Cheesecakes and Springform Pans

Let me start off by saying I dislike many things about the Springform pan.

But the #1 worst thing I dislike about them, is that spellcheck flags me every time I write Springform Pan. (Apparently it is Spring Form?  Ooooh the pretentiousness is making it worse)

But let’s get real about springform pans and cheesecakes.

First of all let’s address the water bath.

Why do we have to use a water bath when baking cheesecakes?

Cheesecakes are not cakes. They are baked custards.

Custard is a delicate balance of ingredients that requires a less harsh heating environment, thus~ the water bath was born.

The heat must now travel through a layer of water before it gets to the actual item you are baking creating a very mild, yet effective heating environment.

Now back to the Springform pan.

It should be dubbed the “Spring-a-Leak Pan” since that’s all it really does (in my opinion) *However since writing this article several years ago, they have designed a better, leak proof pan, so maybe, just maybe I’ll change my mind! Ummm, not really….

Honestly have recommended the springform pan collar (no bottom) attached when making molded cakes such as the Death to Diets Cake and some no bake desserts, where if you don’t have a Ring Mold ~ a springform pan with no bottom inserted will do just fine.

For me and literally all professional bakers I have ever worked for or with, there is a perfectly awesome substitute for baking cheesecakes and it is quite simply, a cake pan.

That’s right. The same pan you already have in your cabinet that you use for all your regular cake baking.

I have had many years experience in the professional bakery industry and I have yet to encounter a single establishment that commissioned a springform pan for cheesecake. (by the way – I was educated at the Culinary Institute of America~ no springform pans there mate!)

When running a commercial bakery there are two things that matter.

#1 Bottom line (Defintion: the ultimate outcome in financial terms from a days work – all things considered)

and #2 how to get to the best most efficient bottom line while keeping the highest quality~ product since after all, customers only care about high quality bang for the buck~ and rightly so.

So imagine paying someone to put together the tops and bottoms of your springform pan menagerie (since commercial bakeries bake dozens of cheesecakes at a time! not 1!)

First of all he/she must FIND the tops and bottoms to put them in place, and then the infamous foil wrapping begins.

Then the greasing to be sure you get all the crevices (and crevices are a-plenty in springform pan world)

Not only does that foil cost a lot in terms of $$$ but the environmental impact of that wasted material makes me cringe! (OK green girl, enough outta you.)

But just that labor cost alone makes me want to re think the entire process, and we should!

I know not many of you have commercial bakeries, so what I just explained may not be of importance, but let’s talk about LEAKAGE!

Yes, you all know what I am talking about.

Soggy bottoms from a leaky springform pan no matter how tightly you wrapped it with about 1 lb of tin foil.  (wasteful~ tsk tsk.)

But this can all be avoided if you just trust me that a cake pan is superior.

I beg you to just try the cake pan method and you will be a believer!

The cake pan method is superior not only because it will not spring a leak, but in my opinion (combine my professional bakery pan grease & a piece of parchment paper to line the bottom) you will have a much better looking cheesecake once it is un-molded than any springform pan could dream of.

It may take a bit of practice on your first run, but heck so did the springform am I right??

I always use my trusty blowtorch but you can achieve the same results by simply dipping your pan into hot water to release the fats that cause the cheesecake to stick in the first place.

Let’s talk Pan Grease for a moment.

Well, not much to say except- USE THIS RECIPE  for ALL your baking needs, you will thank me for the rest of your life.

Now let’s get to the famous un-molding of the cheesecake in a cake pan.

Watch the video below to see just how to un-mold a cheesecake that is NOT in a springform pan!

SKIP TO 2:45 IN THE VIDEO FOR THE VISUAL!

I don’t know what else to say, except ditch that springform pan and you will never have soggy-crusted, dry, cracked cheesecake sorrows again!

If nothing else, clear some room in your cabinets from a one-tasker taking up way too much room than it is worth the space for!

Don’t forget to CLICK HERE for all my cheesecake recipes!