cooked on the stovetop Then… When the cream is well cooked, put a silver platter onto the hot stove with some powdered sugar and a little water to dissolve it; and when your sugar has colored, pour the cream on top; turn the sugar along the platter rim onto the top of your cream, and serve at once — V La Chapelle, Le Cuisinier moderne, 1742 The most common problem with cheesecakes is the development of depressions and cracks in the surface, which result when the mix expands and rises during the cooking, then shrinks and falls as it cools down Rising is essential for soufflés and sponge cakes, but it is antithetical to the dense richness of cheesecake Four basic strategies will minimize it First, beat the ingredients slowly, gently, and only long enough to obtain an even mix Vigorous or long beating incorporates more air bubbles that will fill with steam and expand during baking Second, bake the cheesecake slowly in a low oven This will allow trapped air and steam to disperse gradually and evenly Third, don’t overbake This will dry the filling and cause it to shrink from moisture loss Finally, cool the cheesecake gradually in the open oven Cooling causes any trapped air or steam to contract, and the more gradually this happens, the more gently the cheesecake surface is pulled in Cream Theory and Practice Creams are easier to make than custards in two respects They’re heated on the stovetop, so the cook doesn’t have to consider the fine points of heat transfer in the oven And because they’re not served as is, in the container they’re cooked in, some curdling can be tolerated and remedied by putting the ... the more gently the cheesecake surface is pulled in Cream Theory and Practice Creams are easier to make than custards in two respects They’re heated on the stovetop, so the cook doesn’t have to consider the fine... so the cook doesn’t have to consider the fine points of heat transfer in the oven And because they’re not served as is, in the container they’re cooked in, some curdling can be tolerated and remedied by putting the ... with steam and expand during baking Second, bake the cheesecake slowly in a low oven This will allow trapped air and steam to disperse gradually and evenly Third, don’t overbake This will dry the filling and cause it