Cheesecake Hints and Tips
* If the cheesecake recipe you are using recommends that you stand the cake tin in a water bath, ensure that your springform tin is well sealed. To do this, tear off an 80cm length of aluminium foil. Double it over so that it measures 40cm. Lay foil over the base of your springform pan. Then lay a piece of lightly greased baking paper over the foil (cut to inside of tin). Sit side piece of tin over the base and lock it in to place. Draw up excess foil and fold it out of the way. * Cream cheese must be softened before you use it to make your cheesecake. The best way to do this is to leave it out on the bench for an hour or so before using it. If you don't have time to do that, unwrap the cheesecake from all wrapping. Place it in a microwave safe bowl and microwave it on high for 30 seconds at 10 second intervals, checking it in between. Don't let it melt or get warm. * If you want to remove a cheesecake from the base of your springform cake tin once it is baked or chilled, line the base with aluminium foil. * Always mix ingredients at medium speed, not high, to prevent cracking during the cooking process. * Use eggs at room temperature. * Don't open the oven door during cooking. If you need to, make sure it's not in the first 30 minutes of cooking. * Cook cheesecakes on the middle rack of your oven. A shallow pan of water placed on the bottom shelf of the oven can assist in avoiding cracks in the top of the cheesecake. * Make sure baked cheesecakes are completely cool before refrigerating otherwise it will go soggy. * When combined dissolved gelatine with your cream cheese mixture, make sure that both are at the same temperature otherwise lumps can form. * It is recommended that no bake cheesecakes be refrigerated for 12 to 24 hours prior to serving. This enables the cheesecake to set properly. * Unless otherwise noted, baked cheesecakes should be cooled in the oven. That is, once the cooking time has ended, turn the oven off and leave the joor slightly ajar and let the cheesecake sit until cool. * Once cooking time has ended, let the cheesecake sit in the oven as noted above. After a few minutes, take the cheesecake out of the oven and run a sharp knife around the edge of the cake tin. Put the cheesecake back in the oven as previously described. This can prevent the top from cracking. * If the top of your cheesecake does crack, you can cover it with a sour cream topping as follows : - Combine 1 cup sour cream with 1 tablespoon of caster sugar and
a drop of vanilla extract. Spread over the just baked
cheesecake (while still hot) and return it to the oven for 10
minutes. Cool in the oven as instructed in recipe.
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