Methods to Bake Cheesecake in a Water Bathtub

April 10, 2023

Let’s discuss the right way to make a water tub for a cheesecake! They aren’t onerous to arrange and the additional step gives you a good looking, creamy cheesecake freed from cracks! Plus, I’ll share with you my tips for no leaks!

a full vanilla cheesecake with a slice cut and slightly removed

There’s little question that I’m an enormous fan of cheesecake. The sheer variety of cheesecake recipes on my website offers me away. I like the classics and I like distinctive twists. And with all of the cheesecake baking I’ve achieved through the years, I’ve realized so much and my primary tip for achievement is a water tub. If you need a good looking cheesecake freed from cracks, over-browned edges and a sunken center, it is advisable use a water tub.

What’s a Water Bathtub?

Cheesecake is principally a custard-based dessert and subsequently must be handled in a different way. A water tub, often known as a bain marie, is our secret to the proper cheesecake. It produces steam that wafts all through the oven, serving to to make sure that the cheesecake cooks evenly and stays good and creamy. It additionally moderates the warmth on the edges of the pan in order that they edges don’t cook dinner a lot sooner than the middle.

Why Use a Water Bathtub?

The advantages of a water tub are lots. It offers you a cheesecake that:

  • Is freed from cracks.
  • Doesn’t over cook dinner or over brown on the sides.
  • Doesn’t sink within the center whereas cooking.
  • Stays tremendous clean and creamy.

Nonetheless, water baths can usually be complicated, leak and usually be a ache. So I’m excited to share my strategies with you at the moment as a result of they aren’t sophisticated, gained’t leak and it’s SO a lot better than not utilizing a water tub. You spend a lot time making a cheesecake – don’t skip this ultimate step and find yourself with an underwhelming outcome.

What You’ll Want

I’m going to share just a few methods of organising a water tub. You will have choices! The primary requires the least quantity of apparatus, however is almost certainly to leak. The opposite two will preserve you leak-free and actually rely on desire. Right here’s what gear you’ll want.

  • Springform Pan: You’ll want a 9 inch springform pan for many recipes.
  • Giant Pan: “Giant” is a little bit imprecise, however finally you want a pan bigger than the springform pan that the water will really go in. It may be a big roasting pan or a big cake pan (I take advantage of a 12 inch cake pan).
  • Aluminum Foil: That is elective relying on the tactic you select. I like to recommend to lengthy, heavy duty foil.
  • Slow Cooker Bags: These are elective relying on the tactic you select, however will help stop your water tub from leaking.
  • Large Silicone Pan: That is additionally elective relying on the tactic you select, however it’s the easiest way and almost certainly to stop leaking. You must purchase the pan, however in the event you bake a whole lot of cheesecakes, it’s going to completely be value it.
  • Sizzling Water: To fill your bigger pan.

Methods to Set Up A Water Bathtub

Organising the water tub is just a few step course of. The wrapping of the pan occurs after you bake the crust and including the new water occurs simply earlier than you bake it.

  1. Make your crust: The very first thing it is advisable do for any cheesecake is correctly prep your pan and add your crust. I usually use a graham cracker crust or Oreo crust. I usually pre-bake my crust a bit.
  2. Prep your pan for the water tub: After you bake your crust, you’ll be able to go forward and prep your pan for a water tub utilizing one of many 3 strategies under. After prepping the springform pan, place your springform pan into the bigger roasting pan or cake pan.
  3. Add cheesecake filling: Now you may make your cheesecake filling and add it to the crust.
  4. Add scorching water: Carry your pan near the oven so stop shifting a pan filled with water everywhere, then add the new water to the outer giant pan.
  5. Bake cheesecake: Place your cheesecake and it’s water tub within the oven and bake as directed.
  6. Cool Cheesecake: When your cheesecake has baked, you’ll be able to take away it from the water tub, however go away it within the springform pan. You may set the cheesecake on a cooling rack to chill to room temperature after which refrigerate it, or simply place it straight within the fridge to chill fully. If you happen to don’t need any condensation forming on prime, let it cool to room temperature earlier than refrigerating it.

