How to Make Cheesecake Step by Step

Rich and creamy cheesecake is one of those desserts that always feels like an extra special indulgence. And with these easy tips, you can make cheesecake at home that rivals anything you can order in a restaurant. But even the best cheesecake recipes don't always tell you everything you need to know, so we're filling in the blanks with tips and techniques to help you avoid lumps, leaks, cracks, and sunken middles. Here's how to make cheesecake, from the crust to the filling, and from baking to cooling.

How to Make Cheesecake Crust

Pictured: Graham Cracker Crust

Cheesecakes are usually baked with a bottom crust made of sweetened crumbs, and they're often baked in a springform pan that is designed to be easily removed after the cheesecake is baked. However, springform pans are notorious for leaking. Over time, bends and dings in the metal where the band meets the base can weaken the seal. One way to guard against batter leaking out? An evenly thick, pre-baked crust that covers the pan seam.

Here's How to Get a Perfect Seam-covering Pre-baked Crust:

• Crush graham crackers (or cookies or whatever your recipe uses) in a food processor so they're finely and uniformly ground. Next, mix the crumbs with butter, following recipe directions.
• Pat the crust mixture into the bottom of a greased springform pan, covering the pan seam and extending up the sides 1 to 2 inches. Use a straight-sided glass or measuring cup to tamp the crust evenly against the pan. Aim for about 1/4 inch thickness for your crust.
• Bake the crust until it's fragrant and a shade darker, about 10 minutes at 325°F, or according to your recipe. Baking the crust sets it and keeps it from getting soggy or shifting when the cheesecake batter is added. Let the crust cool completely.
• Before adding the cheesecake mixture, brush the top inside of the pan (above the crust line) with butter to help keep any batter that rises above the crust from sticking to the pan.

How to Make Cheesecake Filling

The cream cheese should be at room temperature before you begin mixing, or you'll end up with lumps. Using cold cream cheese can also lead to overbeating — whipping too much air into the batter — which forms unattractive air bubbles on the cake's surface.

Making Better Cheesecake Batter

Eating cheesecake is a sensory experience: Texture is everything. Some recipes contain a small amount of starch, such as flour or cornstarch. These cheesecakes have a more cake-like texture. Cheesecake recipes that do not contain flour are luxuriously smooth and dense.

Eggs are another factor in the texture of your cheesecake. Handled correctly, eggs give cheesecake its structure and silken texture. Their curled-up proteins unfurl and link together when gently heated, transforming from liquid to solid. Gently stirring eggs into other ingredients sets the unfurling process in motion. Beating, however, traps air in them, which makes batter puff up like a soufflé during baking — and fall and crack afterward. For cheesecake, the trick is to create a lump-free batter without whipping the eggs too much.

How to Create a Lump-free Cheesecake Batter:

• Let ingredients stand at room temperature for 30 minutes to soften the cream cheese, warm the eggs, and help them combine more easily.
• Beat cream cheese on a low speed with an electric stand mixer or hand mixer until it's smooth and fluffy. Unless the recipe instructions note otherwise, you should beat the cream cheese by itself until it's smooth and light, before adding any other ingredients.
• Next add sugar and beat until well combined, followed by any remaining dry ingredients. Always mix on a low speed to prevent beating in excess air.
• Add eggs last, one at a time, and gently mix them in until just combined. To make sure that you don't overmix the batter, gently whisk the eggs before adding them into the batter, little by little.
• Fold in candies, chocolate pieces, or fruit with a spatula or wooden spoon before pouring the mixture into the prepared pan.

The texture of the finished batter should be smooth and glossy. If you end up with lumps in your batter, push the mixture through a sieve or give it a quick spin in the food processor and you'll have silky smooth results.

If you notice air bubbles, tap the entire bowl with the mixture several times on the counter so that the air bubbles can rise and pop on the surface. It's better to do this tapping step in the bowl rather than in the pan— that can break the crust and leave tiny air bubbles on the surface that will show once baked.

One last thing: Be sure the crust is completely cool before you pour in the batter.

How to Swirl Cheesecake Topping

Here's how make a marbleized pattern in the batter before baking. Pour a fruit or chocolate sauce in a spiral pattern over the cheesecake filling. Use the tip of a paring knife or a wooden skewer to pull lines out from the center like spokes on a wheel, or create a free-form swirl pattern.

How to Bake Cheesecake in a Water Bath

Cheesecake batter is basically a custard. It's delicate, so you want to bake it slowly and evenly without browning the top. The most effective way to do this is to bake it in a water bath. This water bath method bakes the cake very gently, so it won't darken, curdle, or crack.

