Cake

Easy methods to Bake Cheesecake in a Water Tub

April 21, 2023
thinkarete


Let’s discuss tips on how to make a water tub for a cheesecake! They aren’t onerous to arrange and the additional step offers you a ravishing, creamy cheesecake freed from cracks! Plus, I’ll share with you my methods 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 web site offers me away. I really like the classics and I really like distinctive twists. And with all of the cheesecake baking I’ve completed through the years, I’ve discovered so much and my primary tip for achievement is a water tub. If you’d like a ravishing cheesecake freed from cracks, over-browned edges and a sunken center, you have to use a water tub.

What’s a Water Tub?

Cheesecake is principally a custard-based dessert and subsequently must be handled in another way. A water tub, often known as a bain marie, is our secret to the right 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 Tub?

The advantages of a water tub are lots. 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 customarily be a ache. So I’m excited to share my strategies with you in the present day as a result of they aren’t sophisticated, received’t leak and it’s SO significantly 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 end result.

What You’ll Want

I’m going to share a number of methods of organising a water tub. You could have choices! The primary requires the least quantity of kit, however is most 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 somewhat obscure, however in the end 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 exploit a 12 inch cake pan).
  • Aluminum Foil: That is optionally available relying on the strategy you select. I like to recommend to lengthy, heavy obligation foil.
  • Sluggish Cooker Luggage: These are optionally available relying on the strategy you select, however can assist forestall your water tub from leaking.
  • Giant Silicone Pan: That is additionally optionally available relying on the strategy you select, however it’s the simplest way and most certainly to forestall leaking. You must purchase the pan, however in the event you bake a variety of cheesecakes, it can completely be value it.
  • Scorching Water: To fill your bigger pan.

Easy methods to Set Up A Water Tub

Organising the water tub 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 you have to 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 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 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 all places, then add the recent 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 utterly. For those who don’t need any condensation forming on prime, let it cool to room temperature earlier than refrigerating it.

Three Water Tub Strategies

Methodology 1: Aluminum Foil

For this technique, 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 will probably trigger little cracks to kind within the foil, which may 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 method 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 may “leap” over the foil. Lastly, bake your cheesecake in accordance with your recipe.

Methodology 2: Sluggish Cooker Luggage

I’ve been utilizing this technique for a very long time. It was my unique technique 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 received’t kind little holes or cracks, like aluminum foil. For this technique, first wrap your springform pan within the gradual cooker bag. The bag will likely be somewhat large, 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 method up the facet of the springform pan, then bake your cheesecake.

Methodology 3: Silicone Pan

That is my most up-to-date technique. After getting a variety of 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 technique! 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 received’t have to purchase foil and luggage again and again.

So for this technique, 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 remember that the water ought to solely be about midway up the perimeters of the silicone pan. You don’t need it to return up too excessive. The water may boil a contact whereas baking and also you don’t need it to “leap” 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

Evaluate: Cheesecake Baked With and With no Water Tub

I’ve informed you what occurs whenever you bake a cheesecake with no water tub, and confirmed you tips on how to set one up. Now let’s have a look at the ultimate end result with and with no water tub. 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 Tub

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 Tub

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 quite a bit, so I examined it. Whereas your outcomes could range relying on the recipe, I discovered that the end result was type of within the center. It nonetheless browned somewhat greater than whenever you use a water tub and nonetheless fell a bit, which you’ll see within the sides, however in any other case it did effectively. 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 would definitely be an possibility.

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 Tub?

For those who’re utilizing a recipe that doesn’t name for one, then that needs to be fantastic. 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 know the way to do a cheesecake water tub, listed here are some superb 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