# Cheesecake removal from springform



## GA Home Cook (Jan 11, 2016)

Hey all you bakers,

Just started baking and have a good tasting cheesecake i have made.  It has a graham cracker crust, baked in a dark spring form pan in another pan, in a water bath (ATK method).  The problem I have is getting the cheesecake off the bottom of the spring form pan without tearing up the crust.  What's the trick?


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## GotGarlic (Jan 11, 2016)

Put a round of parchment paper under the cake on top of the pan, so you can slide it off after it's baked. Or, put a round of parchment paper under the cake, chill it well after baking, then turn it out onto a plate and flip it back over onto the serving plate.


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## medtran49 (Jan 11, 2016)

I usually just use an off-set spatula like you'd use for icing and slide it under to loosen, then slide it off onto serving dish.  If it's a cracker-type crust (graham, vanilla wafer, cookie, etc) there should be enough butter that it won't stick and should come right off.  If it's a solid type crust, I'd use what GG recommends, which I do with the cracker-type crust if it's a special occasion to make sure nothing happens with the crust.  

I don't think, however, I'd try the flip method with a cheesecake, especially if it's a cheesecake that's going to be served plain or with just a bit of topping because the top may get messed up.


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## Andy M. (Jan 11, 2016)

I got this method from Alton Brown's Good Eats show. 

Remove the top part of the springform pan. Place the cheesecake and the bottom part of the pan on a (gas) stove burner. Turn the burner on for 10 seconds. Turn it off. Using a cake spatula, slide the cheesecake onto the serving platter. The heat from the burner softens the butter in the crust so the cake can slide off easily.


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## Roll_Bones (Jan 11, 2016)

A parchment lined bottom is my choice.  It comes right out with little fuss.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Jan 11, 2016)

I like both the parchment paper method as well.  In fact when done right, you can get downright creative with your cheesecake.  You can press crust onto the buttered pan sides, with the parchment paper in the middle.  Pour the filling into the pan without a bottom crust.  When the filling is set, Remove the sides and slide the custard, and side crust onto a thin plastic cutting sheet.  Put the pan back together and make the bottom crust in the pan.  Fill with something good, bake, and when done, open the pan and place the custard back on top of the bottom crust and filling.  Use the pan sides to hold everything in its proper place, chill and serve.

If all else fails, dump everything into a big bowl, stir it together, and call it a cheese desert.  Serve with spoons for everyone.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## Katie H (Jan 11, 2016)

My "go-to" method is, like many others, to line the bottom with parchment paper.  I've never had any difficulty removing the cheesecake since I've been using the parchment method.


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## bakechef (Jan 11, 2016)

First and most important is make sure that the cheesecake is well chilled!  Even a bit frozen is good.  Make sure that you grease the pan.  If it's a non stick pan and the cheesecake is well chilled and firm, you should be able to coax it off the bottom with a thin spatula and slid onto a serving plate.  

I pack my crumb crust firmly and bake it for 10-12 minutes before assembling my cheesecake.  This gives me a nice stable crust/base for the cheesecake.


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## GA Home Cook (Jan 11, 2016)

Maybe that is where I am messing up.  My recipe does not call to bake the crust.  It's just ground graham crackers and butter.


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## Kaneohegirlinaz (Jan 11, 2016)

bakechef said:


> First and most important is make sure that the cheesecake is well chilled!  Even a bit frozen is good.  Make sure that you grease the pan.  If it's a non stick pan and the cheesecake is well chilled and firm, you should be able to coax it off the bottom with a thin spatula and slid onto a serving plate.
> 
> I pack my crumb crust firmly and bake it for 10-12 minutes before assembling my cheesecake.  This gives me a nice stable crust/base for the cheesecake.



+1
I baked my crust for about 12 minutes (I noticed alot of recipes did not call for that), with the parchment paper trick and then into the `fridge overnight, lastly I also utilize the offset spatula, 
worked perfectly, no troubles.


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## CWS4322 (Jan 12, 2016)

I spray the springform and the parchment paper both sides, chill at least 6 hours and use an off set knife that I have put in boiling water and slide the cake off using the hot knife.

 I also spray the heck out of the sides of the pan and when taking the cheesecake out of the pan, I pop it open it firrst, run a warm blade down the sides and then finish opening it, remove the ring and go for the bottom. Works for me everytime. I do this daily at the kitchen.


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## GA Home Cook (Jan 12, 2016)

Thanks CWS4322 Just out of curiosity how do you slice yours?  I have been using fishing line.


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## CWS4322 (Jan 12, 2016)

I use a Chef's knife. I dip it in water beteeen slices. Once removed from the springform, it goes back in the walk in before slicing.


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## FrankZ (Jan 12, 2016)

Andy M. said:


> I got this method from Alton Brown's Good Eats show.
> 
> Remove the top part of the springform pan. Place the cheesecake and the bottom part of the pan on a (gas) stove burner. Turn the burner on for 10 seconds. Turn it off. Using a cake spatula, slide the cheesecake onto the serving platter. The heat from the burner softens the butter in the crust so the cake can slide off easily.



