Cheesecake...?!
Cheesecake...?
How do you know when it's done? I know you can't do the toothpick trick or the cheesecake will crack...
Answers:
You have to cook it exactly what the time says.
I make cheesecake & when the timer goes off & time to take it out, it never looks done. But I've kept them in longer, and it isn't as creamy. I think it sets up after you take it out. Then refrigerate it when it's totally cooled.
What's your recipe? I think mine is five packages of cream cheese, five eggs, some vanilla, about a cup & a bit of sugar. Beat with mixer on high for 5 minutes. I do the graham crust with the crackers, butter & cinnamon. Put it in the bottom of spring form pan, spread it around pan evenly with your fingers. I put mine (crust in pan) in the freezer while I do the rest. Then fill, bake @ 350 for about an hour. (55mins)
you can't tell onto you take a bite
Give it a little shake, the center shouldn't move.
The recipe that I have for Craig Claiborne's original NY cheesecake says to bake for 1 1/2 hours at 350F... the top of the cake should be a rich golden brown and feel dry to the touch. Most NY style cheese cake recipes likely are derived from Craig Claibornes' recipe, which I believe he published several times over the years in his NY Times food column
depending on your pan size an outter ring of the cheese cake should be set and not shake when the pan is GENTLEY SHAKEN
Pan size / ring from outside in
8-8.5' / 2.5
9-9.5'/ 3'
10-10.5 / 4'
this is according to the 12th edition Better Homes & Gardens cook book I got as a wedding gift in 2004
Making and eating cheesecake is my passion, I love it. Anyway, you want your cheesecake to be set around the edges, but still jiggly in the middle. It is also less likely to crack when it cools slowly. I turn the oven off and pull the rack out and let it cool there until its cool enough to put in the fridge. If you over bake it (until it is firm in the middle) it won't be creamy, it will be some what crumbly. www.kraftfoods.com/Philly has good recipes for cheesecake and it also gives you good instructions. I hope you find this helpful.
I have made cheese cake in varieties for weddings. I use a basic recipe...for each pkg of cream cheese in a recipe add 2 tbl spoons flour, 1 teas vanilla , 1 egg and 1/2 cup sugar bake in a spring form pan at 325 degrees for 55 min approx. also put a pan of water on the lower shelf while baking ( this keeps it from cracking) It should be firm around the edges and jiggle just a little bit in the center. With this recipe you can add any flavor you like also , like chocolate chips, swirl the top with raspberry jam...the possibilities are endless.
If you shake it and it just barely jiggles on top it's done.