Need Help with Cheesecake

[XiaoZhu]

Hi guys, I'm new to this forum and I need some help. I just tried baking a New York Cheescake a few days ago and the taste turned out perfect. I baked it for 1 hour at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) like most cheesecakes and I did the water-bath method too. Furthermore, after the 1 hour baking, I kept my oven door closed and left my Cheescake to rest in the oven for 6 hours before keeping it in the refrigerator overnight. However, the Cheesecake turned out to be very creamy (or soft) in the centre, but the sides of the cake were alittle hard.

Anything that I could do to solve this problem? I thought of baking it alittle longer, but wont the sides of the cake turn even harder? Or is there anything wrong with my procedure or recipe that I can tweak. Here is the ingredients I used for my Cheesecake:

INGREDIENTS:
15 graham crackers, crushed
2 tablespoons butter, melted

4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
1 1/2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup milk
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

I got this recipe from this website: http://cake.allrecipes.com/az/Chanta...CheeseCake.asp

All help is appreciated in perfecting my very first Cheesecake. Thank you.

-XiaoZhu

[pastrycake]

Hi,
I am no expert , but I have made several cheescakes. Perhaps, you left the cheesecake in the oven too long. Sometimes the carry over cooking can cook the cake even if the oven is off. Since you have a water bath the steam may cause it to get softer in the center? I usually bake it and let it cool on the counter before putting it in the fridge. One cheesecake tip is to leave the oven door cracked with a wooden spoon or something similar during the last few minutes of cooking time. I think it is to help with preventing cracks on top of the cheesecake. Try it again without leaving it in the oven for 6 hours. Hope this helps.

[XiaoZhu]

Thanks pastrycake for replying.

Maybe the moisture might have concentrated in the centre when I left it in the oven for too long I guess. I'll try leaving it for 1 hours after baking the next time.

Any other suggestions or help are greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[cookiejar]

I just made a cheesecake from Cook's Illustrated.com "Rich and Creamy Cheesecake". The big difference I see is the amount of liquid. They call for just a 1/4 cup heavy cream and a 1/4 cup sour cream. Also, no flour is called for. My daughter's boyfriend said it was the best he ever had...which is a great compliment as that's his favorite dessert and he had no problem telling me when he doesn't like something. If you can't find it on the web., let me know and I'll write the rest of the recipe.

[scott123]

The higher the temperature you bake something at, regardless of whether or not you use a water bath, the greater the tendency for a well cooked exterior/underdone interior. If you want a more evenly done cheesecake, you'll need to lower the baking temp.

It's almost impossible to get the exact same texture in the middle of the cake that you get in the sides, but it should be very close.

[mudbug]

Yes, try the Cook's Illustrated recipe or try this recipe:
Easter Cheesecake

[jessiquina]

also, knowing when your cheesecake is done is important. you should cook it on 275* and you dont really need a water bath. when you think its about done (depends on size and exact temp of oven) then you take the pan with both hands and jiggle it a little. it should "jiggle as one" hard to describe but if should be jiggly like the eggs have coagulated.

take it out of the oven, and ten minutes later, go around the edges with a paring knife. let cool to room temp. that will prevent cracks.