In Quest of the Perfect Cheesecake

Picture perfect! The top was a smooth pale yellow, the color of the new moon.  I made  Chantal's New York Cheesecake, my favorite. My problem is I haven't been able to get it to bake just right. The top invariably had a brown ridge around the edge and the sides were brown. Sometimes the cheesecake cracked in the middle because my oven has a broken thermostat and it got too hot.   So I decided to try a new method: the bain marie or water bath.  I wrapped the springform pan in double foil layers and put it in a roasting pan with about 1/2 inch hot water. I baked the cheesecake for one hour and let it sit in the oven with the heat off for another hour. 

I put it on a rack to cool for an hour. The sides of the cheesecake started to shrink from the sides of the pan. I slid a thin paring knife around the edge. I removed the springform pan sides and lo and behold: a soggy crust. I checked the inside of the foil: bone dry. I checked the internet. I discovered what they don't tell you is that soggy crust is a consequence of a water bath. No advice on how to make a soggy crust dry again. Sigh.

After 18 hours in the refrigerator, I sliced the cheesecake. It was a tad creamier than I would have liked but I was surprised to see that the crust towards the edge was somewhat drier than towards the center which was pudding-like in texture. Definitely, a longer baking time would have made a drier crust and a firmer center. Say, 1 1/2 hours. It's a beautiful cheesecake, the prettiest I'd ever made. Looks so professional, too. Now if I could only get the crust right, it'd be perfect!

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