I cracked out the ole’ Kitchen Aid mixer and attempted the baking of my delicious Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie again this weekend, and I took some snapshots throughout the baking process.  When I posted about this magnificent edible masterpiece last month I had quite a few people request the recipe.  The most common issue I found with baking a cheesecake is keeping it from cracking during the cooling process.  I think the cooling process is the most difficult part of making one of these things.

So the helpful hints in this post are for others like my dear friend Rachel who, like myself had the cheesecake crack on their 1st attempt.  This time I nailed it, and I wanted to share the technique with you.

Combine cookie crumbs and butter.

Press onto bottom of 9 inch springform pan.

Beat cream cheese, 1/2 cup of the sugar and vanilla with electric mixer until well blended.

Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended.

Remove 1 cup plain batter; place in small bowl.

Stir remaining 1/4 cup sugar, pumpkin and spices into remaining batter.

Spoon pumpkin batter into crust; top with spoonfuls of reserved plain batter.

Cut through batters with knife several times for marble effect.

Bake 45 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

See no cracks!

Here are tips I used to keep my cheesecake masterpiece from looking like the Grand Canyon.

• Have everything at room temperature so the ingredients blend quickly.  The cream cheese should not just be softened, it should be soft.
• Don’t over mix.  This can add air to the mix which leads to pits and cracks.
• Run a knife along the edges, pressing the knife against the pan, to loosen the top. Cheesecake contracts as it cools and if the top edge remains stuck to the pan when it shrinks.
• Cool your cheesecake as slow as possible.  Remove your cheesecake from the oven after it’s 45 minutes are up, and place it on the counter to cool.  Make sure it is away from drafts and covered with foil, or cling wrap to help slow the cooling process.

If you would like to try this recipe you can get it here.

This entry was posted on Monday, November 16th, 2009 at 8:03 am and is filed under Cooking/Baking, Daily. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.