The last time I made the pumpkin cheesecake, I made the ultimate cheesecake faux pas. It cracked. Badly…
So how do you prevent a cheesecake from cracking? It’s so simple. Waterbath!
First, you just put some aluminum foil around the base of your springform before pouring in your cheesecake. I usually use 2 layers. The goal of this is to prevent any water from leaking IN.
This is the perfect time to do some doublechecking that you have a pan to set your springform in (it’s a lot harder to figure this out once its filled). I usually use my roasting pan.
Then you pour in your cheesecake filling and set the springform in the bigger pan. Next, you put about 2 inches of water into the bottom pan. My understanding is that the water keeps the cheesecake from getting hot too quickly and then from getting cold too quickly.
Once you bake it according to the recipe, rather than taking it out of the oven immediately, turn the oven off and crack the door. Let that cool for about 30 minutes to an hour (or until you can remove it with your hands). Then put it on the counter to cool for about an hour. THEN put it in the fridge. Yes… it’s a process, but this version looks so much better:
And what’s that on top you may ask? Oh just some sweet glazed pecans. They are easy to make and fantastic as just a snack or as a topping for many things (especially pumpkin cheesecake). All you do is heat 1 Tablespoon each of olive oil and balsamic vinegar with 1/2 cup brown sugar until it bubbles.
Then toss the pecans into the mixture and toast it for about 6 minutes, stirring constantly, until the pecans are toasted and most of the liquid is absorbed.
Then you can turn them out onto a Silpath (or parchment paper/foil/etc) and separate them with a fork. Cool to room temp (in the fridge to speed it up) and enjoy.
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