Help With Cheesecake Issues

Gents, I am a bit disappointed in my last two American style cheesecakes. Both turned out moist, great flavour and all that but both had the dreaded split in the middle. I am a bit miffed about this for two reasons. First, I don't like it. Second, I have made the same basic recipe for years and never had the cracking issue. So what's changed? Nothing physically. Same pans, same range/oven, same brand of ingredients, etc. About the only thing I can think of is technique. Too much air beat in whilst mixing or something similar.

Here's the basics lifted directly from JoyofBaking.com I really love that site. Good stuff.

4 -8oz. packages of cream cheese/not low fat(room temperature)
1 - cup granulated sugar
3 Tbsp. all purpose flour

5 large eggs(room temperature)
1/3 cup cream(room temperature)
vanilla extract to taste but it recommends a teaspoon I think

Topping of 1 cup sour cream or creme fraiche, 2 Tbsp sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla extract. I mix all this together and let it sit on counter to come to room temp whilst the cake bakes.

With mixer cream the four packages of cream, flour, and sugar til smooth. I use next to lowest speed for a minute or two. Add eggs one at a time and mix each til the yellow of the yolk just disappears. On the last addition of egg I also add the cream and vanilla extract and blend til just mixed. Pour into prepared spring form pan and bake on a quarter baking sheet at 350F for 15 minutes. Drop temperature to 250F and bake another 60-90 minutes. I never let it go that long. I check it at around 65 minutes(initial 15 at higher initial temp plus 50 minutes more at 250) and when the center just jiggles like it is semi liquid I add the topping cook 15 minutes more.

Usually this makes a perfect cake. Lately though it develops a bad crack in the middle. Too much cook time? Oven off calibration and too hot? I need to check it and have a new multimeter with a thermocouple I could hang in the oven to check but I am not really having too much issue with other dishes. I wonder if it would be a good idea to find some way to give the raw batter a good shaking or vibration to make sure air bubble settle out the top before pouring and baking? Ideas?

I use a similar recipe but bake at a constant temp. Never had a crack. Two things causes cracks - over baking and under baking. I'm thinking that you may be under baking due to the "semi-liquid" criteria you are using. Often I crack the oven door at the end of bake and let it cool down in the oven. Some say that is good way to avoid cracks.

Your technique sounds good to me. I mix slow like you describe and avoid most air bubbles. But some are inevitable. Try tapping the pan on the counter and pop any bubbles that rise. Then bake.

Question: no crust?

PS. Joy of Baking is a great site. Been using it for years. Their videos are a wonderful addition to recipes that seem flawless.

Brian, right after I posted I started searching and found the recommendation to set the oven door ajar and let it cool down with oven off for an hour or so before removing the cake. I am also seeing a lot of recommendations to cook in a water bath. For spring pans you need to use heavy duty aluminium foil and possibly two layer. A soggy cheesecake is no one's treat. Thanks for the nice reply.

Also, the cake is not underbaked as far as I can tell. Absolutely no pudding type centre. I think I may actually be over cooking a tad. The slightly squidgy centre is actually going to bake up from the residual heat anyway. Irregardless, the next time will see both a water bath and oven door ajar cooling. Couldn't hurt.

Sounds like a good plan. No matter, it will taste good.

Alternative: try my time-tested recipe.

1cup graham cracker crumb
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted

Mix and press into 9 inch springform
Brown in 325 oven and cool

Mix until smooth:
1 pound cream cheese
1-1/2 cup sour cream
2 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Pour into pan and tap out bubbles

Bake 45 min at 325 degrees. Note: no water bath.

Under broiler brown the top. Cool and refrigerate 4 to 24 hours.

Very plain but rich. I've won local awards with this. Not my recipe - adapted from Geoff Smith, The Frugal Gourmet (RIP)

I have a theory... Completely untested of course: cheesecake with thickeners (flour) tend to crack more than cheesecakes without. Am I crazy or do you think this theory has merit?

Here is a recipe from a very trusted source, but I haven't tried it. I keep going back to my 3 old reliable recipes.

http://joepastry.com/2010/new_york_cheesecake_recipe/

Brian, more great responses. Thank you again.

I had not thought about the flour thickener but it could certainly be suspect. And good call on Jeff. smith. The Frug had his issues (seriously folks, issues) but he was a hoot to watch.

One last thing. I erroneously said I had not changed anything Vis a vis the recipe. Yet indeed, there is a wildcard here that I had forgotten about. A number of months ago I watched an old video of Jacques Pepin making cheesecakes. He simply dusted the buttered spring form with finely crushed graham crackers like you would dust a regular cake pan.

For me this is now the ONLY way to prepare a cheesecake crust. I really didn't like the butter and crumb packed crusts most of these cakes call for. They always came out hard and too crunchy and I simply don't like it. The dusted crust makes a delicate and moist barrier to finish off the cake. But after reading your posts and thoughts I wonder if the thicker crust provided a bit of a heat barrier on the bottom and the thinner amount of material is allowing a slightly faster cook time? Thoughts?

Don't you use a water bath to bake cheesecake in ?

When my cheesecake cracks its due to over cooking, i usually cook at 325 till center is jiggly and shut off oven and let it sit another 20 mins, it usually rises a bit, even golden browns and then settles down w no cracks.