The business of baking cheesecake can be reduced to temperature, temperature, temperature

Ahhh, cheesecake. Go to dinner almost anywhere and you’ll likely find this velvety classic, typically in plain vanilla. While cheesecake’s appearance in restaurant after restaurant may lead you to believe that chefs have gotten lazy, I suspect they’re just smartly responding to the demand. We all know that proper cheesecake has a creamy smoothness that’s impossible to resist. Yet we also know that cheesecake is notorious for lumps, cracks and a texture that ranges, with little warning, from under- to overcooked. Put these facts together, and it’s not surprising that most of us leave cheesecake to the professionals. As a result, our pent-up cravings are high when we dine out, and savvy chefs are quick to cash in. But I see no good reason (apart from unnecessary calories) to indulge only at professionals’ tables. Much like the real estate business, where “location, location, location” is the prevailing theme, the business of baking cheesecake can be largely reduced to one simple mantra: temperature, temperature, temperature. Pay close attention to temperature at three distinct steps of the process – mixing, baking and cooling – and you’ll soon be making cheesecakes that rival those of any skilled pastry chef. Let’s look at the first step. The crust (typically composed of melted butter and graham cracker, cookie or bread crumbs) is rarely the issue. As long as you add the butter gradually, until the crumbs just hold together when squeezed, the crust will never be too greasy. The temperature concern relates to the perishable filling ingredients – the cream cheese (or lower-fat substitutes such as ricotta or cottage cheese), the sour cream or heavy cream (sometimes incorporated for added richness), and the eggs. Each of these ingredients must be at room temperature before you mix; otherwise, lumps are guaranteed. In a rush? No problem. To quickly bring eggs to room temperature, submerge them in warm water for 10 to 15 minutes. Cheeses can also be unwrapped and zapped for a few seconds in the microwave. As a last safeguard against lumps, add the eggs gradually and scrape down the bowl regularly, digging deep underneath the paddle attachment to make sure all ingredients are smoothly blended. Baking the cheesecake is the part of the process where cracks can become an issue. Because the filling has a high egg content and usually no starch thickeners, it is quite vulnerable to overcooking, much like a custard. If baked for too long or at a temperature that is too high, the filling will quickly release moisture and, where this happens, the egg structure will collapse and open up cracks. But don’t overreact; small, hairline cracks shouldn’t cause great consternation. Granted, they are not the prettiest of sights, but they will not adversely impact cake texture and, for the most part, will close as the cake cools and settles. Larger fissures are the culprits that wreak havoc on texture, leaving it pudding-like rather than dense and sliceable. To prevent serious cracking, cheesecakes should always be baked in a moderate (325 to 350 degrees) oven. Thick cheesecakes (greater than 1½ to 2 inches deep) bake more uniformly at the lower end of this temperature spectrum. Thin cheesecakes, such as those in the recipes here, can be safely baked at 350 degrees, but they must be monitored especially closely for doneness. Many recipes also recommend baking the cheesecake in a water bath to promote even cooking. Though introducing steam to moderate the oven temperature makes good sense, I never take the bath approach. Thin cheesecakes bake so uniformly and quickly (about 30 minutes for a 9-incher) that it hardly seems worth the hassle. And, while thick cheesecakes can benefit from the added moisture, they are typically baked in springform pans with releasable sides and drop-down bottoms. No matter how tightly I wrap the pan with foil, water invariably seeps in. The better approach to steaming is to set a pan of hot water on the oven rack directly beneath the cheesecake. Steam or no steam, the cake will still crack if it is baked too long. What makes testing for doneness difficult is that cheesecake rarely looks ready when, in fact, it is. The center of a correctly baked cake will actually move side to side when the pan is gently tapped. The filling won’t slosh as if it was liquid, but it will definitely wiggle. If this cue is too subtle, look for edges that are slightly puffed and faintly golden brown and a top that has no sheen. But you’re not out of the weeds just yet. Cracks can still appear during the cooling process, particularly when the cake experiences an abrupt temperature change. Never disregard instructions, no matter how deeply imbedded in the recipe, that indicate cooling in the oven or a draft-free place. As more and more folks start to enjoy their own cheesecakes at home, I hope chefs will shake up their menus – at least a little bit. Truthfully, wouldn’t it be a pleasant surprise if plain vanilla was replaced with a seasonal flavor or turned into a savory appetizer?