7 Tips for a Better Cheesecake

How to get that creamy, silky smooth cheesecake

After my Mini Sour Cream Cheesecake post, I thought it would be nice to write up a guide for making/ baking cheesecake. I’ve baked cheesecake MANY times and there are definitely things that I have learned along the way.

Here are 7 tips that I want to pass along to you so that you can bake up a delicious cheesecake with more ease :

1. Baking thinner or individual cheesecakes are much easier than baking tall cheesecakes– Even thought I’ve baked numerous cheesecakes, I still get nervous when I bake a super thick cheesecake that uses 4 blocks of cream cheese. When I cut the amount of batter or make individual cheesecakes, I feel like I have more control over the baking process. Thinner cheesecakes and individual cheesecakes are quicker to bake, don’t need a water bath and are less likely to crack in the oven.
2. Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature– Having ingredients at room temperature will ensure that your cheesecake batter is smooth and silky (You can even use the microwave to soften up cream cheese). The first cheesecake I ever made had so many lumps in the batter but I thought the lumps would melt during the baking process; they didn’t.
3. Adding sour cream to the batter yields a softer cheesecake, adding starch yields a harder one– I’ve noticed that adding sour cream to my cheesecake batter makes for a cheesecake that is less dense but still very creamy and smooth. Adding flour or cornstarch on the other hand, creates a cheesecake that is a bit firmer. Take this into consideration when looking at a cheesecake recipe.
4. Beat the batter as much as you want BEFORE adding the eggs– It is important to properly beat the cream cheese and sugar together, but once you add eggs to the batter, only beat what is necessary to have a silky smooth batter. Excessively beating the batter after adding eggs will create too many air pockets that will lead to cracking as well as a compromise in texture.
5. Using the toothpick test is not helpful when baking cheesecake– If a toothpick comes out clean from the cheesecake, the cheesecake is overbaked. If the cheesecake has puffed up and/or the middle of the cheesecake is the only part of the cake that is  jiggly, chances are it is done baking.
6. It is better to underbake a cheesecake than to overbake it– Trust me, an slightly overbaked cheesecake cannot be saved as the texture will be eggy and the smoothness/ richness of the filling will be lost. However, a slightly underbaked cheesecake can be remedied with proper chilling. (Slightly underbaked cheesecakes are to some people, the best cheesecake texture).
7. Chill the cheesecake for at least 4 hours or even better, overnight– Serving a cheesecake that has not been properly chilled is never a good idea. Proper chilling allows for the cheesecake to set, developing a creamy and smooth texture as well as giving the flavors a chance to blend together and intensify.

Now that I’ve shared my cheesecake tips, what are yours? I would love to hear any tricks that you use to bake a perfect cheesecake.

-Chewy