How Do You Keep Cheesecake From Cracking?

Every time you bake a cheesecake, it cracks. So, what is actually going on?

Well, it is not some chemical reaction bubbling away in the batter, whatever you might read elsewhere. We would rather blame the two much simpler things: overbaking, and cooling too fast.

So Where Do These Cracks Actually Come From?

So, overbaking dries out the surface, so it splits as the cake settles. And a sudden swing from a hot oven to a cold counter shocks the top into pulling apart before it has had a chance to firm up properly.

There is a third one too. Whip the eggs in too hard and you trap air in the batter, and that air collapses as the cake cools, taking the surface down with it.

Does Sour Cream Really Help?

It can, a little, mostly because it adds fat and moisture that make the batter more forgiving. But it will not save you from overbaking or a shock chill, so we would not treat it as the main fix.

The water bath does far more of the actual work. Gentle, even heat keeps the surface from drying out in the first place, which is really the whole point.

And If It Has Already Cracked?

Cover it. A dollop of sour cream, a chocolate ganache, or a fruit sauce on top hides a crack completely, and honestly, nobody at the table needs to know.

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