Cast Iron American Cheesecake

Cheesecake is usually where the water bath feels non-negotiable. It’s built into the method. Wrap the pan, lower it into hot water, hope nothing leaks, and trust that it all works out in the oven. That’s the part that stops people. This is the recipe that made us question it.

After testing flan and crème brûlée without a water bath, we wanted to see if the same approach would hold up with another custardy, delicate classic. Cheesecake felt like the right place to push it.

Spoiler alert: it worked.

No water bath. No need for a springform pan or any other single-use bakeware. Just one skillet that goes from oven to table.

Why skip the water bath

A water bath is there to even out heat and keep the custard from overcooking.

Cast iron already does that. Because it heats slowly and holds temperature, it creates a more stable environment from the start. Instead of adding water to buffer the heat, you lower the oven temperature and let the pan do the work.

We bake this low and slow at 225°F, covering the skillet tightly with foil and piercing a few small holes across the top. The foil traps just enough steam to keep the surface from drying out, while the low heat keeps the custard smooth and evenly set.

No extra pan. No boiling water. No guesswork.

Field Notes

• Custards reward precision. A probe thermometer takes the guesswork out. We are aiming for 150°F in the center for cheesecake.

• Ovens vary more than you think. An oven thermometer helps you understand your actual temperature, not just what the dial says. 

*adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction