Help me make a tall cheesecake.

January 24, 2008 12:28 AM

Where can I find a 5- to 6-inch deep springform pan?

I've recently been given a great recipe for a New York-style cheesecake. It's perfectly fine when baked in a 3-inch deep, 9-inch in diameter springform pan. However, the recipe would be optimal if I could bake it in a deeper pan—5- to 6-inches in depth is traditional for this style of cheesecake. To keep the recipe unaltered, I'd prefer a pan that's somewhere around 6-inches in diameter as well, but, considering the difficulty I'm having finding any pan at these depths, I'm open to all options.

posted by tihleigh to food & drink (10 answers total)

Lots of tall springforms at Fante's.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 1:22 AM on January 24, 2008

...and yet unless I've overlooked the 5-6" selection, #98412, at 3-3/4" deep, appears to be the deepest they offer.
posted by mumkin at 1:27 AM on January 24, 2008

How about building a ring out of heavy card stock to fit inside a shallower pan then line the pan with parchment or foil?
posted by squeak at 2:17 AM on January 24, 2008

...and yet unless I've overlooked the 5-6" selection, #98412, at 3-3/4" deep, appears to be the deepest they offer.

You're right, sorry about that.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 2:45 AM on January 24, 2008

You could buy 2, and figure out a way to make a super tall one out of 2 of the springform selections.

IN theory you can use a silicone sealant as long as it's heat and food stable (like the silicon cookware).
posted by Lord_Pall at 3:17 AM on January 24, 2008

Or make 2 short cheesecakes and stick them together. Save some extra cheese stuff to fill the gaps and quick bake to make sure it stays together.

I'm curious if a 6" tall cheesecake has enough structureal strength to stay together though.
posted by Lord_Pall at 3:18 AM on January 24, 2008

One drawback of a very deep springform is when the sides comes off, some of the cake can too. It's often easier to use something you can put inside the pan, and peel off slowly. Use a ring of silicone-coated baking paper to build up the sides.
posted by methylsalicylate at 4:21 AM on January 24, 2008

I'd say you might try a seven-inch round springform like this, which is about 4" deep.

You might also try a Charlotte mold. They're specifically for puddings and custards, but I bet a cheesecake would work because they are typically made out of the same lightweight aluminum or tin as your typical springform pan.

On a general note, the deeper your pan is, the more you run the risk of the outside of your cake drying out and cracking before the inside is fully baked. That's why I'd stick with a smaller circumference pan. Also, I'd have my doubts about using a parchment or silicone collar of some sort - those are typically used to contain cakes that rise to a certain level during baking; they might be a bit of a mess to try to use to contain cake batter from the start.

If you'd like, you can always call a company like Chicago Metallic and talk about a special order. They're one of the more popular commercial and home bakeware suppliers going, and I've quickly perused their catalogue and it doesn't seem they offer a pan that deep as a matter of course. You can check out their full catalogue from their site, but be prepared - it's a pretty large PDF.
posted by TryTheTilapia at 6:25 AM on January 24, 2008

I'd suggest buying a traditional cake pan of the desired depth. When we had our bakery all our cheesecakes were baked this way -- we never used springform pans. Much easier and less mess.

Spray the pan with Pam and place a round of parchment paper on the bottom and make your cheesecake. Bake it in a water bath until it's done. Let it cool completely. You can even refrigerate it overnight.

When you're ready to take it out, find a larger pan the cheesecake pan will fit into. Fill it with boiling water. Carefully run a knife around the side of the cheesecake, then set the pan containing the cake into the pan of hot water. The water should come up about 3/4 of the pan. Let it sit in the water for 30 - 60 seconds. Then flip the cake out onto a cake board or plate. It'll come out slowly, so be patient. Flip it over and you've got your cheesecake.

I did this hundreds of times. The biggest thing to look out for is gouging the sides of the cheesecake with the knife.
posted by Atom12 at 6:29 AM on January 24, 2008 [1 favorite]

When you're ready to take it out, find a larger pan the cheesecake pan will fit into. Fill it with boiling water. Carefully run a knife around the side of the cheesecake, then set the pan containing the cake into the pan of hot water. The water should come up about 3/4 of the pan.

If you do this, keep in mind that the boiling water in the larger pan should be pretty shallow before you put your cheesecake pan into it. If you measure 3/4 up the side of your cheesecake pan and make the boiling water that deep, you'll end up spilling boiling water into the top of your cheesecake when you drop the one pan into the other. Displacement and all that, you know. (Should be obvious, but you learn these things well when you're not paying attention the first time...)
posted by vytae at 6:47 AM on January 24, 2008