Baked Raspberry Cheesecake Recipe | Carnation (2024)

FAQs

Is cheesecake better baked or not baked? ›

They both are great in their own way. It all narrows down to your personal preferences. If you enjoy dense and velvety cake, a baked cheesecake is the one for you. Or if you crave some light and airy dessert post-dinner, go for the no-bake one.

The best way to get a crack-free cheesecake is to use a water bath. Pop the cake pan inside a large, high-sided pan and fill it up about an inch with hot water. This will help prevent cracks and create an evenly baked cake. Bake the cake at 350ºF for 45 to 55 minutes or until the center is almost set.

A perfect cheesecake has a smooth, flat top, and is creamy at the center and slightly firmer near the crust. Usually, cheesecakes are baked in a bath of warm water to insulate the outer edge so that the center has time to fully cook. But it's not always necessary.

Another common mistake is not pre-baking the crust. Before you add your batter, it's important that your crust has a short 8-10 minute visit in the oven at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). This sets and seals the crust to prepare it for the wet batter. Make sure it's completely cooled before adding the batter.

Regular cheesecake relies on heavy cream and sour cream to thin the batter and create a silkier, creamier texture. New York cheesecake is heavy on the cream cheese which is why it's so dense and rich. Extra cream cheese isn't the only thing that makes New York cheesecake so special.

Occasionally, the cheesecake filling can penetrate into the biscuit base causing it to go soggy. Tip: To get more crispness in the cheesecake base, brush some lightly beaten egg white over the surface of the biscuit layer before you bake it.

Sour Cream: This gave it more of a tart taste. This could be utilized if you are going to make a flavored cheesecake where a more tart taste would help the other flavors. I think it would work really well with a lemon or lime flavored cheesecake. Heavy Whipping Cream: This gave it more of a milky taste.

You can bake a cheesecake in a water bath, too, but you have to wrap the springform pan with foil to make sure the water doesn't seep in and make it soggy. Play it safe and put the roasting pan of water on the lower rack and bake the cheesecake on the rack above.

Line the Pan Like a Pro

Line the pan with parchment paper, which should come 2 inches above the top of the pan. This keeps the batter from spilling out—the cheesecake rises quickly. Start by spraying the pan with nonstick cooking spray. This will act as the glue for the parchment paper to stay in place.

You can absolutely make a cheesecake without a traditional water bath. The traditional water bath provides two elements: a steamy, humid oven environment that prevents your cheesecake from drying out on top and insulation for protecting the cheesecake from drastic temperature changes.

What happens if I don t cook my cheesecake in a water bath? ›

Water baths will go some distance to prevent over baking, which can be very handy as they'll prevent the batter from getting so hot it might curdle. Too hot a temperature in the oven is very bad news for these cakes and the water bath really helps with that.

You can line your tin with parchment paper or an acetate strip to make them easier to get out – but that is up to you! I find using a springform tin is MUCH better because it automatically makes it easier to get the cheesecake out of the tin – but the bases of these tins can be a little annoying.

1½ cups of crushed vanilla wafer cookies (about 33 cookies): This versatile crust complements almost any filling. If you're asking, "What can I use instead of graham crackers for cheesecake?" This is a safe bet.

Cheesecake is clearly a different animal from bundts or cupcakes, but sour cream has a place here too! Combined with even more densely rich cream cheese, sour cream actually tempers the star ingredient a touch, softening its texture. It also adds another layer of tangy flavor and moisture to a cheesecake.

Cheesecake is a custard, and custards can overcook easily. Overbaked cheesecake will crack and the texture will be dry and gritty. Egg proteins become quite firm and tightly coiled when cooked quickly at a high temperature, but can be silky-smooth and creamy when cooked gently at a low temperature.

The major component of this dessert's delicious flavour is undoubtedly high-quality cream cheese. After that, you add sugar, full cream, or sour cream. For a baked variant, some recipes ask for eggs and flour, while those for unbaked cheesecakes call for gelatin or its plant-based equivalent (agar-agar).

Cheesecake tastes best with a little chill on it straight from the fridge. But refrigerating cheesecake is not only necessary for its taste but for your health too. Most cheesecakes contain a lot of eggs and cream cheese (or, in the case of Italian-style cheesecake, ricotta), and these are perishable items.