Cheesecake is probably the smoothest, creamiest, and classiest dessert out there.
It is usually made with a graham cracker crust which complements the flavor and texture of the filling and topping. The filling is made with cream cheese, eggs, and sugar. Toppings include sour cream and fruit.
Given the amazing flavor, many people bake cheesecake at home and once it’s made are often in a hurry to chill and eat it.
Baked cheesecake needs to be cooled and chilled before serving. This is to ensure that it sets enough before being sliced. If it’s too warm, the filling may be runny
You may be tempted to put the hot cheesecake into the fridge or freezer directly after removing it from the oven to chill it quickly but this is never a good idea.
For a start, it may crack the glass shelves in your fridge (I’ve done that before!) and also, it will raise the overall temperature of your fridge, causing some foods inside to spoil. Also, the cheesecake itself will not have the desired texture.
If you put oven-hot cheesecake into the refrigerator, it will initiate the condensation process, resulting in the formation of water droplets that will spoil the cake’s texture.
In this article, we are sharing how to chill a cheesecake quickly without ruining it!
How to Cool A Cheesecake Quickly
1. Use A Portable Fan
Fans can cool hot food down really quickly. I have on occasion sat in front of a fan holding a cup of coffee only to find that it gets cold in minutes! Put a small portable fan near the cheesecake and let it blow onto it for a while.
Make sure that the airflow is focused directly on the cheesecake. Use the fan just long enough to bring the cheesecake to room temperature then cover and chill it in the fridge. Using a fan will reduce the cooling time by around 30%.
2. Freezer
This may seem to be the method of choice to cool something down quickly. It is certainly the coldest place in the house.
However, you cannot simply thrust a hot cheesecake into the freezer as soon as it comes out of the oven. This is because cheesecake won’t respond well to the sudden changes in temperature and will lose its structural integrity.
For this reason, you need to let the cheesecake come down to room temperature before you put it in the freezer. Never put it into the freezer for longer than a few hours though as you don’t want it to freeze. This again will result in a loss in texture.
If you are going to use the freezer method, make sure you don’t put any topping onto the cheesecake before putting it into the freezer.
Simply cover it loosely with cling film to prevent freezer burn and to ensure the cake doesn’t absorb smells and flavors from other items in the freezer.
Once the cheesecake has cooled down enough, you may put the topping on. Store any leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container.
3. Wire Rack
When you are trying to speed up the cooling process, a wire rack will facilitate airflow around the whole cheesecake.
For this purpose, we suggest that you take out the cheesecake pan from the oven and place it on the wire rack until attains room temperature. After that, chill it in the fridge/freezer.
4. Ice Packs
You know those ice packs you have in your first aid box for muscle injuries? They are usually chilled in the freezer before being applied to a sore neck or injured area.
Put a couple of these onto a tray and sit your cheesecake directly on top of these.
Alternatively, use an unopened bag of frozen peas. This will cool the cheesecake down quickly and after that, you can chill it in the fridge or freezer.
Importance Of Bringing Cheesecake To Room Temperature
Now that we have shared three ways of speeding up the cooling process, we hope you understand the importance of bringing the cheesecake down to room temperature before chilling it.
This will probably take about two hours of standing on a wire rack on the counter. We can assure you that your patience will be rewarded when you take your first bite of the cheesecake!