- First you want to wrap the outside of your springform pan with foil. Then after you have baked the crust, you want to put your springform pan in the center of a large rimmed baking sheet.
- Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature. Whip the cream cheese & sugar until smooth & light, scraping the bowl well before adding additional ingredients. If you beat the mixture after you add the other ingredients, it can over-work the batter, leaving you with air bubbles that rise to the surface & look bad.
- Pour your cheesecake filling on top of the cooked crust. Do NOT scrape the bowl like crazy b/c some of the filling won't be completely mixed, but this is a bad time to scrape & re-mix the batter. Remember, too much mixing will create air bubbles. Place the rimmed baking sheet that's holding the cheesecake into the center of the oven.
- Ok, here's the special trick: Next, pour water into rimmed baking sheet around the cheesecake about 1 inch high. Close the oven & bake. The foil acts to keep the water out of the cheesecake & the water forms a bain-marie, or water bath, which helps the cheesecake cook slowly & evenly without browning the top. The water bath also prevents the edges from cooking faster than the center. Low & slow is the way to go for cheesecakes.
- Now, DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN, EVER! That is a huge mistake people make. I know it's tempting to look at that beautiful dessert you are baking, but just watch it from the oven window. A 9-inch cheesecake will take about 45-55 minutes to bake. It will no longer look shiny on the top or center, but will be dull/matte when cooked, even if it is slightly jiggly, but you should not be jiggling your pretty cheesecake! No need to open the oven to jiggle, or stick a knife or toothpick in your work of art. Be patient! It will be done, or get done with the last step, I promise.
- Lastly, turn the oven off & leave that cheesecake alone, INSIDE the oven, for at least 2-3 hours. While working in a bakery, we would even leave our cheesecakes in the oven overnight until we came in the next morning. By gradually cooling off in the closed oven, & with the help of carry-over cooking, the cheesecake will be fully-cooked & this process will continue to prevent cracks from forming. This also keeps the top of the cheesecake from sinking in the center.
- Finally, remove the cheesecake from the oven (yay!) and let it refrigerate for 4+hours. Chilling the cheesecake will also solidify any remaining jiggles.
Hooray! Now that you know the secrets to the perfect cheesecake, here is the recipe to impress your families with this Thanksgiving or for any fall event you may happen to go to. Some say it's so good, you can make this instead of pumpkin pie.
Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)
For the Crust
- 1 1/2 cups gingersnap crumbs (about 30 store-bought cookies, crushed with a food processor)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
For the Filling (all ingredients at ROOM TEMPERATURE)
- 4 (8oz) packages cream cheese, room temperature (I totally used Neufchatel, but use Philadelphia, not the cheap store brand.)
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree, room temperature (I am a Libby's only snob on this ingredient)
- 2 Tbsp Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice or McCormick/Store-Bought
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 large eggs, cracked open into a bowl, room temperature
- Preheat oven to 350*F. Assemble a 9-inch nonstick springform pan, with the raised side of the bottom part facing up. Wrap outside of springform pan with foil.
- Make crust: In a medium bowl, mix cracker crumbs, sugar, & butter until moistened; press firmly into bottom of pan. Bake 10-12 minutes until golden around edges.
- Make the filling: With a stand mixer, beat cream cheese & sugar on low speed until smooth, scraping bowl well occasionally. Add flour until just incorporated. Add pumpkin puree, pie spice, vanilla & salt; mix just until smooth. Scrape bowl one last time. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until each is incorporated before adding the next. (DO NOT SCRAPE BOWL ANYMORE, or overmix filling.)
- Place springform pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour filling into springform pan over the prepared crust, & gently smooth top. Transfer to oven; reduce heat to 300*F. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until top is dull/matte. DO NOT OPEN OVEN, EVER! After it's baked, turn off oven; let cheesecake stay in closed oven 2-3 hours more (without opening.)
- Remove cheesecake from oven; cool completely. Cover cheesecake pan with plastic wrap; refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours. Un-mold before serving. Use a HOT knife to slice pieces, rinsing & drying the knife between each pass. Top with a dollop of whipped cream & a dash of cinnamon. Enjoy! Yields: 12-16 slices.
