In last week’s Gluten-Free Cheesecake with Ginger-Lime Crust & Cherry Sauce, I directed in Step 4 of the instructions, “Hold the pan 1-inch above your work surface and gently drop it 4-5 times to bring any air bubbles in the filling to the surface. (This creates a more uniform interior and a smoother top, as bubbles won’t get trapped or burst during baking.)” While making my cheesecake I recorded a video of this step, since I’m not sure it’s something novice bakers are ever told to do, or why.
Firstly, I counted, and I actually dropped the cheesecake 10 times, so take that into consideration when/if you’re making your own. Secondly, this is something I do to almost all of my slurry-style batters (such as cakes, muffins, or brownies) where the liquid-to-solid ratio leans more heavily towards a fluid suspension. You can actually see bubbles rising and breaking on the surface of the cheesecake in the video. If you’ve ever baked a cake and sliced into it only to find big air pockets and a holey texture, this technique can help. The only time I don’t recommend it is when you’ve folded beaten egg whites into your batter for lift and airiness, as this could deflate the delicate suspension.
Good luck and good cooking!
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