Though there are other ways to moderate the heat, we like to bake cheesecake in a water bath because it insulates the outer ring (the part most likely to bake too fast) and keeps the oven moist. Since water evaporates at the boiling point, the water bath will never get hotter than 212 degrees F (100 degrees C), no matter what the oven temperature. This means that the outer edge of your cheesecake won't bake faster than the center, which can cause it to puff up, sink, and crack. The batter will set without curdling.

Here's How to Bake Cheesecake in a Water Bath:

• Wrap outside of pan in a double layer of foil, covering the underside and extending all the way to the top. Although a good crust keeps filling from leaking out, foil helps protect against water leaking in.
• For even more security against water leakage, utilize an oven bag. Place the springform in a large oven bag, scrunch the excess plastic at the top, and then wrap it in large, heavy duty aluminum foil. That will keep the extra plastic in place.
• Set wrapped pan in a large roasting pan, and pour hot water into roasting pan—to a depth of 2 inches or about halfway up the sides of cheesecake pan.
• Carefully transfer to a preheated oven and bake according to your recipe, until center jiggles when you bump the pan from the side. The outer 2 to 3 inches should not move, and the middle should wobble ever so slightly, like Jell-O.

It's common to overbake cheesecakes because, while they might look underdone, they are actually done when the center is still wobbly. At this stage, residual heat will "carry over" and the center will continue to cook.

Remove cheesecake from the oven to cool on a rack, or better yet, simply leave the door of the oven closed, turn off the heat and let the cheesecake cool for at least an hour. This helps prevent the cheesecake from sinking in the center. Once removed from the oven, allow to cool at room temperature for at least an hour or two before placing in the fridge. The slower you cool down your cheesecake, the less likely it is to crack or sink.

Chilling and Unbuckling the Cheesecake

Cheesecake needs to chill thoroughly — preferably overnight. After chilling, the once-wiggly center should firm up just fine. The cake will have pulled away from the edges of the pan.

• Carefully run a small knife around the edge of the pan to loosen any bits that might stick to the pan.
• Unbuckle pan and remove band when cheesecake is still very cold.
• Run a long, thin spatula between the crust and the pan bottom, and transfer cheesecake to a serving dish. You can serve it straight from the base of the springform, too, but it's easier to cut (and won't damage your knife and pan) if the base is removed.
• For a seamless look, you can smooth the sides of the cheesecake with a hot, wet knife. Any toppings or garnishes can be added at this point.

How to Slice Cheesecake

Their soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture and crumbly buttery crust can make cheesecakes tricky to cut and serve. For a better slice:

• Dip a long, thin knife in hot water to warm it, wipe dry with a towel, then slice.
• Repeat the dip-and-dry method with each cut. A heated knife cuts through a cold cheesecake with less friction. Though slicing and transferring are easiest when cheesecake is very cold, for the best flavor and texture, you may want to let slices stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.
• Here are more tips for getting a perfect slice of cheesecake.

A Tip for Freezing Cheesecakes: To avoid damaging delicate cheesecakes when you wrap them up for the freezer, pop them in the freezer briefly, unwrapped, just to firm them up a bit. Then double-wrap them and stick them back in the freezer.

How to Make Mini Cheesecakes

Bite-size cheesecakes are a great way to serve cheesecake without having to slice it up, and they're just right for a dessert buffet when you have several desserts to try. With mini cheesecakes, you generally don't have to worry about the tops cracking when you bake them. It's win-win-win all the way.

• These Mini Cheesecakes use vanilla wafers as their base.
• If you want to use a graham cracker crust, try this recipe.
• This recipe for Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake uses pre-made graham cracker crusts in mini aluminum cups as a time-saving convenience.

How to Make Specialty Cheesecakes

You can do a lot with cheesecake, including making fun mash-ups with other desserts. We're looking at you, Red Velvet Cheesecake and Sopapilla Cheesecake. If you're one of those people who loves cookie dough straight from the batter bowl, there's even a cheesecake for you — Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake. And don't forget about Cheesecake Swirl Brownies.

Here's How to Make the Swirl in Cheesecake Swirl Brownies:

It's super easy. The brownie batter serves as the crust. The cheesecake mixture goes on top. Then dollops of raspberry jam. Give it a swirl and bake. Like so...

How to Make No-bake Cheesecake

No time to bake? Here's a super-quick cheesecake that preps in minutes with no baking required. All it needs is some time to chill in the refrigerator. This No Bake Cheesecake recipe combines graham cracker crumbs and pecan sandies cookies to create the crust. Prefer a more patriotic cheesecake? Check out Chef John's recipe for a No-Bake Cheesecake Flag Cake. It's not just for the Fourth of July! The filling stars cream cheese, mascarpone cheese, and fresh whipped cream. It's rich and sweet, but with a light texture that's less dense than baked cheesecake. See how to make a cheesecake without baking it.

Check out our collection of Cheesecake Recipes.

A portion of this article was published in Allrecipes Magazine.