The Best Keto Cheesecake Recipe - No Water Bath! (2024)

FAQs

Can you skip the water bath 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.

First, add a little starch (e.g., all-purpose flour) to the cheesecake filling mix. This stabilizes the proteins in the eggs, helping to stop them shrinking and causing cracks to form. Second, use room temperature ingredients. This allows you to mix the ingredients for the filling quickly.

Cheesecakes are often baked in water baths. This simply means that the cheesecake is baked in its round springform pan, then the pan is placed into a larger pan with hot water inside.

A water bath helps cheesecakes cook evenly, ensuring the edges don't bake faster than the center. The process gently bakes the custard slowly, ensuring a smooth and creamy filling. Otherwise, the dessert may get a rubbery texture. It also prevents cracking along the surface and browning on the top.

Steam baking, which adds steam into a hot oven, helps breads of all kinds rise completely as they bake. Steam capability is also great for baking more delicate items like custards. It can offer the same protection as a water bath without actually needing to use a water bath.

New York cheesecake is heavy on the cream cheese which is why it's so dense and rich. Extra cream cheese isn't the only thing that makes New York cheesecake so special. It also includes extra eggs and egg yolks to provide and smooth consistency.

When the batter is overmixed, too much air is added and will cause your cake to rise in the oven and then collapse and crack when being removed. Don't overbake your cake. It may crack if it's too dry. Many people overbake their recipes to “play it safe”.

Add 1 Tbsp (15 ml) to 1/4 cup (60 ml) of cornstarch or flour to the batter alongside the sugar. Starches minimize the amount of cracking that can occur. The starch molecules get in between the egg proteins and prevent them from over-coagulating. As a result, the cheesecake shrinks less, causing fewer cracks.

CRACKS HAPPEN.

Remember, your cheesecake is still delicious, so instead of calling it a failed experiment, cover the crack with a delicious topping, like a sour cream coat.

If the cheesecake looks nearly set and only a small circle in the center jiggles slightly, it's done. You might worry a runny middle means raw cheesecake, but it's totally safe and normal. The center will firm up as it cools on a cooling rack, resulting in the smooth surface you want.

Can I put a springform pan in a water bath? ›

And since most springform pans are not airtight and will leak water, you'll need a waterproof barrier. You can use foil, a slow cooker plastic liner bag, or even another slightly larger pan. My preferred method is to put my 9-inch springform pan inside a 10-inch cake pan, but these are all great options.

Liquid is used in baking to provide moisture to the product and to allow the gluten to properly develop. Water is the most basic and common form of liquid used in baking. Often, milk products such as whole milk, buttermilk, cream, or dried milk are used.

The oven temperature is too high. If the top crust forms and sets before the cake has finished rising, the middle will try to push through the crust as it continues to bake, causing it to crack and possibly dome. Check your oven with an oven thermometer and reduce the temperature accordingly if it is running hot.

Sugar adds sweetness and flavor but also aids in browning, tenderizing, maintaining moistness, and preserving the shelf life of the cake. Sugar acts as a tenderizer by absorbing water, inhibiting flour gluten development, and incorporating air into shortening during the creaming process.

However, sometimes the water can leak into even the tightest spring form pan, and the crust can get mushy. It's a lot of work to end up with soggy graham crackers, so this extra step of water-proofing the cake pans, if you will, is well worth it.

Classic Cheesecake Recipe. Look no further for a creamy and ultra smooth classic cheesecake recipe! Paired with a buttery graham cracker crust, no one can deny its simple decadence. For the best results, bake in a water bath.

One alternative is an oil bath, where instead of using water, a heat-resistant oil is used as the medium. Oil baths are suitable for higher temperature applications and provide better temperature uniformity and stability. They are commonly used in industrial and research laboratories.