# Question on baking a cheesecake

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-baking-a-cheesecake/706597>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [December 7, 2014, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-baking-a-cheesecake/706597 "2014-12-07T21:06:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![justmeetee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@justmeetee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justmeetee)\
**Post date:** [December 7, 2014, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-baking-a-cheesecake/706597/1 "2014-12-07T21:06:55Z")

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I’m making a cheesecake and don’t have a spring form pan so baking in a 6x9 glass baking pan. Basic recipe, cream cheese, sugar, eggs and sour cream. Near the end of cooking time I see a large bubble forming on top of the cheesecake.  
What’s up?

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**Author:** ![Saturn\_Dreams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Saturn\_Dreams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saturn_Dreams)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-baking-a-cheesecake/706597/2 "2014-12-08T10:02:03Z")

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It sounds like you whipped the filling too much and incorporated a lot of air and/or baked it too long. A properly baked cheese cake will wobble and still look “not done” at first. Did you use a bain-marie?

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**Author:** ![justmeetee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@justmeetee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justmeetee)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-baking-a-cheesecake/706597/3 "2014-12-08T17:34:14Z")

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Ok, I’m sure it was the whipped to much. And I don’t know if I used a bain-marie since I have no idea what a bain-marie is.

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**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-baking-a-cheesecake/706597/4 "2014-12-08T17:39:15Z")

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A bain-marie is another term for a water bath.

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**Author:** ![Saturn\_Dreams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Saturn\_Dreams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saturn_Dreams)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 2014, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-baking-a-cheesecake/706597/5 "2014-12-09T01:45:18Z")

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Even if you hadn’t over-whipped the filling, the bain-marie would have helped to reduce the chances of your cheese cake cracking under heat stress by creating an even, moist and gentle heat. Of course you don’t need to use one, but it improves not only the appearance of the cheese cake, but the creamy texture of it as well.