Stupid Freakin' Water Bath - Can Cheesecake Be Saved?
Decorating By CakesByEllen Updated 30 Nov 2006 , 11:27pm by mthiberge
All,
I decided to try my hand at making a cheesecake that doesn't crack. In the past, all mine have always cracked. So I read up here and tried a few things. One was to use a water bath. I SWEAR I had double-thickness aluminum foil around the bottom, but water still got in. I was suspicious when I ran a spatula around the inside and the stupid graham crackers seemed mushy. Well, I just took it out of the water bath and took the foil off to confirm that there was definitely water in the foil.
So can this cheesecake be saved? I was going to serve it for Thanksgiving. Should I just save this one for family and make another one? I am so frustrated right now. AAARRRRGGGGHHHH!
sorry girl, it's toast! but you can do as stated above and make a cheesecake triffle or you can freeze the cheesecake --then mellon ball it out---put a stick in it and dip into chocolate and roll into crushed nuts or whatever else you like to make cheesecake pops.
Not that this helps you now, but I have found it has to be HEAVY DUTY aluminum foil (the regular thin stuff is not wide enough to cover the bottom properly) Sorry your cheesecake is toast......but those chocolate dipped cheesecake truffles are to die for! 
It's normal for SOME water to be inside the foil---it's condensation from the cheesecakes being cooler than the water and steam, etc...
It freaked me out the first few times, too.
I always use a cake board covered in foil in the bottom of my springforms, though; That way, the cake isn't just sitting right down in the pan so far it can't be saved.
--Knox--
I have made cheesecakes for years and never used a water bath. I run a knife around the edge of the pan when I reduce the heat. I also run a knife around the edge when I turn the oven off. They don't crack. Sorry this happened to you.
I usually use parchment paper in my springform pan. I overlap a couple of layers and never had a problem since.
I tried foil in the past and had the same problem with the water.
Well, I cut away the outside crust because it was soggy. I left the bottom, and I have to admit, it was the creamiest cheesecake I have ever made or had. You barely noticed the crust wasn't crispy. I guess I will try using the wide aluminum foil next time (heavy duty), so that there is no seam in the foil. I assume that's where the problem came from. I might try using less water next time too.
Thanks for letting me vent!
The last cheesecake I made I put the bake easy strips soaked with water around the pan.....NO CRACK!! FIRST EVER!!! I also have not had good results with water bath baking my cheesecakes. The one I made was a black forest cheesecake with a choc. gan. on top......mmmmm
Can someone explain the water bath a little bit??
merissa,
a water bath is used to prevent the cheesecake from cracking. The mositure is what is supposed to prevent the cracking. I usually get a roasting pan and put a little bit of water in there, and then put my springform pan in the water.
I always use a water bath with my cheesecakes, but I still end up with a crack or two.
HTH!! 
Cheese cakes usually crack because they are over cooked. I worked in a commercial bakery and we used the waterbath, parchment lined springform pans and wrapped the bottoms in heavy duty alluminum foil...Very rarely did we have cracked cheese cakes.
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