How To Cool A Cheesecake Quickly (Explanation)

If you've ever made a cheesecake before, you'll know that most recipes want you to let it chill it for hours and hours (sometimes even overnight!).

But waiting isn't for everyone - after all, who wants to have to wait before having a slice of their delicious cheesecake?

Or maybe you're on a tight schedule and don't have the time to spend hours on end waiting for your cheesecake to cool?

Whatever the reason, sometimes you just want to get your cheesecake cooled as quickly as possible.

Luckily, there are actually several ways you can cool your cheesecake quickly without having to let it sit for hours on end!

In this handy guide, we'll take you through the best ways to cool a cheesecake quickly so you can dig in without having to wait. So let's jump right in!

Why Do You Need To Let Your Cheesecake Cool Down?

Letting your cheesecake cool down is an important step in the making of it. There are several reasons why you need to let your cheesecakes cool and chill before you finish them off.

First, letting your cheesecake cool down will allow any air bubbles inside it to rise to the surface.

This means that when you cut into your cheesecake, you won't see any air pockets or cracks in the middle of your cheesecake.

Secondly, if you don't let your cheesecake cool down, the cream cheese may become soft and runny.

And finally, by cooling your cheesecake, you ensure that the filling doesn't melt too much during baking.

How Can You Quickly Cool A Cheesecake?

There are many different methods you can use to speed up the process of cooling your cheesecake.

Here are some of the best methods to use:

Place It Next To A Fan

One of the easiest ways to cool your cheesecake quickly is to place it next to a fan.

Fans blow cold air across the top of your cheesecake which helps to keep the temperature low and steady.

The fans also help to circulate the air around your cheesecake which makes it easier to cool down.

Simply put, placing your cheesecake next to a fan allows you to cool it down faster than if you were to leave it alone.

It will still take a fairly long time, but you'll be looking at 3 to 4 hours of waiting time instead of 12 or more!

Place It In Cold Water

This doesn't mean you should just dump your cheesecake into an ice bath.

Instead, you can use the conductive properties of a metal pan or tray to cool your cheesecake by placing it in a tub of cold water and then placing the cheesecake in its pan inside.

This makes sure that your cheesecake stays completely dry but it is still being cooled by its proximity to the cold water.

All you have to do is wait for 45 minutes to an hour, and your cheesecake should be good to go in the fridge to finish setting for another hour or so.

Best of all, as the cheesecake is surrounded by the cold it means it will cool evenly.

Put It In The Fridge

Normally, you'd have to wait for your cheesecake to cool to room temperature before putting it in the fridge to chill and finish setting.

However, you can speed up this process by putting it in the fridge early.

You should still wait a few minutes after taking it out of the oven so the cheesecake isn't affected by such a fast change in temperature.

Apart from that, though, there shouldn't be any major issues caused by putting your cheesecake in the fridge ahead of schedule.

Leave the cheesecake in the fridge for around 2 to 3 hours in order for it to set.

Put It In The Freezer

If you're really in a rush, you can pop your cheesecake in the freezer instead of the fridge in order to save time.

Just make sure that you remove it from the freezer well before you plan on serving it. Otherwise, you'll end up with a frozen cheesecake rather than one that's set properly.

You also need to avoid leaving it in the freezer for too long as this can affect the consistency of the cheesecake, and let it cool down even more after the oven than you would if you were putting it in the fridge.

While it might seem counterintuitive to leave the cheesecake out of the freezer for longer, putting it in straight away can affect the way your cheesecake sets and even completely ruin it!

Leaving it to cool a bit naturally first avoids this, and because you only need to leave the cheesecake in the freezer for around an hour, it will actually work out faster than a fridge overall.

Make A No-Bake Cheesecake

Why not avoid the issue entirely, and make a no-bake cheesecake?

This take of the recipe only makes a few changes in terms of preparation but completely removes the need for cooling it down.

You'll still need to give it a couple of hours in the fridge to set properly, but you don't need to worry about cooking or cooling times!

With a no-bake cheesecake, you can essentially remove most of the waiting and only have to deal with around 2 or 3 hours of waiting for it to set in the fridge.

No-bake cheesecakes are the perfect alternative to regular ones if you're in a rush.

Final Thoughts

No matter what, you'll need to have a bit of patience when making a cheesecake.

Without getting the proper amount of time to cool and set, your cheesecake can end up being runny or collapse entirely.

Meanwhile, if you try to cool it down too quickly (such as putting it straight into the freezer) then you risk it affecting the texture of the cheesecake or even making it split and crack.

While there are ways you can speed up the process, patience is what your cheesecake really needs at the end of the day.

With that said, however, don't feel like you have to settle for absurd overnight waiting times just so you can enjoy your delicious cheesecake.

By using the methods in this guide, you can massively reduce the time you need to wait for your cheesecake to cool down, cutting your waiting time in half or even into quarters!

So let's not waste our time sitting around for our cheesecake to cool - use these techniques, and your cheesecake will be ready to eat in no time!