Why does cheesecake split on top

Leave the cheesecake inside the oven for around an hour to let it cool gradually. Once the cheesecake has reached room temperature, cover it and chill overnight. Skip to main content Noone wants to go through all the hard work of baking a delicious cheesecake only to find that the top has cracked. Method Step 1: Preparation is Key 1. Watch Ask The Expert cheesecake video. For some delicious cheesecake recipes, see Craving Cheesecake.

Recipe: New York Cheesecake. Why does my cheesecake get cracks in the top? By Marge Perry Updated August 09, No account yet? Create an account. Edit this Article. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article parts.

Tips and Warnings. Things You'll Need. Related Articles. Article Summary. Part 1. Grease the pan well. A baked cheesecake shrinks as it cools. If the sides of your pan are not thoroughly greased, the cheesecake may cling to the sides and pull apart in the center as it shrinks. Greasing the pan encourages the cheesecake to pull away from the sides and shrink in. You can use cooking spray, butter, margarine, or shortening to grease the pan. As a general rule, the sides and bottom of the pan should appear glossy and feel greasy to the touch, but they should not be dripping wet.

Use a clean paper towel to spread the shortening, spray, or butter around the sides of the pan evenly. Mix lightly. As soon as the ingredients have been combined and the batter is smooth, stop mixing it. Over-mixing the batter can cause air bubbles to get trapped inside, and these air bubbles are ultimately the main cause of cracks.

Inside the oven, the air bubbles created in the batter expand and try to escape. They move to the top of the cheesecake, creating a crack or indentation as they break free. Consider adding a starch to the batter. 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. If you're working with a recipe that already includes flour or cornstarch, however, you may not need to add any extra.

The writer of the recipe may have already taken the matter of starch into consideration. Add the eggs last. Eggs bind the ingredients of the batter together, and as a result, they are the main component responsible for trapping air bubbles inside the cheesecake. Mix the rest of the ingredients together thoroughly before adding the eggs to reduce the number of trapped air bubbles.

Any lumps created by the cream cheese or other ingredients should be completely beaten out before you add the eggs. Mix the batter as little as possible after you add the eggs. Rest the pan in a water bath. To create a warm water bath, first cover the sides and bottom of your cheesecake pan with aluminum foil to provide an extra barrier from the water.

Use heavy-duty aluminum foil, if possible, and wrap outside of the pan as securely as possible. Rest the cheesecake pan inside a larger pan. Fill the larger pan with 1 to 2 inches 2. Part 2. Bake at a low temperature. Ideally, you should bake your cheesecake at a temperature of degrees Fahrenheit degrees Celsius. Extreme temperatures and dramatic temperature changes can cause the cake to crack, but cooking the cheesecake at a fairly low temperature can minimize the risk.

After prebaking a graham cracker crust for about 10 minutes, wrap the springform pan with two layers of aluminum foil to ensure no water will penetrate the foil.

After you prepare the cake in the springform pan, put it in a roasting pan, then fill the roasting pan with about 1-inch of water before placing it in the oven. This is the best way to bake cheesecake. It ensures that the egg proteins are gently and evenly heated which gives you the creamiest result.

This dessert is essentially a custard-like creme brulee or flan.