- First you want to wrap the outside of your springform pan with foil. Then after you have baked the crust, you want to put your springform pan in the center of a large rimmed baking sheet.
- Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature. Whip the cream cheese & sugar until smooth & light, scraping the bowl well before adding additional ingredients. If you beat the mixture after you add the other ingredients, it can over-work the batter, leaving you with air bubbles that rise to the surface & look bad.
- Pour your cheesecake filling on top of the cooked crust. Do NOT scrape the bowl like crazy b/c some of the filling won't be completely mixed, but this is a bad time to scrape & re-mix the batter. Remember, too much mixing will create air bubbles. Place the rimmed baking sheet that's holding the cheesecake into the center of the oven.
- Ok, here's the special trick: Next, pour water into rimmed baking sheet around the cheesecake about 1 inch high. Close the oven & bake. The foil acts to keep the water out of the cheesecake & the water forms a bain-marie, or water bath, which helps the cheesecake cook slowly & evenly without browning the top. The water bath also prevents the edges from cooking faster than the center. Low & slow is the way to go for cheesecakes.
- Now, DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN, EVER! That is a huge mistake people make. I know it's tempting to look at that beautiful dessert you are baking, but just watch it from the oven window. A 9-inch cheesecake will take about 45-55 minutes to bake. It will no longer look shiny on the top or center, but will be dull/matte when cooked, even if it is slightly jiggly, but you should not be jiggling your pretty cheesecake! No need to open the oven to jiggle, or stick a knife or toothpick in your work of art. Be patient! It will be done, or get done with the last step, I promise.
- Lastly, turn the oven off & leave that cheesecake alone, INSIDE the oven, for at least 2-3 hours. While working in a bakery, we would even leave our cheesecakes in the oven overnight until we came in the next morning. By gradually cooling off in the closed oven, & with the help of carry-over cooking, the cheesecake will be fully-cooked & this process will continue to prevent cracks from forming. This also keeps the top of the cheesecake from sinking in the center.
- Finally, remove the cheesecake from the oven (yay!) and let it refrigerate for 4+hours. Chilling the cheesecake will also solidify any remaining jiggles.
Hooray! Now that you know the secrets to the perfect cheesecake, here is the recipe to impress your families with this Thanksgiving or for any fall event you may happen to go to. Some say it's so good, you can make this instead of pumpkin pie.
Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)
For the Crust
- 1 1/2 cups gingersnap crumbs (about 30 store-bought cookies, crushed with a food processor)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
For the Filling (all ingredients at ROOM TEMPERATURE)
- 4 (8oz) packages cream cheese, room temperature (I totally used Neufchatel, but use Philadelphia, not the cheap store brand.)
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree, room temperature (I am a Libby's only snob on this ingredient)
- 2 Tbsp Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice or McCormick/Store-Bought
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 large eggs, cracked open into a bowl, room temperature
- Preheat oven to 350*F. Assemble a 9-inch nonstick springform pan, with the raised side of the bottom part facing up. Wrap outside of springform pan with foil.
- Make crust: In a medium bowl, mix cracker crumbs, sugar, & butter until moistened; press firmly into bottom of pan. Bake 10-12 minutes until golden around edges.
- Make the filling: With a stand mixer, beat cream cheese & sugar on low speed until smooth, scraping bowl well occasionally. Add flour until just incorporated. Add pumpkin puree, pie spice, vanilla & salt; mix just until smooth. Scrape bowl one last time. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until each is incorporated before adding the next. (DO NOT SCRAPE BOWL ANYMORE, or overmix filling.)
- Place springform pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour filling into springform pan over the prepared crust, & gently smooth top. Transfer to oven; reduce heat to 300*F. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until top is dull/matte. DO NOT OPEN OVEN, EVER! After it's baked, turn off oven; let cheesecake stay in closed oven 2-3 hours more (without opening.)
- Remove cheesecake from oven; cool completely. Cover cheesecake pan with plastic wrap; refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours. Un-mold before serving. Use a HOT knife to slice pieces, rinsing & drying the knife between each pass. Top with a dollop of whipped cream & a dash of cinnamon. Enjoy! Yields: 12-16 slices.
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