Hi, I wanna have a bake sale but a problem I'm having is releasing cheesecake from pan without breaking,cracking,etc...How do I prevent this from happening?

Thanks for your email, Bridget. Here are a couple of responses from the Food staff:

- When mixing the eggs into the batter be sure not to over beat them. This could cause the cheesecake to rise as it bakes, then fall as it cools sometimes forming cracks as it pulls from the sides of the pan while cooling. You can also run a pairing knife between the pan and the crust after you remove your cheesecake from the oven to prevent cracks in the cake.

- I would make sure the cheesecake is well chilled or frozen if at all possible. The bonus is she can make it ahead and freeze the cheese cake 1 month out to get a jump start.

- There are several measures you can take to prevent cracks in a cheesecake. Baked cheesecakes should jiggle in the middle when removing from the oven. Carryover cooking will complete the baking process because it will firm the middle as it cools. One major factor for all bakers is to really know your oven. If your oven tends to run hot you need to reduce your oven temperature by 25 degrees in reference to the temperature of the recipe you are following. Also, if you are not using a water bath this can prevent cracks from occurring because of the moisture released in the oven when using this method.

- Run a knife or offset spatula around the sides of the cheesecake as soon as it comes out of the oven. If the sides are attached and the the cake cools it can cause cracking.

Hope this helps. Have a great day. Scott

I am looking for the ISB for a cookbook from Southern Living. I think it is called Southern Living Quick and Easy Recipes. It has a picture of shortcake/poundcake and peaches on the front cover. Can anyone help me out? Thanks!

Thank you, Paula, for your query on Southern Living Quick and Easy. The ISBN-13 i s 978-0-8487-3250-9. It can be purchased at wholesale clubs.