Those that bake often know that cheesecakes can be tricky. It’s not that they’re challenging to make or require rare or high-end ingredients.
Instead, it’s that cheesecakes like to be prepared, baked, and cooled in a particular manner, and stepping outside the lines might get you in trouble in baking terms.
If you don’t make a cheesecake correctly, you’ll notice it cracks, comes out dry, or has difficulty baking in the middle.
Cheesecakes are notoriously difficult to cool because they’re thick and spend the better part of an hour in the oven.
So, if you’re wondering how to cool a cheesecake quickly, we’ve got an answer or two for you, though it’s best to let a cheesecake cool at its own pace.
How to Cool a Cheesecake Quickly
The fastest way to cool a cheesecake is to use a portable fan. Cheesecakes have to come down to room temperature before they’re placed in the refrigerator or freezer, and a portable fan speeds up this process. To cool your cheesecake quickly, remove it from the oven when it’s done baking, place it on top of a wire cooling rack, and allow the fan, which should be directed at the cheesecake, to blow horizontally over the top of the cake. While it won’t cool it right away, it will speed up cooling time by 30 to 40 percent.
Cheesecake Cooling Methods
When it comes to how to cool a cheesecake quickly, there are a few methods out there that come highly recommended by many bakers and food bloggers.
However, there aren’t any super-quick ways to take a cheesecake from hot to cool in less than 40 minutes or so, depending on the size of your cheesecake.
If you’ve got a party to go to and you’re short on time, make sure you give your cheesecake plenty of time to cool!
The Portable Fan
A portable table fan is your best option for speeding up the cheesecake cooling process, primarily when placed on a wire rack that allows for additional ventilation.
Once set on the cooling rack, point your table fan directly at the cheesecake, allowing it to blow air over it horizontally.
The airflow on top and ventilation under the pan will exponentially speed up your cooling time. If your cheesecake is large, it will take longer to cool.
Once your cheesecake has come to room temperature, you can utilize other methods to help it chill out!
Freeze or Refrigerate
Once your cheesecake has cooled down to room temperature using your portable fan, you can place it in the freezer or refrigerator, depending on how long you’d like it to take to chill.
Take care to ensure that your cheesecake is at room temperature before adding cold temps, as going from hot to cold will ruin the structural integrity of your cheesecake, and it will likely collapse.
It won’t take long in the refrigerator or freezer to cool, so keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t freeze solid. Make sure you cover it before moving it into the cold as well.
A Wire Rack
A wire rack is the original baked-good cooling apparatus. With simple yet sufficient ventilation, a wire rack will speed up the cheesecake cooling process.
If you don’t have a portable fan handy, take your cheesecake out of the oven and move it directly to a wire rack.
Since the traditional method of baking a cheesecake involves a hot water bath, many people turn off the oven and crack open the door to let their cheesecakes (and the piping hot water surrounding it) cool.
While this is the best way to do it to ensure that your cheesecake stays in its best form structurally, it takes forever.
I completely understand if you don’t have the time, and I prefer the portable fan and wire rack combination to cool my cheesecakes quickly and efficiently.
Try a No-Bake Cheesecake
If you’re in a pinch time-wise, or you’re super impatient, you could try a no-bake cheesecake instead of a traditional cheesecake.
No-bake cheesecakes do not require an oven, but they do have to chill for quite a while, so you’ll still want to leave yourself ample time.
However, they leave the oven open, which is nice if you’re entertaining or need your range available to cook!
How to Cool a Cheesecake Quickly
Because cheesecakes take a long time to cool, it’s only natural that most people wonder if it’s possible to cool them at a faster rate.
Can I cool my cheesecake faster?
The best way to cool a cheesecake faster than traditional methods is to place it on a wire rack and point a portable table fan at it, ensuring the air blows over the top horizontally. This method will cool it 30 to 40 percent faster. You can also put it on a wire rack.
Can I put my cheesecake in the refrigerator or freezer to cool?
You can put it in either place to chill, but you’ll want first to bring it to room temperature. If you don’t, you’ll have issues with your cheesecake falling in the center.
Properly Cooling a Cheesecake
Unfortunately, there is not a super-quick fix for cooling a cheesecake.
Though there are faster methods, they still take a bit of time.
So, if you’re in charge of dessert for any party or event and decide to bring a cheesecake, give yourself plenty of time to let it cool.