Adoree: The "sinking in" of cheesecakes is due to the incorporation of air into the batter. The more air incorporated into the batter, the more it will expand and rise while being baked in the oven, but the moment the cheesecake is taken out of the oven, the trapped air will be expelled since the batter does not have enough ‘structure’ to hold the air in. The secret to a level cheesecake is to beat the batter at a very low speed in a minimal amount of time, especially if the batter contains a relatively large amount of eggs, milk, and cream. These ingredients, when whipped, trap air. Be sure to use cream cheese at room temperature for ease in beating it with the liquid ingredients.

Jun Jun: Yes, whatever my partner Adoree said is true. Make sure that, as much as possible, you do very little mixing, so that less air is incorporated into the mixture. More care should be taken when mixing it after the eggs are added, since they can actually trap so much air that your cheesecake will puff out big and later lose its puffiness when it comes out of the oven. When baking cheesecakes, it is important to have everything at room temperature, especially the cream cheese, since this is always stored in the refrigerator. Keep cream cheese at room temperature for at least two hours before actual use.

Adoree: Cooling cheesecakes that are relatively low in fat in an oven that’s been recently turned off, instead of at room temperature, ensures that the milk, cream, and egg proteins, which have set into a creamy custard, do not contract and separate, as this results in a grainy and watery cheesecake. Cheesecakes, when cooled drastically, can turn grainy and watery, so if you want to prevent this from happening, you can leave the cheesecakes to cool gradually in an oven that’s been turned off.

Jun Jun: Since some cheesecakes have very little flour in them, they can actually crack when there is a sudden change of temperature, so cooling them with this method will result in a nice and even-looking cheesecake. However, due to time pressure, this is rarely done. Since most cheesecakes are baked in a bain marie, just let them cool with the bain marie. This ensures slow and gradual cooling that happens even at room temperature.

Adoree: Storing baked cheesecakes in the freezer is OK, especially if you will not be able to consume the whole thing in a couple of days. However, certain precautions have to be taken so that the cheesecake will still be in perfect condition even after a month or two. Be sure to tightly wrap the cheesecake (which has been completely cooled and chilled to set) in aluminum foil; then, put it in an airtight container before storing it in the freezer. Before serving, thaw it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours or overnight. For refrigerator cheesecakes or the no-bake ones, I don’t think storing them in the freezer is possible. Since these cheesecakes contain more liquid compared to the baked variety, freezing then thawing them before serving will just make them grainy and watery.

Jun Jun: I don’t like freezing cheesecake since whatever air is present is trapped in it and its packaging becomes watery, thus affecting the texture and the look of the cheese cake. So just make enough cheesecake for the whole family to eat. You can store the cheesecake for up to four to five days in the refrigerator. If it lasts longer than that, then you don’t have a good recipe, and you’ll have to search for a new one. Refrigerator-type cheesecakes are the type I like to freeze, since they become the consistency of ice cream, and when thawed properly, they return to their former texture, believe me. I do this all the time.

Adoree: Fe, there are several reasons why this happens. First, you might have underbaked your cheesecake. Usually, recipes will say that the cheesecake will be ready in about 45 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes, depending on the size and height of the cheesecake. However, it is really not advisable to rely on the time stated in the recipe because, for starters, we have different ovens and they behave differently. It’s still better to check the cheesecake’s doneness by shaking the pan gently. When a cheesecake is completely cooked, a 2-inch to 3-inch circle in the center will still be wobbly and shaky, and it will look undercooked. Another possible reason is overbaking. Again, don’t be scared to take out the cheesecake from the oven as soon as you see that only the 2- to 3-inch circle in the center is shaking. Don’t wait for the whole cheesecake to set before taking it out. Lastly, the protein from the eggs, cream, and milk might have contracted; this results in the liquid portion of your cheesecake. To prevent this, you can turn off the oven and let the cheesecake rest inside it one hour after baking. Then, remove the cheesecake from the oven and refrigerate for several hours or overnight before unmolding from the pan.

Jun Jun: Yes, you might have underbaked your cheese cake since you thought it was already baked, hehe…I would still use the toothpick test to find out if my cheese cake is ready. Of course, the toothpick won’t come out clear; it will have a few crumbs attached to it. You have to refrigerate your cheesecake for at least 4 to 5 hours after it has cooled, so that it becomes more solid and dense, and the flavor intensifies.