I’m making the Cordon Rose cheesecake later this week, and am debating the best method for cooking it in my AGA. (Obviously, I can’t turn off the oven and let the cake finish cooking as it cools.)

The recipes from the AGA site start in the roasting oven for 15 minutes, then the baking for 30 and simmering for 30. My initial idea was to start in the baking oven, then finish in the simmering or warming oven.

Has anybody perfected AGA timings for Rose’s recipe?

Also - various sources imply that I won’t need the bain marie, as the gentle, steady heat in an AGA prevent cracks from forming in cheesecakes. Would appreciate any insight into pros and cons…

Thanks!

JULIE B:
  Good afternoon & welcome to our baking forum. I will address my self to the last paragraph of your posting. I do not understand the meanings of the 2nd & 3rd
  Julie, yes, there is no requirement that a custard cake be baked in a bain marie. You can employ a pot of hot water on a lower shelf & bake the custard on a higher shelf. That will work.
  Julie I have a strong opinion if it isn’t a hardship for you I would advise you to employ the bain marie method.
If you wish to further discuss custard cakes I will be here.

  Good luck to you my friend & enjoy the rest of the day young lady.

~FRESHKID.

Julie,  I personally wouldn’t bake in the AGA other than bread.  My mother had a Rayburn when we were kids (solid fuel) and the oven was so unpredictable - sometimes cakes where underdone, sometimes burnt, etc.  I think it’s great for bread, roasts, casseroles and things which are pretty forgiving about oven temperature.  You would probably get off with making Rose’s cheescake but ONLY using the bain-marie as that controls the temperature due to water.

What fuel does yours run on?  How accurate do you think the oven temps are?  Do you have an alternative oven?

Annie

Oh, ours is a fabulous cake oven. It’s a 4-oven Everhot (so not exactly an AGA, but close), electric, and the baking oven keeps a really nice, even heat. I can get completely level cakes even without strips.

The cheesecake is finishing off as we speak. I went for 15 minutes in the roasting oven, 30 in baking, 30 in simmering and 30 in warming. In a bain marie. Fingers crossed!

Oh Julie, I ‘m so glad that you have an AGA that is reliable.  Everyone I know who has one has a regular gas or electric oven as well.  If yours is electric I suppose it’s light years away from what I’m thinking about.  Let us know how the cheesecake turns out.

Annie

The cake came out of of the oven perfectly, but did crack when I unmolded it. I think it’s probably because I didn’t let it cool long enough before going in the fridge last night. Simply too tired to wait up. Quick batch of white chocolate, cream cheese buttercream did the trick and made everything beautiful! It got raves at the party tonight, so I will definitely work to perfect that cooling cycle.

I have an AGA, mine is fueled with gas so the heat is continuous and I love it!  I have a cheese cake in the frig now cooling down.  As the oven is so moist, I did not use the water bath.  I went with the first post as far as cooking it- top browned a bit too much, so I took it out of the low left oven and put it on top of the closed hob on the right for a while.  then I left it on the counter covered to make sure it was cooked.  Now it is in frig.  I bought the book “Wheat Belly” by Dr. Davis- fantastic!  I have dropped 11 pounds in about 4 weeks with NO effort.  I highly recommend the book, bought mine on Amazon. So, I wanted to bake something low carb.  I also bought a fantastic cook book called “Low Carbing Among Friends”, has about 5 autors, one is Maria Emmerich who has a cooking website as well.  My cheese cake did not crack in the AGA at all.  In frig. Used recipe from that book, bu thtere are many on the internet.  There are so many advances in low carb eating including flour type things to bake with.  Anyways, just really wanted to say is the AGA recommendations on the first post worked find for me with out the water bath, but the top looks a bit over brown.  that can be taken off before I eat it if I do not like it, so I won’t bother with a topping.  I have fresh strawberries and peaches- may make some fruit toppings which are my favorite anyways.  Mrs. Ratfire