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How to Make Cheesecake ~ A Perfect Delight!
There are few secrets in baking cheesecakes like a pro. How to make a cheesecake that taste and look like you had a professional create it need not be a secret any longer.
8 Tips to Make the Perfect Cheesecake:
1. Use first rate, quality ingredients. Opt only for AA grade large eggs and always remember that full-fat cream cheese can produce the taste and texture that you are looking for. Fat-free varieties of cheeses will produce a cheesecake that is chalky, soft, and slightly rubbery inside.
2. Choose heavy cream that is pasteurized instead of ultra pasteurized. Make sure that the sour cream you are about to use has not actually spoiled or soured. Additionally, make sure that all of the ingredients are stored at room temperature before you begin mixing, most especially the cream cheese. If the ingredient is hard and cold, it will only create a lumpy cheesecake and beating it to death will also not help.
3. Remember to bake the cake in a water bath, also known as a bain-marie. Cheesecakes that are baked using this method are insulated from the direct dry heat of the oven. This will help you achieve a creamy, custard-like moist and rich cheesecake.
4. Fruits are best reserved for use as toppings. The flavors from the fruit can get lost and muddled in the cheesecake when baked together with the cake. Plain cheesecakes topped with fresh berries finished with liquefied preserves or cooled fruit compotes will provide a stunning presentation and optimum taste.
5. Always avoid beating the cheesecake filling excessively. Doing so will only incorporate additional air and cause cracking on the surface of the cheesecake.
6. Make use of a spring-form pan, with removable side and bottom. Place the pan on a baking sheet in order to aid in avoiding leaks in the oven.
7. Make sure that the cheesecake is placed on the center rack of the oven during the baking process.
Do not be enticed to open the oven during the first 30 to 40 minutes as drafts can create cracks and cause the cheesecake to fall.
8. Avoid over-baking and be aware that baking times are not always exact because of several oven variations. Make sure that the edges are puffed and the center slightly “jiggly” and moist; these are the most common indications of a perfectly baked cheesecake.
