Homemade cheesecake is one of the most decadent desserts of all time, but baking a cheesecake can feel intimidating.
Between it falling flat or showing cracks, the art of how to make a homemade cheesecake can be tough to master at first.
Thats why weve put together this guide complete with tips and delicious recipes, so you can get to the kitchen and feel confident that youve made your best cheesecake ever!
10 Tips for Making Perfect Cheesecake
From temperature to springform pans, here are 10 tips for how to bake a cheesecake.
- Start With Room Temperature Cream Cheese
One of the most basic (and important) tips for making the perfect cheesecake is to use room temperature cream cheese. When your cream cheese is at room temp, its soft (which is why most recipes call for softened cream cheese). Soft cream cheese is easier to work with, mixes better with other ingredients and doesnt result in lumps.
2) Use a Springform Pan
A springform pan is a cheesecake-making necessity. If youve ever tried to use a regular pan when making cheesecakes, you might have ended up with a blob of custard and crumbs when trying to invert the cheesecake onto a surface after its baked. With a springform pan, you can easily remove the sides and slice your cake, without mangling it!
3) Dont Overdo It
With cheesecake, you want to be careful to not overmix or overbake. When it comes to mixing, a key component of cheesecake is no lumps (which means you need to mix); however, you dont want to mix too much, or your cheesecake might rise too quickly, fall, and then crack on the surface. Find the balance of mixing your cream cheese and sugar really well before adding your eggs. Eggs are what holds the air of the mixture, so a good rule of thumb is to add the eggs last and blend gently.
4) Fix the Cracks
If you find that there are cracks on your cheesecake, the good news is that you can always cover them up with chocolate sauce or mixed berries. If youd rather attempt to fix the cracks entirely, wait until the cheesecake is chilled. Dip an offset spatula in hot water, dry it with a towel, and gently push down on the crack. Once you experiment with this method a bit, youll find you get the hang of it and your cheesecake will be smooth!
5) Do the Dental Floss Trick
If youre somewhat familiar with homemade cheesecake, youve probably heard of the dental floss trick. If you hold it tight between your hands and use a back and forth sawing method, the dental floss magically works like a wire to slice the cheesecake into wedges. In the end, it leaves you with smooth, soft edges. Be sure to not use flavored floss by mistake!
6) Let it Cool Naturally
Sometimes, folks want to throw the cheesecake into the fridge as soon as its done baking so that it can cool and be eaten (which we totally understand). However, if you leave enough time so that the cheesecake can cool for at least a few hours on the kitchen counter or a wire rack before being placed into the fridge, youll end up with a better end result. In allowing the cake to cool on its own, you wont risk cracks due to the rapid temperature change, or an odd texture because of condensation caused by the fridge.
7) Add a Bit of Flour
Youll find that many cheesecake recipes call for a bit of flour or cornstarch in the batter. They interact with the proteins of the eggs so that they dont coagulate and cause the egg to change from a liquid to a semi-solid or a solid.
8) Give Love to the Crust
Just as important as the cream cheese mixture is the crust! Whether youre using cookies, nuts or anything else, make sure to finely grind them in your food processor when creating the crust.
9) Resist the Urge to Peek
When something is baking, its certainly tempting to open the oven every 5 minutes to check on it and watch the progress unfold. However, with cheesecake, resist the temptation! Opening the oven can lead to a draft, which can lead to cracks.
10) Experiment!
The best way to learn how to make your version of perfect cheesecake is to experiment. Maybe you find the gluten free varieties to be tastier, or that cheesecakes made in bar form are more fun. A classic chocolate cheesecake might be your go-to, or even cheesecake macarons!
Delicious (and Creative) Cheesecake Recipes
Here are some creative recipes to get you baking! We hope they lead you to your best cheesecake recipe and inspire your future dessert endeavors.
Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gluten Free Chocolate Crust
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Photo credit: Karissa Besaw from The Crunchy Chronicles[/caption]
This Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gluten Free Chocolate Crust is perfect for the holiday. Its also good if youre just looking to forego dairy and refined sugar. This yummy recipe comes courtesy of Karissa Besaw from The Crunchy Chronicles and is made with a chocolate crust of Almond Flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, melted coconut oil and dates. The cheesecake filling is a brilliant mix of soaked cashews, vegan cream cheese, pureed pumpkin, coconut oil, maple syrup, arrowroot starch, cinnamon and nutmeg. Serve this divine treat during the holidays or whenever the craving for pumpkin kicks in!
