Norah Clark, Editor of Boyd Hampers! Norah is a food writer with over a decade of experience in hospitality as a pastry chef, sous chef, and barista; former chef at the Savoy Hotel, Ritz Carlton, Four Seasons and Plaza Hotel.
The best way to check for an undercooked cheesecake is to place an electronic thermometer in the middle of the cheesecake once it’s baked. If its at 150 degrees Fahrenheit, that means it’s cooked. If it doesn’t, place it back into the oven to bake further.
Who doesn’t love cheesecake? If it’s the traditional New York-style cheesecake or the delicious strawberry-filled one, there are not many who would say no to this tasty dessert.
Making your own cheesecake at home can be an enjoyable and rewarding experience but it can be complicated, especially when trying to figure out when the cheesecake is cooked.
A cheesecake that is not cooked properly is too liquid, will sink and will simply not maintain its shape.
To achieve the soft, smooth, and melting-in-your-mouth taste that cheesecakes are renowned for, its necessary to learn a few techniques and discover whats the best cheese for your cheesecake.
The best part is that aside from easily testing the cake’s cooking time there are simple methods to correct it when it’s undercooked.
Learn information about the best methods to detect whether your cheesecake is cooked properly and easy fixes to make it firmer.
The Slow Cooker
If you don’t want put it in a water bath, then turn on the oven to a lower temperature and let the cheesecake slowly cook until it reaches the correct temp (150 degrees F).
The process shouldn’t take more than 15-20 minutes however, to be extra vigilant be sure to examine it every five minutes.
Sometimes, to avoid wasting a cheesecake that has been overcooked, find alternative ways to use your dessert. For example, transform the cheesecake into an ice-cream dessert by placing your cheesecake in the freezer and in a few hours you’ll be able to enjoy yummy frozen dessert.
Allow your imagination to run wild.
Use A Thermometer
The temperature of the cheesecake with the instant thermometer is one of the simplest and most foolproof methods of knowing the temperature of your cheesecake and whether its cooked properly.
This article will give you step-by-step instructions on how you can use a thermometer to verify whether the cheesecake is cooked perfectly or not!
(Note: It’s helpful to obtain an instant-read thermometer for cooking to accomplish the task so that you don’t have to wait.
This won’t just help you save time, but it will also stop the cheesecake from burning while over-baking.)
- Clean the thermometer thoroughly then calibrate the thermometer by measuring the temperatures of boiling water. The thermometer must be able to read 212 degrees F.
- Then, stick the thermometer about halfway into the middle of the cheesecake,not the edge.
- Look for a temperature in the range of 150 degrees F in the center of the dessert. When it is at the temperature you want, remove the cheesecake from the oven and allow it to cool completely on an air-cooling rack.
- If it’s not cooked then put the cake back into the oven for a few minutes, and repeat the procedure until you’ve got the proper reading.
- The placement of a thermometer between the layers of cake can cause it to break up, therefore, put your thermometer into the exact place you inserted it previously.
2. Jiggle, Jiggle, Jiggle!
If it is bouncing too much, it’s not ready. A perfectly cooked cheesecake has to have just the right amount of jiggle; here’s how to test it:
- Put on oven mitts, put your hands on the opposite sides of the baking dish, then gently give the cheesecake a gentle shake. Be careful not to be too rough or your cheesecake could split if not cooked adequately.
- After that, take a look to see how much the middle of the cake moves. If a tiny area about 2 inches across the middle jiggles slightly, then the cheesecake is cooked. Remove the oven from the oven and let the cake sit for a few hours.
- If the jiggly surface is greater than 2 inches or the cooked batter breaks through the surface or spills out to the edge of the baking dish, it is undercooked and you must place it back into the oven for additional time.
- If the cheesecake is solid and doesn’t move even a bit, it’s probably overcooked. Remove it from the oven before it begins to crack.
A toothpick is an easy method to test the level of doneness of the cake, but it’s not the most precise.
This is why it is often regarded as an emergency solution for those who don’t have a thermometer handy. But, seriously jump onto Amazon and buy one for a couple of bucks!
Like the thermometer put the toothpick in the middle of the cheesecake. The difference is that instead of having to rely on a specific read, you have to be relying on your observation and assessment abilities.
Here are step-by-step directions on how to use a toothpick to verify if your cheesecake is undercooked:
- Put a clean toothpick into the center of the cheesecake. In the event that your toothpick happens to be a tiny one, you can put on the top of the cake. If it’s long, you should poke it about halfway.
- Examine the toothpick to check whether there is any remaining cake batter. If there is, it’s an indication that the cake is being undercooked.
- When the toothpick appears dry and is clear then the cheesecake has is done.
- When the cheesecake appears to be undercooked, then bake it for about a few more minutes and then give it another go. To prevent the cheesecake from getting damaged be sure to pop it in the same hole you used before.
This is a straightforward test that does not require any tools and can be done with your fingertips. Although it’s a very easy test, this test demands caution, as you may end up damaging or breaking the cheesecake’s surface.
These are step-by-step directions for performing a pressure test on cheesecakes:
- Since the test requires ungloved fingers, make sure they are clean.
- Then, use one or two fingers to gently indent the cheesecake’s middle to test the degree of doneness. Don’t press too hard.
- If the middle of the cheesecake seems solid with a bit of flex, it is cooked perfectly.
- If your finger sinks further towards the bottom of the cake and emerges with a little bit of cake over it, your cake is probably not cooked enough.
- Put it back in the oven to bake for an additional five minutes before checking it again with the same method.
This is the last method you can use to tell if the cheesecake is cooked to perfection or not just by taking a look. Here’s how:
- The edges get cooked prior to the middle of the cake. When a 1/2-inch circle around the edges starts to turn golden-brown and puffy, be assured that your cheesecake is baked to perfection and ready to cool and serve.
- In contrast, the center must remain light and slightly bouncy. If it’s hard and begins to show a bit of hue, that means it has been cooked too long.
- If the edges appear to be pale while the center is liquid, it is undercooked and requires a longer baking time.
Another method to tell whether the cheesecake is cooked is to check the shine of the surface. The cheesecake that is undercooked is likely to have an glossy surface, while the one that is cooked to perfection is not as shiny.
How to Tell if your Cheesecake is Cooked | Cook with Curtis Stone | Coles
FAQ
What happens if you don’t cook cheesecake all the way?
Is it better to bake or not bake a cheesecake?
Why do you have to leave cheesecake in the oven?
Why is my cheesecake not cooked?
Even being off by five degrees could make a big difference in how your cheesecake will turn out. Baking issues can lead to it not being done when you take it out of the oven. Sometimes other things can be to blame for cheesecakes coming out without being fully cooked in the middle. For example, you could have baked it for the wrong amount of time.
Is cheesecake a healthy food?
Vegan cheesecake has healthy ingredients and can be adjusted according to food preferences. A recipe with rice milk and seeds is a great suggestion.
Can cheesecake go wrong?
A sweet and creamy cheesecake is the stuff dreams are made of, but this classic baked good can be intimidating for home cooks. With so many things that can go wrong (cracked top! slumped-in crust! crumbly texture!), it’s no wonder we typically leave cheesecake to the professionals.
Can You Ruin a cheesecake if it comes out of the oven?
You don’t want a small mistake to ruin the cheesecake. Most often, there isn’t anything wrong when your cheesecake comes out of the oven. You might not be all that used to baking cheesecakes, and this means that you might not understand that they take time to set. The cheesecake should come out of the oven soft and somewhat jiggly in the middle.