg and beat on low only until the yellow of the yolk has JUST disappeared. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides. Then beat on low just 5 or so seconds longer to be sure the egg has been fully incorporated. Use a flat spatula to "fold" the batter for 10-15 seconds, pressing air out of the batter and removing bubbles--not creating them.
- Let's Bake! Pour the cheesecake batter over the crust in the prepared springform pan. Do not scrape down the sides of the bowl--just hang the bowl and let as much batter run out as you can. (The sides often have lumps of thicker batter which may cause lumps in your cheesecake, so I typically avoid scraping it down. Unless it's just family and I don't care. Then I grab every last drop.)
- Place the cheesecake on the top rack of the preheated oven, above the steam bath, and bake for 52-60 minutes. Do NOT open the oven to avoid temperature changes. I usually grab the handle of my oven door and give my oven a slight shake. The cheesecake is done when the outer 1"-2" of your cheesecake is set but the middle 3"-4" of your cheesecake still wobbles a little bit. At this point, turn off the oven. Open your oven door no more than 1"-2" to let heat SLOWLY escape. The idea is to bring your cheesecake oh-so-slowly back to room temperature. Any sudden temperature changes could shock the cheesecake and cause it to crack. So will over-baking. (Have no fear - the cheesecake will cook and set a little more as it cools. If in doubt as to whether it's done, and you're stricken with indecision, turn the oven off, but wait 3-5 minutes to open the door.)
- Once the oven has cooled down and is only slightly warmer than room temperature (at least one hour), remove the cheesecake and let it come to room temperature. Cover with foil and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 4 hours. (I prefer to make it a day in advance.)
- Slice and serve!
Notes
I like serving this classic cheesecake with the berry compote recipe from my Lemonberry Fool. (Recipe in the archives and linked above.)
Full instructions and step-by-step pictures for the DIY insulated cake strip are linked above and in the archives.
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