Why You Should Always Cook Your Cheesecake In A Water Bath
New York is probably the place you first think of when you hear cheesecake mentioned. After all, the city is renowned for its unique style of this luscious dessert. Ask many people where the dish originated, and you will probably hear France or Italy mentioned. Surprisingly, though, the actual home of cheesecake is Greece. From an article on Cheesecake.com we learn that the origins of cheesecake date bake to 2000 B.C. to the Greek island of Samos.
Regardless of where it originated, there is little denying that cheesecake is many people's guilty pleasure. Rich, sweet, tangy, creamy, and loaded with luscious cream cheese and fat, it is a dish we know we shouldn't overindulge in but just can't resist.
One thing that saves many of us from being addicted to this delectable delight is that they are kind of expensive to buy and somewhat tricky to get right cooking at home. One secret to baking a proper cheesecake, though is cooking your creation in a water bath.
How does a water bath help a cheesecake?
According to Taste of Home, the primary reason for cooking your cheesecake in a water bath is to ensure that the batter is heated and cooked evenly from all sides without having to worry about potential hot spots in your oven.
Beyond this obvious advantage, through the process of evaporation, the water increases the humidity in your oven, creating a moist atmosphere. As the head of the magazine's Home Prep Kitchen is quoted as saying, "The water bath creates a moist atmosphere that keeps the cake from drying out and cracking." If you have ever attempted baking a cheesecake, you know the anguish this can cause.
In addition, Southern Living writes that using a water bath also helps avoid other common issues cooks run into when baking a cheesecake. Among these are rubbery edges, a dark top, and the much-dreaded sinkhole center. Those are a lot of advantages to get from something as simple to use as a water bath.
How to use a water bath for baking a cheesecake
Properly creating a water bath for baking a cheesecake is not tricky, but it does require a bit of attention to detail. According to Southern Living, you should use a baking pan that is as deep as your spring pan and large enough to hold a good bit of water. The water will evaporate during cooking, and the cake will rise. Err on the side of caution and use as large a pan if you can.
Next, even if you believe your spring pan is watertight, place it on a sheet of aluminum foil and wrap it from the bottom up. Any leaks will ruin your efforts. Once wrapped, you can set your spring pan in the larger baking dish and fill it with hot water. Southern Living suggests using hot tap water.
One word of caution stressed by both magazines is to pour the water carefully and avoid getting any in your filling. All that is left to do at this point is to carefully slide the entire works into your preheated oven and bake according to whatever cheesecake recipe you are following.