Winter Cheesecake Problems: Know The Fixes And Tips and Tricks

Written by jheelum basu | January 18, 2026

Some desserts know how to please the taste buds effortlessly. Cheesecakes indeed are one of them. Be it a dessert menu at a fancy restaurant or a simple homebaking spree, cheesecakes fit every occasion. Known for its lusciously creamy texture paired with a sweet-tangy flavor profile and a crunchy base, cheesecakes are everyone’s absolute favorite.

While the name has ‘cake’ in it, there is nothing quite like a cake in this delicious dessert. Instead of a grainy, moist cake, the filling is full of cream cheese and sour cream. It sounds heavy, but the texture is extremely light.

However, baking cheesecake in winter comes with some challenges. While most cheesecake recipes feature similar ingredients (graham crackers, butter, sugar, eggs, cream cheese, sour cream, lemon zest, vanilla essence), there are a few winter cheesecake problems. Therefore, before planning a cheesecake baking session, one should know the things to consider for cheesecake baking during winter.

How Does Winter Affect Cheesecake Baking?

While cheesecakes are one of the most comforting desserts, winter brings in several seasonal inconveniences in terms of baking them. The mercury drop is mostly behind all the problems. Cold ingredients leading to sunken cheesecakes, sudden temperature shifts, rapid cooling, dryness, lumpy batter, the list of winter cheesecake problems is actually quite extensive. Here’s a comprehensive guide to the problems and their possible solutions to know before jumping into a cheesecake baking spree.

Top 5 Cheesecake Baking Problems In Winter

1. Cracked cheesecake due to rapid cooling

Temperature shift plays a big role in cracking cheesecakes. This happens when a freshly baked, hot cheesecake is removed from the oven and exposed to the cold kitchen air straight away. This sudden temperature shock causes fissures in the surface.

Solution:

To avoid cracks on cheesecake, allow it to cool gradually. Once baking is over, turn off the oven, open the oven door, and leave the cheesecake inside to cool slowly. This helps the cheesecake to adjust to the room temperature gradually, instead of a sudden temperature shock that ruins the texture.

2. Sunken cheesecake due to cold ingredients

Nobody wants a sunken cheesecake. During winter, cold ingredients often jeopardise the attempts. Cold ingredients take a lot of time to mix well, which whips excess air into the batter. This causes the cheesecake to rise too much in the oven, and when it cools, the center of the cake sinks.

Solution:

The best way to deal with this problem is to let all the ingredients come to room temperature. Make sure the ingredients are added one by one, and not all at once. This lets the cheesecake set firmly and ensures a lovely texture.

3. Lumpy batter

Cold ingredients like cream cheese, sour cream, eggs, and butter do not mix smoothly and often cause lumps in the batter. These lumps often affect the smooth texture of the finished cheesecake.

Solution:

Using ingredients at room temperature is ideal to get rid of this problem. To ensure the right temperature of the ingredients, take them out of the refrigerator in advance before mixing the batter.

4. Dry cheesecake

Winter often causes dry cheesecakes. Dry baking often stems from a lack of humidity, overmixing the cheesecake batter, and overbaking it. Indoor heating and running thermostats also contribute to dry air conditions, which eventually lead to dry cheesecakes.

Solution:

To ensure enough humidity, opt for a water bath. This creates a moist and humid cooking environment, which bakes the cheesecake evenly and prevents the surface from drying out.

5. Runny texture for using cold, low-fat ingredients

Cheesecakes are all about rich, creamy textures made with high-quality ingredients. Using cold, low-fat dairy ingredients often leads to a runny batter, as they refuse to blend well.

Solution:

For best results, always stick to full-fat cream cheese, sour cream, or heavy cream.

5 General Tips & Tricks To Bake Cheesecake In Winter

• Avoid overmixing cheesecake batter: To achieve the desired consistency, avoid overmixing the cheesecake batter. Mix the ingredients until they are just combined. Overmixing also incorporates excess air, which makes the cake expand during baking and contracts during cooling. This causes cracks and a sunken texture.
• Don't open the oven door: To avoid a sudden temperature shock, avoid opening the oven door frequently. This creates a temperature fluctuation as the oven is hot, while the external winter air is cold. This temperature shock often leads to cracks.
• Check doneness with the ‘jiggle test’: It is important to check the doneness of the cheesecake to avoid dryness and cracks. Ideally, the cheesecake is considered done when the edges are set, but the center still shows a slight jiggle.
• Avoid overbaking: This is crucial as overbaking leads to a dry, crumbly texture. Overbaking also strips the moisture content of the cheesecake. Stop baking if the cake ripples and jiggles, cause that is the desired texture of a cheesecake.
• Let it cool inside the pan: Let the cheesecake cool slowly. Initially, keep the cheesecake inside the springform pan only. Don't remove it from the pan until it's been refrigerated overnight. This sets the cake well.

Conclusion:

While winter is all about warmth, comfort, and indulgence, don’t let the seasonal changes ruin the cheesecakes. To ensure the cake is not dry and not cracked on top, make sure all the above-mentioned winter cheesecake problems are taken into account.