Deliciously dense cheesecake is a cross between custard, pie, and cake. It can seem troublesome—from cracking tops to dry crusts—but with a great recipe (we happen to like ours quite a bit!) and some patience, you can make a perfect cheesecake each time.
1. Making a crumb crust
Crumb crusts are a classic base for a cheesecake. Gently work together graham cracker or any crunchy cookie crumbs with a little melted butter until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Add a pinch of salt to help balance flavors, as well as any flavoring you might like, such as ground cinnamon or lemon zest.
Spread the crumbs in an even layer in a lightly greased standard or springform cake pan. Use the bottom of a glass or a similar flat surface to press the crumbs down into a compact layer. Although you might form a crumb crust on both the bottom and sides of a pan for pie, cheesecakes usually have only a bottom crust. If your crust doesn’t pack tightly, it may need a bit more melted butter.
2. Making the batter
Cheesecake batter, made primarily from cream cheese, eggs, and sugar, can be prepared my hand, with an electric mixer, or in a food processor. Be sure to scrape the sides very often to be sure there are no lumps.
A properly mixed cheesecake batter is very smooth and usually has very little air whipped into it. As you pour the batter into the pan, however, it is possible to trap air in the batter. To settle the cake and release any air bubbles, lift the pan about an inch from the countertop, then drop it carefully onto the counter.
3. Baking cheesecakes
Cheesecakes are baked at a moderate to low temperature so that the eggs bake into a perfectly smooth and dense cake with an even and very moist texture. If the cake puffs up or splits, it may mean that the oven was too hot or that the cake baked for too long.
Many recipes suggest using a hot water bath to help keep the heat gentle and even. Wrap springform pans with aluminum foil to keep water from seeping in. The doneness tests for cheesecake are similar to those used for a baked custard. The top and the sides should be quite pale in color. The center of the cheesecake should still be soft and moist; it may not look fully baked. The residual heat will finish the cake as it cools in the pan to room temperature, and firming in the refrigerator overnight produces a creamy, smooth texture.
4. Unmolding cheesecakes
Take the cake from the refrigerator and run a spatula or a thin-bladed knife around the edge to loosen the cake before you loosen the spring on a springform pan. If you used a standard cake pan, cover the top of the cake with plastic wrap after you free the sides of the cake. Hold a flat plate or a wire rack over the cake pan and invert both to get the cake out of the pan. Flip the cake over once more onto a serving plate so that the crust is back on the bottom. Unmolding a cheesecake this way can mar the surface, so you may want to add a glaze or a fruit topping.
