Cheesecake Water Bath Baking – What It Is & How To Do It

When looking at cheesecake recipes you may have noticed a lot of oven-baked recipes use a method called water bath baking.

But do you know what cheesecake water bath baking is?

Cheesecake Water Bath Baking
What It Is & How To Do It

If you know anything about cheesecake history, you know that the cheesecake has been around for years. However, the ways to make them have changed over the years.

While there are ways to make them now such as pressure cooker recipes, no-bake recipes, in the microwave, and added to other baked goods.

One of the most common ways is to still use the water bath baking method for oven-baked cheesecakes.

What It Is & Why It Is Used:

If you are unfamiliar with this method, you may be asking yourself what is water bath baking?

Well, it is a way of baking that has been around for a long time. It is also used on other baked goods and not just on cheesecake recipes.

It is when you set your pan/dish that contains the item you are baking inside of another dish that has water in it.

Why would you want to bake it that way?

Because it helps to slow down the outer edge of whatever you are baking. This allows the center of something you are baking that may be thick or dense to cook and the outer edge of the baked good does not get dry or even burnt.

Do you know how sometimes when you bake a cake or a pan of brownies you get that outer edge that is hard and crunchy?

Well, this helps to avoid that so that the cheesecake keeps that nice creamy and smooth texture.

That is because the water makes steam that rolls up the sides of the pan. This helps to keep that hot dry air from cooking the edge where the batter touches the pan to fast.

How To Do Cheesecake Water Bath Baking:

This method of baking the cheesecake can be done with a lot of different types of cheesecake pans. You just need to make sure they do not get water in them.

To do this method of baking it really is pretty simple. You make a cheesecake in a pan just like you normally would. Then you wrap the pan in foil so no water can leak in and get the cheesecake wet. 

Then place the foil-wrapped pan into another oven safe dish. Add water to the other dish so that it at least comes up halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan.

When adding the water there are a few things to be mindful of. You don’t want the level to be high enough where it can bubble and boil over the top of the foil. You also don’t want it to be able to boil over the top of the baking dish either.

After you have the water in the dish, place the whole thing in the oven and bake it following the recipe directions.

If you are not wanting to waste foil each time you bake, there are other ways you can make sure water does not get in the pan. They have things like this Cheesecake Water Bath Pan that you can use. 

Buying a special bath pan can be a little pricey at first. But you really do end up saving in the long run. The foil really can add up if you are someone that makes a lot of cheesecake recipes.