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+ servings
Pouring the hot water in the pan around the cheesecake
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5 from 1 vote

Cheesecake Water Bath

This step-by-step tutorial on how to make a water bath is the trick to getting a moist and crack-free cheesecake.
Prep Time10 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Course: DIY
Cuisine: Cheesecakes
Keyword: cheesecake water bath, how to make a water bath for cheesecake
Servings: 1
Cost: $20

Equipment

  • Measuring cup

Ingredients

  • 1 springform pan
  • 1 foil wide heavy-duty
  • 1 larger pan large roasting pan, sauté pan, or a larger cake or baking pan

Instructions

Wrapping the cheesecake pan:

  • Starting with extra wide foil, cut a piece that is long enough to wrap several inches up the sides of your pan.
    For a 9” pan, cut the foil at least at least 14” long, for a 10” pan cut it about at least 16” long, etc. Longer is fine, but you don’t want it to be too short.
  • Once you’ve cut the foil, lay it out on a flat surface.
  • Place the filled cheesecake pan in the center of it and wrap the foil tightly around the sides.
  • Fold down any extra foil that goes above the edges of the pan.

Baking the cheesecake with a water bath:

  • Preheat the oven and place a rack in it according to your cheesecake recipe’s instructions. Most cheesecake recipes call for them to be baked at 350°F.
    If the recipe doesn’t specify where to put the rack that the cheesecake will bake on, place it in the center of the oven or just below.
  • Fill a measuring cup with very hot water. Put the wrapped cheesecake in the larger pan, then put it on the oven rack.
  • Pour the hot water in the pan around the cheesecake until it’s about halfway up the sides of the pan. The amount of water you need will vary depending on the size of your large pan.
    Try to avoid pulling the rack in and out of the oven after adding water, as it can cause it to splash around the sides of the cheesecake.
    When you are sliding the pan in and out to add the water, move it carefully to avoid getting any moisture inside the foil.
    You shouldn’t have to add more water during the baking, but check occasionally to make sure that the water bath hasn’t dried up.

Notes

  • Extra wide foil wraps the pan in one sheet, so you don’t have to fold two pieces together and risk seeping.
  • Make sure your large pan is couple of inches bigger than the springform pan so that it’s sides aren’t touching the cheesecake pan. It also needs to be at least 2-3” deep.