The perfect dessert can make or break a great dinner. However, the way to ensure you have a perfect slice of cheesecake is by perfecting the art of cutting it.
To cut the cheesecake in the best way possible, you should try the hot knife trick. This is essentially when you warm your knife up and then slice through the cheesecake.
There are methods you could try too, but this one is by far the best!
However, there’s lots more to it than this. This guide will give you some excellent tips for how you should cut a cheesecake. Read on to learn more.
The Hot Knife Technique
One of the biggest problems that people have when they want the perfect dessert is knowing how to properly cut a slice of cheesecake.
A technique that has long thought to be one of the best is known as the hot knife technique. Essentially, it involves heating a knife and then cutting through the cheesecake.
This will help prevent crumbling parts of the cheesecake getting stuck to the knife and should also prevent a wonky slice.
How To Use The Hot Knife Technique
The way you should slice a cheesecake in this way involves some simple steps. To begin with, you should run a sharp knife under a hot tap. You may also decide it is a good idea to dip your knife in boiling water.
Once the knife has been warmed up in this way, you should then ensure you completely dry the knife.
Depending on how many slices of the cheesecake you are planning to cut, you may need to repeat the knife warming process over and over again for every single cut.
Therefore, it’s advised that you use the boiling water method. It saves you time overall and saves water being unnecessarily wasted.
All you need to do is fill a pot with water and heat it up on the stove’s burner. Allow this to continue boiling throughout the cake cutting process, until you have fully cut the cheesecake.
It’s a good idea to use this water afterwards for extra ingredients or other cooking needs.
The Correct Knife
The correct knife to use for this method is critical. It’s a good idea to use a very sharp, flat-edged knife of around 12 inches in length.
The technique you use when cutting using this knife is also important. You’ll want to apply pressure to your hand and the knife, in order to go directly downwards.
Do not use a serrated knife because this will almost always require you to employ a “saw-like” motion. This is not advised because it will inevitably cause breaks in your cheesecake, and then ultimately ruin it.
The Wax Paper Technique
This is another tried and tested method which works well when you are trying to cut your cheesecake without any mess or damage to the cake.
However, this method requires a little more planning – and you will of course need to source some wax paper, which is unlikely to be in everyone’s homes, unlike a pot for boiling water.
How To Use The Wax Paper Technique
There’s not a massive amount of difference between this method and the previous method, however, you do not need to use hot water or even warm the knife up.
Start by wrapping your knife up in wax paper and ensure it is very tight. You will then choose what part of the cake you wish to start cutting.
Once you have decided on this, place a knife (wrapped in wax paper) into the cake using a downward motion.
Next, slowly pull the knife towards you, which will leave the wax paper in the gap that has just been sliced.
Re-wrap your knife and continue to repeat this process until you have completely sliced your cheesecake. Ensure you take every slice out individually and always check for any wax paper before serving.
This method is chosen by many because it gives your cheesecake a professional looking slice to it without much hassle.
The Dental Floss Technique
Another method for cutting a cheesecake is using what is known as the dental floss technique. You may be wondering if that means what you think it means – it certainly does!
It’s critical that you use unflavored dental floss though, otherwise you may find your cheesecake has a strange minty taste to it later.
How To Use The Dental Floss Technique
This method is actually one of the simplest to do. However, it’s also very easy to get wrong, so beware of that before you try it.
To begin, get yourself some plain, unflavored dental floss. You’ll want to ensure that you’re cutting off a strand of dental floss that is long enough to cover the entire cheesecake.
Wrap the two ends of the dental floss around your index fingers and then use your thumb to stabilize it. All you have to do now is put pressure on the dental floss until you slice all the way down the cheesecake.
Continue to do this until you have completely cut your cheesecake.
Once you’re done, ensure you dispose of the dental floss properly before serving, and always check that there’s no dental floss in the cheesecake.
Will These Methods Guarantee The Perfect Slice?
You can never guarantee that these methods will work every single time. However, they do significantly increase the chances of it.
It’s a good idea to try to practice these techniques with other things like a cheap cake for example. If you can master this, your cheesecake will come out perfect.
The Bottom Line
These methods should help you cut your cheesecake perfectly – but remember, the more practice you get, the better!
Have you ever made something so delicious that you wished you could savor it forever?
Only to find that the recipe has now mysteriously vanished from your phone and the entirety of the internet. Yep, there’s not much more painful than that.
Hi, my name is Mark Williams and I have been infatuated with cooking since I was young. I would beg my mother to pull a chair up to the counter so I could watch what she was doing.
