Basque cheesecake overburned

[Sussan Estela Olaya]

Hi Todor.
Thank you for sharing your experience. What you’re describing is actually a fairly common issue when baking cheesecakes, especially when switching from a home oven to a professional convection oven.
First, it might not be a problem with your recipe, but rather with the calibration or setup of your oven. In many ovens (even professional ones), the top heating element or the fan can produce more heat than expected, causing the top to brown too quickly before the inside is fully cooked. I’d recommend checking the actual oven temperature with an independent thermometer, since the display often doesn’t reflect the real internal temperature.

Here are a few tips to improve your results when baking in a convection oven:

▪️Lower the temperature:Convection speeds up cooking and browns the surface faster, so try lowering the temperature to around 200°C or even 190°C, especially if the fan is strong.

▪️Reduce convection settings:If your oven allows you to adjust the fan speed, go with the lowest setting, or even turn off the fan if possible. Too much air circulation can dry out and over-brown the surface.

▪️Use a protective tray or foil:You can lightly cover the top of the cheesecake with foil halfway through baking (don’t seal it completely) to shield it from direct heat.

▪️Adjust the oven rack position:

Place the cake on a lower rack, farther away from the top heating element, to avoid premature browning.

▪️Timing adjustment:Baking for 30 minutes at 220°C with convection is quite intense. With the adjustments above, you may need 35 to 45 minutes at 190–200°C, depending on the density of your mix and your specific oven.

I hope these tips help fine-tune your baking process and improve the final result. If your recipe is already solid, a few technical adjustments should be all you need to achieve the perfect cheesecake.

If you have any more questions, I’ll be happy to help.

Best regards.