How To Cool A Cheesecake Quickly – Cutting The Time By 1/2

By Lindy Van Schalkwyk, last updated on August 28, 2022

Cooling cheesecake can take hours! That’s why we created this informative guide on how to cool a cheesecake quickly while preventing cracks!

If you properly follow our steps with the tips, we can almost guarantee that you will have great results. The technique we use still allows the structure to set while it is at its most delicate, but we use tricks to speed up the process.

How Is A Cheesecake Made – A Brief Overview

Cheesecake is a delicate dessert to make. In our experience, it is the one people struggle with most. Even experts sometimes still don’t get it right. There are so many things that can go wrong and so many different causes for each problem.

However, when you do make the perfect cheesecake, the results are exceptionally satisfying! The texture should be smooth, creamy, and lusciously packed with rich flavors.

So, how do you make this wonderful dessert? It is fairly easy in a brief explanation. To start, you partially bake a cheesecake crust. Then, you make a smooth creamy batter and bake it over medium-high temperature.

Once completely baked, you have to properly cool the cheesecake before setting it in the fridge. Once it is inside the fridge, you should leave it completely so that the texture firms up and becomes less jiggly.

Risks Involved With Cooling A Cheesecake

Now, cooling a baked cheesecake requires a lot of patience. And know-how! If you don’t do it right, it could cause a lot of problems that ultimately ruin the final outcome of the product.

If a cheesecake is exposed to extreme or sudden changes in temperature, it could cause the batter to contract or expand. This could cause cracks or even a large canyon running through the middle.

Furthermore, improperly cooling a cheesecake could lead to it drying out. If you leave it out too long, the moisture evaporates and your texture will become rubbery. But, if you don’t cool it for long enough, it could start sweating once wrapped.

So, as you can see, there is a reason the “proper way” takes so long. And it’s no wonder not many people know about it or use it. But, it is almost the only surefire way to prevent cracks or sunken in cheesecakes.

How to properly cool a baked cheesecake

There is only really one way to go with cooling a cheesecake, and that is slowly. You will see that even the technique for how to cool a cheesecake quickly doesn’t shave off hours! But, it takes however long it takes. And, for proper results, you just have to be patient.

So, to properly cool a cheesecake (the long and slow method), you can switch off the oven and slightly crack the door open. Do not open it all the way. Then, allow the cheesecake to stay and cool there for an hour.

Then, remove it from the cooling oven and place it on a cooling rack at room temperature. There, allow it to cool for another hour.

Once the 2 hours have elapsed, your cheesecake should be completely cooled to room temperature.

Next, wrap the entire cake (inside of its pan) in plastic or saran wrap. Place it inside the fridge to set for at least 4-6 hours. But, we always allow it to set overnight. This way, you are guaranteed a set cheesecake (if the recipe worked as it should have).

Is it possible to cool a cheesecake quickly?

So, we have explained why cheesecakes are often cooled extremely slowly and for hours on end. But, does that mean there is no way to cut down on some of this time?

Luckily, we have the best method on how to cool a cheesecake quickly without risking any cracks or craters from forming.

But, these steps aren’t very flexible. They already cut the cooling time down by more than 50%, and you cannot use another shortcut on top of it. If you try to cheat the process too much, you will end up with sunken or cracked cheesecakes.

What You Will Need – How To Cool A Cheesecake Quickly

Equipment

• Cooling rack
• Plastic or saran wrap
• Toothpick, skewer, or testing needle

Step by step instructions

Step 1: Cool the cheesecake in a cooling oven

To start, switch off your oven as you usually would. Then, crack the oven door open, but this time, slightly wider than you normally would.

You can leave the door open about 5-7 inches. This will allow the air inside the oven to cool quicker. But, still not too quickly as to cause a sudden change in temperature.

Step 2: Open the door completely

After 20 minutes, open the oven door completely. This will bring the cheesecake down to room temperature faster. Leave the cheesecake untouched inside the open oven for another 15 minutes.

Step 3: Wrap the cheesecake

Next, wrap the entire cheesecake (inside its springform cake pan) with plastic or saran wrap. Then, poke a couple of holes through the plastic on top.

These holes will help any hot air escape which will prevent condensation inside the wrapping. But, the plastic is needed to protect the cheesecake from drying out in the following steps.

Step 4: Cool the cheesecake in the freezer

Place the cheesecake inside the freezer for 10 minutes. This will allow the temperature to drop drastically. But, because the structure has already semi-set, you don’t have to worry too much about cracks.

If after 10 minutes you see the cheesecake is still looking perfectly fine, you can leave it in for another 10 minutes. If it looks like it’s sweating too much or starting to sink in, move it to the fridge.

Step 5: Set it in the fridge

Once the cheesecake has cooled down significantly in the freezer, move it to the fridge so that it can set completely. It will also shorten the minimum setting time.

Tips And Tricks

• As you can see, the process for how to cool a cheesecake quickly is fairly simple. But, your biggest hurdle will possibly be the timing. If you feel that the cheesecake is still hot to the touch after removing it from the oven, then leave it at room temperature for longer. Otherwise, it will crack in the freezer.
• Keep the cheesecake away from drafts while it is inside the oven. Close all of the windows and doors. Drafts could cause the cheesecake to collapse.

In Conclusion

We hope that you learned a thing or two from this guide on how to cool a cheesecake quickly. But, if you still have any questions, let us know in the comments below. We are more than happy to help you get it right!

FAQs

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