Three Water Bathtub Strategies

Methodology 1: Aluminum Foil

For this methodology, you’ll use aluminum foil across the exterior of your springform pan. I’d advocate two or three layers to attempt to stop leaking. You additionally don’t need to crinkle the foil an excessive amount of on the backside. It may well trigger little cracks to type within the foil, which might trigger leaking. Go away it a contact looser across the backside.

a cheesecake in a springform pan wrapped in aluminum foil for a water bath

Set your foil-wrapped pan in your bigger pan and fill the bigger pan with scorching water that comes about half manner up the facet of the springform pan. The water can boil a contact throughout baking, so that you don’t need it to return up too excessive or the water might “leap” over the foil. Lastly, bake your cheesecake in keeping with your recipe.

Methodology 2: Sluggish Cooker Luggage

I’ve been utilizing this methodology for a very long time. It was my unique methodology for a leak-proof water tub and I’ve been doing this for years. Sluggish cooker luggage can maintain as much as the warmth and gained’t type little holes or cracks, like aluminum foil. For this methodology, first wrap your springform pan within the sluggish cooker bag. The bag will probably be a little bit massive, so tie a knot with the surplus.

a cheesecake in a springform pan wrapped in slow cooker bag for a water bath
a cheesecake in a springform pan wrapped in slow cooker bag and aluminum foil for a water bath

Wrap a layer of foil across the exterior of the sluggish cooker bag, then place the pan within the bigger pan. Fill the bigger pan with scorching water that comes about half manner up the facet of the springform pan, then bake your cheesecake.

Methodology 3: Silicone Pan

That is my most up-to-date methodology. After getting a whole lot of questions on utilizing a silicone pan rather than the sluggish cooker bag and foil, I made a decision to strive it. I completely fell in love with this methodology! No want for wrapping and unwrapping, and no want to fret about leaking. One other plus is that the silicone pan is reusable so that you gained’t have to purchase foil and luggage time and again.

So for this methodology, simply set your springform pan within the silicone pan. Place that into the bigger pan that can maintain the water, then add your scorching water and bake. Simply needless to say the water ought to solely be about midway up the edges of the silicone pan. You don’t need it to return up too excessive. The water might boil a contact whereas baking and also you don’t need it to “leap” over the edges of the silicone pan and get into your crust.

a cheesecake in a springform pan placed in a purple silicone pan for a water bath
a cheesecake in a springform pan placed in a purple silicone pan and larger pan for a water bath

Examine: Cheesecake Baked With and And not using a Water Bathtub

I’ve advised you what occurs once you bake a cheesecake with out a water tub, and confirmed you the right way to set one up. Now let’s have a look at the ultimate outcome with and with out a water tub. Outcomes might range a bit between recipes (I used my Traditional Vanilla Cheesecake), however that is typically what the distinction appears to be like like.

Cheesecake Baked with Water Bathtub

a cheesecake in a springform pan that was baked with a water bath, after baking and cooling
A cheesecake baked in a water bath on a serving platter
A cheesecake baked in a water bath on a serving platter

Cheesecake Baked With out Water Bathtub

A cheesecake baked without a water bath on a serving platter
A cheesecake baked without a water bath on a serving platter

Can I Simply Put A Pan Of Water On The Rack Beneath?

I get this query rather a lot, so I examined it. Whereas your outcomes could range relying on the recipe, I discovered that the outcome was form of within the center. It nonetheless browned a little bit greater than once you use a water tub and nonetheless fell a bit, which you’ll see within the sides, however in any other case it did properly. It didn’t fall within the heart and it didn’t crack. So in the event you’re actually averse to utilizing a water tub and don’t thoughts the slight imperfections, this will surely be an choice.

A cheesecake with a pan of water underneath on a serving platter
A cheesecake with a pan of water underneath on a serving platter

When do I NOT Want a Water Bathtub?

If you happen to’re utilizing a recipe that doesn’t name for one, then that needs to be wonderful. Mini cheesecakes additionally don’t require a water tub, nor do 9×13 cheesecakes. Their smaller and thinner measurement means they bake extra evenly with out having to make use of a water tub. And naturally a no-bake cheesecake doesn’t want one both.

Professional Ideas For a Nice Cheesecake

Now that you understand how to do a cheesecake water tub, listed below are some wonderful cheesecake recipes to strive:

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a cheesecake in a springform pan wrapped in slow cooker bag and aluminum foil for a water bath