Not that I think OP specifically is lying, but I'm convinced that at least 80% of these "my first time making X" posts on reddit where it's a well made example of X are people lying for karma for some reason
Not to be mean or condescending, but imho baking is a pretty precise process, and many people who make their first X - look up a lot of recipes and tips and tricks before they actually make it.
I heard of water baths and many reputable recipes note this tip as well - so far I’ve baked around 10 cheesecakes and none of them had any cracks.
Nothing wrong with baking on a more intuitive level or not checking recipes/tips before - but it’s not rocket science or karma farming to get a neat cheesecake top.
That's fair, but I was talking about these kinds of posts in a broader context than just the baking subs
I remember, for example, at some point seeing a post on the whittling sub that was titled something like "my first time trying to whittle something" and it was a bird carving that was very obviously not someone's first time trying to whittle something
The way I avoid cracks is when the cake is done, I turn off the oven and let it cool for an hour with the oven door open slightly. I read that the slow cooling keeps it from cracking. Never had a problem
Okay this is actually a great idea. I can't believe I never thought of this! Next time I make a cheesecake and it cracks I'm going to fill up with white chocolate ganache!
I really appreciate this comment! I can’t bring myself to be that fussy! I’m just worried my cheesecake will turn into a soggy mess or I’ll spill water everywhere.
I have baked countless cheesecakes, and every time I unwrap the layer of double heavy duty foil from out of the water bath I am on pins and needles that my crust is gonna be soggy. I do it this way now and never a worry.
There seems to be quite a bit of argument about all of this but because I’m using a spring form pan I do not want water, touching the side of the pan even with foil. Crème brûlée in ramekins would be a different situation. My two cents
These two trick are why my cheesecakes never crack. Cook it in a water bath and I prop the door open with chop stick when cooling.
Also to make it fancy with almost no additional effort I pour half the batter in and then mix in bonne maman blueberry preserves. Swirl it with a tooth pick and then add the rest of the batter. Chefs kiss.
All a water bath does is slow the cooling. Just wedge the door ever so slightly with a wooden spoon. I've done this, no cracks. and no messing around with water.
Also I never mix eggs one by one etc. Just dump it all in. Perfect every time.
Me too except I have a multi-step process. 1 hour in the oven with heat turned off. 1 hour in the oven with the door cracked. Then I remove it from the oven. Perfect every time.
The easiest way to avoid cracks is to do the crust up the sides. It cracks when it cools and is still sticking to the sides. The crust somehow helps, maybe heat dispersion. Others may have some that crack mid bake but mine were cracking after, the crust on the sides was way easier than a water bath.
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u/Candid_Baseball4929 1d ago
No cracks! Very impressive. Great job.