How one can Bake Cheesecake in a Water Bathtub

April 10, 2023

Let’s discuss find out how to make a water bathtub for a cheesecake! They aren’t laborious to arrange and the additional step gives you an exquisite, 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 doubt that I’m an enormous fan of cheesecake. The sheer variety of cheesecake recipes on my website offers me away. I really like the classics and I really like distinctive twists. And with all of the cheesecake baking I’ve carried out through the years, I’ve realized rather a lot and my primary tip for fulfillment is a water bathtub. If you’d like an exquisite cheesecake freed from cracks, over-browned edges and a sunken center, that you must use a water bathtub.

What’s a Water Bathtub?

Cheesecake is mainly a custard-based dessert and subsequently must be handled in a different way. A water bathtub, also referred to 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 perimeters of the pan in order that they edges don’t prepare dinner a lot quicker than the middle.

Why Use a Water Bathtub?

The advantages of a water bathtub are loads. It offers you a cheesecake that:

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

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

What You’ll Want

I’m going to share a number of methods of establishing a water bathtub. You may have choices! The primary requires the least quantity of apparatus, however is most probably to leak. The opposite two will hold you leak-free and actually depend upon choice. Right here’s what tools you’ll want.

  • Springform Pan: You’ll want a 9 inch springform pan for many recipes.
  • Massive Pan: “Massive” is slightly imprecise, however in the end you want a pan bigger than the springform pan that the water will truly 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 non-obligatory relying on the strategy you select. I like to recommend to lengthy, heavy duty foil.
  • Slow Cooker Bags: These are non-obligatory relying on the strategy you select, however might help forestall your water bathtub from leaking.
  • Large Silicone Pan: That is additionally non-obligatory relying on the strategy you select, however it’s the simplest way and most probably to forestall leaking. It’s important to purchase the pan, however if you happen to bake numerous cheesecakes, it’s going to completely be price it.
  • Sizzling Water: To fill your bigger pan.

How one can Set Up A Water Bathtub

Establishing the water bathtub is a number of step course of. The wrapping of the pan occurs after you bake the crust and including the recent water occurs simply earlier than you bake it.

  1. Make your crust: The very first thing that you must do for any cheesecake is correctly prep your pan and add your crust. I sometimes use a graham cracker crust or Oreo crust. I sometimes pre-bake my crust a bit.
  2. Prep your pan for the water bathtub: After you bake your crust, you’ll be able to go forward and prep your pan for a water bathtub utilizing one of many 3 strategies beneath. After prepping the springform pan, place your springform pan into the bigger roasting pan or cake pan.
  3. Add cheesecake filling: Now you can also make your cheesecake filling and add it to the crust.
  4. Add scorching water: Deliver your pan near the oven so forestall transferring a pan filled with water in every single place, then add the recent water to the outer massive pan.
  5. Bake cheesecake: Place your cheesecake and it’s water bathtub 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 bathtub, however depart it within the springform pan. You’ll be able to 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. In the event you don’t need any condensation forming on prime, let it cool to room temperature earlier than refrigerating it.

Three Water Bathtub Strategies

Technique 1: Aluminum Foil

For this methodology, you’ll use aluminum foil across the exterior of your springform pan. I’d suggest two or three layers to attempt to forestall leaking. You additionally don’t wish to crinkle the foil an excessive amount of on the backside. It may possibly 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 approach up the aspect of the springform pan. The water can boil a contact throughout baking, so that you don’t need it to come back up too excessive or the water may “soar” over the foil. Lastly, bake your cheesecake based on your recipe.

Technique 2: Sluggish Cooker Luggage

I’ve been utilizing this methodology for a very long time. It was my authentic methodology for a leak-proof water bathtub and I’ve been doing this for years. Sluggish cooker baggage 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 gradual cooker bag. The bag will likely be slightly huge, 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 gradual cooker bag, then place the pan within the bigger pan. Fill the bigger pan with scorching water that comes about half approach up the aspect of the springform pan, then bake your cheesecake.

Technique 3: Silicone Pan

That is my most up-to-date methodology. After getting numerous questions on utilizing a silicone pan rather than the gradual cooker bag and foil, I made a decision to attempt 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 baggage time and again.

So for this methodology, simply set your springform pan within the silicone pan. Place that into the bigger pan that may maintain the water, then add your scorching water and bake. Simply take into account that the water ought to solely be about midway up the perimeters of the silicone pan. You don’t need it to come back up too excessive. The water may boil a contact whereas baking and also you don’t need it to “soar” over the perimeters 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 With no Water Bathtub

I’ve instructed you what occurs once you bake a cheesecake with out a water bathtub, and confirmed you find out how to set one up. Now let’s have a look at the ultimate outcome with and with out a water bathtub. Outcomes may range a bit between recipes (I used my Basic Vanilla Cheesecake), however that is typically what the distinction appears 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 Under?

I get this query quite a bit, so I examined it. Whereas your outcomes might range relying on the recipe, I discovered that the outcome was sort of within the center. It nonetheless browned slightly greater than once you use a water bathtub 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 middle and it didn’t crack. So if you happen to’re actually averse to utilizing a water bathtub 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?

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

Professional Suggestions For a Nice Cheesecake

Now that you know the way to do a cheesecake water bathtub, listed here are some wonderful cheesecake recipes to attempt:

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