Water Bath For Cheesecake
Learn how to set up a water bath for cheesecake in these easy steps to result in the creamiest cheesecake!
Equipment
- Aluminum Foil
Ingredients
- Graham cracker crust
- Cheesecake Filling
- Hot Water
Instructions
- Make your graham cracker crust. Most recipes will call for par-baking your crust. Assemble and par-bake your graham cracker crust on the middle oven rack as the recipe directs. Set it aside to cool while your prepare your cheesecake.
- Wrap the springform pan. You can wrap the pan in three layers of tinfoil or one of the other methods mentioned in notes. Make sure none of the outside of the cheesecake pan is exposed.
- Place pan into larger roasting pan. Once the pan is covered, place the foil wrapped pan inside the larger pan.
- Add cheesecake filling. Pour your cheesecake batter into the springform pan.
- Add hot water. Bring a teakettle or pot of water to a rolling boil. Before adding the hot water, I like to move my roasting pan close to my oven so I don't have to move it far to get to the oven so there's less risk of sloshing water around and getting into my cheesecake. Then carefully pour the hot water to the larger roasting pan, filling it up halfway.
- Bake cheesecake. Move the pan carefully to the oven and place on the oven rack and bake the cheesecake.
- Cool cheesecake in cake pan. Remove the cheesecake from the oven. Remove the springform pan from the water bath and allow to cool in the pan for 1 hour, Run a knife around the edges of the crust to loosen from the pan. This can help prevent cracks from forming, because as the cheesecake cools and contracts if the crust sticks it can cause the filling to crack. Then cover and refrigerate. I like to place a paper towel over the top of the cheesecake to prevent condensation from forming. The cheesecake will need to remain in the fridge for several hours in order to set up.
Notes
- Slow cooker liner - Wrap the outside of the springform pan in a slow cooker liner and then several layers of aluminum foil after. You want to tie a knot in the crockpot liner. I like to use these plastic oven bags, because the plastic layer can give a bit of extra added insurance of no leaks. You have to pull the excess plastic over to one side, otherwise it can be a bit difficult to knot.
- Silicone cake mold - You can place the springform pan inside a slightly larger silicone pan. And the place inside a larger roasting pan. Be careful to not fill the roasting pan up more than half full of water so the water doesn't splash into the cheesecake filling. If you want to be sure your graham cracker crust doesn't get ruined, you can wrap the springform pan in foil first then place inside the silicone pan. You will only be able to wrap the pan in one layer of foil.