Cheesecake Diaster

It could be a couple of things but the crack on the second attempt sounds to me like overbaking.

Cheesecake should still be a little wiggly in the middle when you take it out of the oven.  It finishes cooking/setting up as it cools.  If the top is browning pretty evenly, my guess would just be that you are baking it too long/too high of a temp.

Even if you followed the recipe temperature, you're oven might be running hot.  If you don't have an oven thermometer, you could try baking it again at 25 degrees lower.

Fix a sunken cake:

This is often a sign that the cake was undercooked or the oven door was opened at an inopportune moment. Always use a skewer to check when a cake is done before removing it completely from the heat. There are several possibilities for a sunken cake:

• Cut out the middle of the cake. Suddenly it turns into a ring cake! Frost, serve and remain smug.
• Turn it into baked Alaska or a trifle.
• Crumble it into cake crumbs and use as topping on a tart. Add one beaten egg white and coconut to the crumbs, place on top of a pie and bake.
• Fill the hole with lots of cream and fruit. For added decadence, pour liqueur or fruit juice into the sunken part before adding fruit and cream.

Cheesecake is done with the middle is still a bit jiggly. Are you using a water bath?? I made a cheesecake and the first one browned on top and cracker horribly.... I tried again the next day and did a water bath with it and pulled it out when the middle was jiggly and it was pretty much the complete opposite of my first cheesecake and tasted wonderful :) I think the water bath really helps.

Maggsg...I also had a disaster trying the recipe where it starts off very high then reduced.    I find cooking at 325 (or even lower) works best...no cracks....no brown top.  There are so many recipes and ways to cook cheesecake on the internet.   I also find using a waterbath helps.     I was able to fix the brown/burned top.   I put the cheesecake in the freezer overnight.   Then I used my cake saw and cut a very thin, even layer off.   The person did not want fruit, so I thought I was in trouble, but I just sprinkled the top with gram cracker crumbs.  

Three VERY important rules when making cheesecake...

Do NOT over beat your eggs...Add them in last, and if you're using a mixer, only break them with the mixer, and add them one at a time...mix the eggs into the batter by hand. Over beating your eggs will cause your cheesecake to cook unevenly.

Always bake your cheescake in a water bath! Wrap your springform pan around the bottom to the top edge with tin foil. Using a larger pan, fill with 1 - 2 inches of water. Set the cheesecake carefully in the larger pan and put both into the oven. You will have to increase cooking time by 10 - 15 minutes, but your cheescake will have a beautifully even, uncracked, and glossy finish. It will be perfect every time!

Lastly, cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of your springform pan so that transfering your cheesecake will be a breeze. When you're ready to tranfser, cut another piece of parchment paper for the flipping of your cheesecake....so you can then transfer using the same flip method to your serving plate or board.

I've got the cheesecake method down pat, and I promise if you follow these tips your chessecake will be phenominal! Here's a few pics...

Tropical fruit cheescake with coconut pineapple reduction sauce

Bananna rum chessecake with carmel drizzle

Pumpkin cheesecake on the right

Sorry double post

Does your recipe call for condensed milk? I have a lady that wants me to bake her a cheesecake using her recipe but she said she has had a few problems with it. She says it doesn't fully cook well in the middle and it has large cracks. I have never made a cheesecake with sweetened condensed milk and was wondering if using it in recipe just complicates recipe.

I've baked ones with sweetened condensed milk, it doesn't add any additional problems. I wouldn't worry about using it at all. It adds sweetness and moisture. Much like a regular recipe that uses sugar and heavy cream.

Cheesecakes are all about temp., bake to 150F or 160F using a thermometer to check. If it gets hotter it will crack. Water baths don't matter/do anything if you keep you oven temp. low. It takes about 90 to 120 min. to bake a 9" cheesecake.

I no longer follow cheesecake recipes instructions. I bake at 285F to 290F (never higher, even for limited times). You must know your oven well to be certain hit doesn't run hot at times, mine does. It doesn't keep a consist ant temp. well, sometimes it runs up to 20 more then what it's set at. I always run a knife around the edge of the pan once I take it out of the oven, to loosen it so it can contract naturally as it cools (preventing cracks from stress).

New to Group, so hello everyone.

My shop Specializes in Cheesecake and we always make sure not to over beat the eggs. In certain recipes we will actually handbeat the eggs. We always use a dark springform we have just found they cook evenly.We use a water bath but not the kind everyone thinks, what we do is have the water bath on the shelf that is directly under the shelf we are cooking the cake on.When you take your cake out of the oven make sure you are letting it cool in a spot that is free from any breezes from windows or doors.If you let it cool too slow or too fast it will crack.When you take it from the oven make sure you release the cake from the sides of the pan with a knife (sometimes this will help if it has already cracked). I usually put it in the oven 40 mins after the oven process or the top is warm to touch but not cold.Leave the springform on when putting in the fridge. Depending on the flavor I leave the springform on for 4 hrs min.I put it back in the fridge for another 3 hrs.

Important note I almost forgot

**I cook it in a gas stove at 325 for 1 hr- 1hr 30 mins (depending on cake).. Middle is always jiggly when i take out because your cake will continue cooking for 30 mins after you take it out of the oven to let cool.

I also never use sweetened milk with my recipes so I cannot help if it does include that ingredient

Hope this helps a bit

Welcome, Izzy Sweet!!