Ever had a water bath leak through a springform pan into your cheesecake? It is the WORST. I have a solution! Never have cheesecake with a soggy crust again!
Seriously. I made a cheesecake once and wrapped the springform pan in foil like a good girl and proceeded to put the pan in it's cozy little water bath. Well, much to my dismay, the pan leaked. I had to serve soggy crusted cheesecake. It was a huge FAIL.
So how do you prevent a water bath from leaking into your cheesecake?
I was baking another cheesecake recently and a lightbulb clicked! I came up with the most epic cheesecake baking hack! Say goodbye to soggy cheesecake crusts... forever!
Ready for it?
Instead of wrapping the springform pan in foil... use an oven bag! The large size oven bags worked perfectly for my 9-inch springform pan.
I guess they're not just for tender, juicy meats! Ha! Seriously though, when the lightbulb clicked to use an oven bag instead of foil, I was so excited! They're meant not to leak. They're meant for the oven. They're meant for water baths!! ????
How to Set Up a Water Bath for a Cheesecake Using an Oven Bag
- The cheesecake goes into a springform pan.
- The springform pan goes into an oven bag.
- The oven bag and cheesecake go into a larger pan, like a roasting pan.
- Fill the larger pan with boiling water halfway up the sides of the springform pan. (See below.)
- Then it all goes in the oven to bake.
The thing is, you shouldn't just skip using the water bath. It is important for cheesecake baking. The water bath helps your cheesecake bake more evenly and helps prevent cracks. Thanks to that oven bag, your cheesecake will never get soggy again!
Try this hack next time you find yourself making a cheesecake! Let me know how it turns out! Stay tuned for a gluten-free cheesecake recipe!
Lucy
Have just made my best cheesecake yet, using the roasting bag method. I actually thought to do it when I spotted a roasting bag in the same drawer as the tinfoil I was going to use, then thought I’d do a search to see if this is something other people do! Was glad to find somebody else had done this first.
I also think that because of the excess of roasting bag, I put the water bath lower in my oven than previously, so this Alison added to the smoothness of my latest cheesecake.
Thank you for making me not feel like a muppet baking a cheesecake in a roasting bag, as the look from my husband made me doubt this back!
Katie Olesen
So glad you found the post helpful! The oven bag trick is the best. You're right, I've made cheesecakes with and without a water bath and they are definitely more creamy with a water bath!
heather
I died the Reynolds bag and it still leaked. Sucks so bad.
Katie | Wheat by the Wayside
You bag maybe had a hole? I've never had that issue!
Linda
How do you take the bottom of the springform pan from the cheesecake without disturbing the cheesecake?
Christina
You need to place parchment paper in the bottom of your spring form pan and pray the whole pan paper and all. Then refrigerate over night after it cools then your cake should release from the spring form and you should be able to transfer the cake to any surface you choose!