How can I keep baked cheese cake from cracking on top?

Answer 1

When you are baking the cheesecake, it is important that it has a humid environment. ALthough you are trying to, in essence, "dry out" the cheesecake filling, you don't want that to become too dry, which causes the cracking.
The best thing you can do for your cheesecake is to put an oven proof bowl of warm water in the oven with it as it is baking. You should try to put the water on the rack beneath the rack that your cheesecake is on. This is sometimes called a "ban marie," the french term for "water bath". Then, as the cheesecake cools after the baking time is complete, be sure to let it cool slowly, on a wire rack on the counter. It is a sure sentence to cracking if you put it directly intot he refrigerator.
Also, make sure your oven is really at the right temperature. Sometimes as ovens get older, they tend to run hotter or colder than the temperature that we intend for them.
Good Luck and Happy Baking!

Answer 2

All of these suggestions are great and work sometimes, but not all the time. I know. I'm the cheesecake_lady lol. I would say that if you try all of these and still have problems, try topping the cracked cheesecake with a sour cream topping. It adds a little sweetness to the cheesecake and covers the cracks nicely. You can add anything you want to the sour cream mixture to make it go with the flavor cheesecake you're making, too!

8 oz. sour cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla

Mix in bowl with mixer and spread on top of your cheesecake. MMMMMMMM

Answer 3

If you cheesecake is cracking on top you may be cooking it too long. Use a toothpick to see how done it is. It shouldn't come out gooey, but just be firm. If it looks really bad, you can always cover it with cherry pie filling...and edge with cool whip. it looks and tastes terrific and nobody will know about the cracking.
Hope that helps.

Answer 4

Purple Girl has a good suggestion (don't cook it too long) but the other possibility is that it's cooling too fast. When it's ALMOST done, shut off the oven and let the whole thing come down in temperature naturally. (Don't open the oven door!) When the oven is back down to room temperature (this will take awhile), put the cheesecake in the refrigerator to finish cooling.

Answer 5

HOW TO PREVENT CRACKING CHEESECAKES: The truth is that cheesecakes tend to crack even if you do everything right. Small cracks in my homemade cheesecakes never bothered me, but the large one that occasionally developed through the middle of it meant it was overbaked.
http://www.baking911.com/cakes/cheesecake_problems.htm
Cheesecake Tips
http://www.baking911.com/cakes/cheesecake101.htm
http://www.baking911.com/cakes/cheesecake_qanda.htm

Answer 6

Don't know for sure, but you may be cooking it at a higher temp than necessary. Outside gets too hot toofast while the inside stays cold, and it cracks. Check other recipes and compare temps.

Answer 7

Put a pan of water in oven.Make sure bottom of cheesecake pan has aluminum foil on it just in case.Place pan in water and bake.

Answer 8

refrain from beginning the oven door throughout the time of the required cooking time... in the journey that your cheesecake cracks, no biggie, it does not impact style and you will constantly make a fruit compote to conceal the actual with

Answer 9

you need to have it on the right tempeture ......hot enough
differently than pound cake they must be crack on top....as a sign that it's well done/