Gluten Free Vegan Blackberry Cheesecake
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Photo credit: Sarah from Sarah Bakes Gluten Free[/caption]
This gorgeous Gluten Free Vegan Blackberry Cheesecake comes from BRM brand ambassador Sarah. As she states, its creamy, dreamy and made with quite a few Bobs Red Mill products. Sarah uses our Almond Flour and Coconut Sugar, mixed with a bunch of tasty ingredients like coconut milk and fresh blackberries, to create a beautiful and colorful cheesecake.
Cheesecake Fudge Bar
These vegan and paleo-friendly Cheesecake Fudge Bars are full of protein and healthy fats (plus, theyre super creamy without any dairy or soy). The cheesecake layer is inspired by Clean Eating With a Dirty Mind and is made with raw cashews, assorted seeds, melted coconut, maple syrup, vanilla extract, lemon juice and a surprise ingredient peeled and diced zucchini! These bars are wonderful for a springtime gathering or a birthday party.
Classic Cheesecake
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Photo credit: Catherine from Lila Ruth Grain Free[/caption]
If youre looking for a cheesecake with a fabulous texture (one thats also grain free and dairy free), try this recipe for Classic Cheesecake from Catherine of Lila Ruth Grain Free. Catherine uses our Almond Flour for her crust and after her cheesecake is cooled, she adds melted chocolate and coconut oil drizzle. Once the chocolate hardens in the freezer, it will remain set and look delicately beautiful! Garnish with raspberries and mint leaves and enjoy.
Mini Blueberry Lemon Almond Cheesecakes
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Photo credit: Kelly from Life Made Sweeter[/caption]
Kelly from Life Made Sweeter uses Bobs Red Mill Almond Flour to add a subtly nutty flavor to her Mini Blueberry Lemon Almond Cheesecakes. She makes her cheesecakes in muffin tins, so if you find that you dont have a springform pan (and dont plan to get one prior to baking your cheesecake), this is a great way to go. Kids will love helping put together these mini bites and helping to make the homemade blueberry sauce.
Keto No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake
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Photo credit: Carolyn of All Day I Dream About Food[/caption]
If youd rather not think about baking your cheesecake at all, this Keto No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake from Carolyn of All Day I Dream About Food will become your new best friend! This keto and sugar-free cheesecake is mini in size and serves 2-4 people (perfect for an intimate dinner party, or for times when you don't want to be too tempted by leftovers). Carolyn uses our Almond Flour for her crust alongside cocoa powder and butter for a decadent and indulgent chocolate treat. Forego the baking with this recipe; simply refrigerate and enjoy.
Passionfruit Swirl Cheesecake Bars
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Photo credit: Janese of Delish DLites[/caption]
Janese of Delish DLites uses Bobs Red Mill Unbleached White All Purpose Organic Flour to whip up these amazing Passionfruit Swirl Cheesecake Bars. With a shortbread crust and a cheesecake filling, she tops these bars with an incredible swirl of passionfruit pulp mixed with vanilla bean seeds and sugar. If its a tropical cheesecake bar youre in the mood for, these colorful delights will take the cake (the cheesecake).
Whether youre making cheesecake for the first time (or the hundredth time), its always fun to explore different techniques and flavors.
Though cheesecake can often seem temperamental with its rising, falling and occasional cracks, one thing always remains to be true: its entirely delicious.
From all of us at Bobs Red Mill, we wish you the best of luck on your cheesecake baking adventures! We know youll create something beautiful.
Have any favorite cheesecake recipes or tricks? Feel free to share them with our food community in the comments below.
Sources:
http://traceysculinaryadventures.com/2012/11/how-to-fix-a-cracked-cheesecake.html
https://www.mybluprint.com/article/10-tips-for-drop-dead-delicious-cheesecake
https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/tips-for-making-the-best-cheesecake/