Classic Cheesecake Baked in a Water Bath
"I love to make cheesecake but always found my cheesecake to be a little dry. I have a favorite recipe that I used but it never seemed like restaurant quality. On a copycat site I read that The Cheesecake Factory bakes cheesecake in a waterbath but forgot about it and couldn't find it again. I found a recipe that explains the cooking method very well. Even if you don't use the recipe exactly, try the method I found on Baking 911.com!! Prep time and baking time is approximate. The website did not offer a cooking time. I guess you have to watch it and know your oven."
- Ready In:
- 1hr 35mins
- Ingredients:
- 9
- Serves:
-
12
ingredients
-
Filling
- 3 lbs cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- 1 1⁄2 cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 lemon, juice of
- 3 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
-
Crust
- 2 cups ground graham cracker crumbs
- 1⁄3 cup sugar
- 1⁄2 cup butter, melted
directions
- To prepare the crust, melt the butter and brush on the bottom of a 10x2 heavy cake pan or 10-inch springform pan.
- Mix the crumbs and sugar in a bowl, then add enough butter to make the crumbs stick together.
- Press firmly onto the bottom of the pan.
- Set aside and preheat the oven to 325°F.
- In the bowl of a heavy mixer, beat the cream cheese on low with the paddle until smooth.
- Scrape and add the sugar, beat on low speed until smooth.
- Scrape the bowl.
- Add the vanilla and lemon juice, beat in the eggs and yolks, one at a time.
- Scrape the bowl well and combine.
- Scrape the bowl well to ensure even mixing, you should have a smooth batter.
- Pour into the pan, all the way to the top and set the pan into a larger pan.
- Set in the oven and then pour the hottest tap water into the outer pan.
- This is a water bath.
- Bake until the center is just firm, but when you tap the side the center will jiggle like firm jello.
- Don't worry, it will firm up when it cools.
- You don't want to overbake this cake, this will cause cracking and a dry texture.
- Remove from the outer water pan and set on a level surface and cool until room temperature.
- Then place in the refrigerator overnight.
- When you are ready to remove the cake from the pan, have the plate ready that you want to use.
- A board covered in plastic wrap is ok, too.
- If using a cake pan, hold it over a burner on your stove, just to melt the butter to release the cake.
- Keep the pan turning so you don't overheat.
- Then, turn pan over onto the plastic covered board and hold both at an angle.
- Tap the edge firmly on the counter until you feel the cake release it's seal.
- Turn out onto the board and immediately turn over onto the plate.
- Store the cheesecake in the refrigerator.
- If you wish to serve at room temperature, then slice while cold, then set the slices out about 1 hour before serving.
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Reviews
-
Yummy, Creamy, and Sweet. Just like when I was a kid. I used 1/3 this recipe and a regular graham cracker pie crust for a great baked cream cheese pie (baked it for 40 minutes). After it was cooked, I topped it with blueberry topping made from canned blueberries (the recipe for that was on the inside label of the blueberries).
