Cheesecake is easily one of the world’s absolute favorite desserts, and also an incredibly fun thing to make to serve at a dinner party or other similar functions!
However, making the perfect cheesecake is often easier said than done.
It can be very easy to slip up at certain steps in the process and completely ruin the texture and taste of a perfectly good cheesecake or leave it looking rather unsightly.
But how do you avoid this? How do you cool a cheesecake after allowing it to cook, so that it comes out looking just as perfect as you imagined?
If you’ve been fretting over how to cool your next cheesecake down, then look no further, because today we are going to find out exactly how to cool down a cheesecake, and how you can do it yourself!
Read on below to find out all you need!
Why Should You Cool Down A Cheesecake?
Allowing a cheesecake to cool down after the initial baking phase is very important because it helps to ensure that the final texture of the cheesecake is perfect.
After baking a cheesecake, most people choose to then place it directly into their refrigerator in order to make it cool down quicker.
Placing your cheesecake directly into the fridge after cooking is actually a bad idea because the intense heat of the cheesecake will clash with the cool air of the refrigerator, which will, in turn, create condensation.
Condensation forms small droplets of water that will then seep into the cheesecake itself, thus ruining both the texture and the taste.
You should also avoid placing your cheesecake right into the fridge because the heat from the cheesecake can actually be so intense that it could cause other items in the fridge to heat up, thus causing even more condensation for other foods in the fridge.
How Do You Cool A Cheesecake?
If you want to keep the texture of your cheesecake unruined, then you will want to make sure to allow your cheesecake to cool.
The best way to do this is to place the cheesecake, still within its pan, on a wire rack.
Once it is on the wire rack, place the rack on a kitchen counter, and allow the cheesecake to slowly cool down at room temperature.
Allow the cheesecake for around one to three hours to cool. How long it takes for a cheesecake to cool can depend on the room temperature, as well as the size of the cheesecake.
If you want to check if your cheesecake has cooled down, you can easily place a thermometer probe into the cheesecake to directly monitor the internal temperature.
Can You Cool A Cheesecake Down Quicker?
One of the main reasons that people often place their cheesecake directly into the fridge after cooking is because of the daunting prospect of waiting from one to three hours for the cheesecake to cool down!
But are there any safer ways to cool down a cheesecake that won’t ruin it?
One way you can help to accelerate the cooling of your cheesecake is to use a small fan. Point a small household fan at the cheesecake, and allow it to blow the light cool air at the cheesecake.
You don’t want the fan to blow air that is too cold or too strong, as this can cause the dreaded condensation to appear, or directly alter the texture of the end result.
You could also make use of the cooling properties of water by dipping a towel into ice-cold water, and then carefully wrapping that towel around the cheesecake pan.
This will slowly begin to cool the cheesecake while allowing the heat to still escape upwards, preventing condensation from building up within the cheesecake.
Aside from those options, you could also negate the need for a cooling process by making use of a no-bake cheesecake recipe, of which there are many online!
However, keep in mind that a no-bake cheesecake will need to chill in your refrigerator for some time before it is ready to eat, so be sure to account for that extra time.
Does A Cheesecake Need To Be Fully Cooled Before Placing It In A Refrigerator?
Preferably, yes. The more cooled down that a cheesecake is before you place it into your fridge, the less likely it is that it will develop any flavor or texture-altering condensation.
If you were to place a cheesecake into the fridge while it is still lukewarm, then it is still very likely to develop condensation.
This is why the cooling process is such an important part of the cheesecake-making experience, and should not be skipped.
Provided you allow your cheesecake to cool down for at least three hours, you should be totally fine!
To Wrap Up
There you have it! Luckily, cooling down a cheesecake before placing it into the refrigerator is very easy, but as such, it should definitely not be overlooked!
Allowing a cheesecake to cool down before refrigerating is highly important because it helps to keep condensation from forming all over the cheesecake.
Condensation can easily ruin the texture and taste of a good cheesecake, as well as the base of the cheesecake.
Instead of placing your cheesecake directly into the fridge after the baking process has finished, instead, allow it to cool for up to 3 hours in a room temperature environment.
And if you want to speed up the cooling process of your cheesecake, simply place it on a wire rack, wrap it in a cool towel, and make use of a small fan, but don’t cool it down too intensely!
- How To Reheat A Cheesesteak - November 5, 2023
- What Are Three Must Have Kitchen Knives? - September 22, 2023
- How To Protect Edges Of Pie Crust - June 15, 2023