This is how I do it.


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef (Jan 13, 2016)

Cheesecake doesn't last too long in the Amoretti Test Kitchen, so I just leave it on the bottom of the spring form pan until it's all gone


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## Addie (Jan 13, 2016)

Sir_Loin_of_Beef said:


> Cheesecake doesn't last too long in the Amoretti Test Kitchen, so I just leave it on the bottom of the spring form pan until it's all gone



Does the knife they use damage the bottom piece at all? I have a nonstick spring form pan, and I only make cheesecake for family members. So when I send it to their home, I always ask them to try and not scratch the bottom. So far since I bought the pan about ten years ago, they have been really good about it. My daughter has a plastic cake cutter and she uses that.


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef (Jan 13, 2016)

Addie said:


> Does the knife they use damage the bottom piece at all? I have a nonstick spring form pan, and I only make cheesecake for family members. So when I send it to their home, I always ask them to try and not scratch the bottom. So far since I bought the pan about ten years ago, they have been really good about it. My daughter has a plastic cake cutter and she uses that.



Have you seen the new silicone springform pans that have a glass bottom? They also have one that they say is leak proof, too! I've been thinking about ordering one.


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## Addie (Jan 14, 2016)

Sir_Loin_of_Beef said:


> Have you seen the new silicone springform pans that have a glass bottom? They also have one that they say is leak proof, too! I've been thinking about ordering one.



I do have one with a glass bottom along with my other one. Bu it is not silicone. Just a non-stick ring for the side. No leakage problem. When I made the pumpkin cheesecake with a ginger snap crust this past Christmas, I used the one with the glass bottom. I had no leakage at all. I did make a one layer of foil wrap. A few months back I made a cheesecake with a Nilla Wafer crust. I don't know if it was the fact of the glass bottom or just the recipe in general, but it had a nice brown crust when it baked. Made for added flavor. A side benefit is that there is no raised edge on the glass. So the food slides off onto a serving plate very easily.


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## GA Home Cook (Jan 14, 2016)

Have you ever tried the ATK method?  I put my spring form pan inside a larger 10" pan and then put that in the water bath.  Works perfect.


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## Addie (Jan 14, 2016)

GA Home Cook said:


> Have you ever tried the ATK method?  I put my spring form pan inside a larger 10" pan and then put that in the water bath.  Works perfect.



I place a pan of water on the shelf below. I get better results and no leakage of moisture into the cheesecake.


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## GotGarlic (Jan 14, 2016)

Addie said:


> I place a pan of water on the shelf below. I get better results and no leakage of moisture into the cheesecake.



A water bath is supposed to moderate the heat that directly hits the sides of the cheesecake pan. How does that happen when the pan is on a different shelf?


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## Addie (Jan 14, 2016)

GotGarlic said:


> A water bath is supposed to moderate the heat that directly hits the sides of the cheesecake pan. How does that happen when the pan is on a different shelf?



I don't know the science behind it. All I know is that for me it works. I have a dry product and no cracking on the top.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Jan 15, 2016)

Having made more cheesecakes than I can count, I may be of some help as mine no longer crack on top, and are creamy, dreamy smooth.  I make a New York style cheesecake with the following recipe: 

Ingrediants:

For the crust:
1 ½ cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
6 tbs. Butter
2 tbs. Sugar

For the Filling:
2 lbs. Cream cheese (4 eight ounce packs)
¾ cup Sugar
2 large Eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
2 tbs. Cornstarch
1 cup Sour Cream

Preheat the oven to 450’ F.
Combine the crust ingredients and press into the sides and bottom of a 9-inch spring-form pan.  Place the crust into your freezer for 15 minutes.

Soften the cream cheese in your microwave (Don’t overdo it; the cream cheese must be warm, not hot.) and place into a large bowl.  Cream in the sugar until everything is smooth.  Beat in the remaining ingredients until all is well blended, smooth and creamy.  

Remove the crust from the freezer and pour in the filling.  Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.  Lower the temperature to 200’ F. And bake for an additional 35 minutes.  Turn off the heat and crack the oven door.  Gently jiggle the pan,  The cheesecake filling should move slightly, like gelatin in a bowl.  Let the cheesecake cool with the oven for 2 to 3 hours.  This will help prevent the custard from cracking.  The cheesecake custard will continue cooking while it cools, and will give you a silky-smooth, and creamy texture.
Top with sweetened sour cream, or your favorite fruit topping and chill for an hour.    

I don't bake my cheesecake in a pan of water.  I do use my Kaiser spring-form pans.  

As egg is the agent that firms the custard, as the cheesecake bakes, the proteins from the egg tend to shrink the custard.  The custard is attached to the crust and held firm.  The custard cracks because of the tightening proteins.  By baking it until its still slightly underdone, (jiggles like jello), the shrinking custard doesn't pull itself apart, and as stared in the recipe, continues cooking as the cheesecake slowly cools inside the cooling oven.

Overcooked cheesecake cracks.  

Seeeeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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