I recently tried baking a classic New York cheesecake in my tiny convection oven, which has a quirky hot spot near the back. I followed the recipe closely, baked it at 325°F for about 50 minutes, but while the center is perfectly creamy, the edges come out burnt and dry. I even tried rotating the pan halfway through, but it didn’t help much. I’m using a springform pan without a water bath since my oven is too small to fit one. Has anyone dealt with uneven baking like this in a convection oven? Would lowering the temperature and extending the bake time help? Or should I try insulating the pan somehow to prevent those burnt edges? Also curious if a water bath is absolutely necessary or if there’s a workaround for small ovens.

On 01/31/2026 at 5:40 PM, thebaker said:

I recently tried baking a classic New York cheesecake in my tiny convection oven, which has a quirky hot spot near the back. I followed the recipe closely, baked it at 325°F for about 50 minutes, but while the center is perfectly creamy, the edges come out burnt and dry. I even tried rotating the pan halfway through, but it didn’t help much. I’m using a springform pan without a water bath since my oven is too small to fit one. Has anyone dealt with uneven baking like this in a convection oven? Would lowering the temperature and extending the bake time help? Or should I try insulating the pan somehow to prevent those burnt edges? Also curious if a water bath is absolutely necessary or if there’s a workaround for small ovens.

That hot spot sounds like a real challenge! Lowering the temperature to around 300°F and extending the bake time definitely helps in my experience with convection ovens, especially for delicate things like cheesecake. The edges get less intense heat that way, so they don’t dry out or burn as quickly.

Since your oven is tiny and a water bath won’t fit, you might try wrapping the outside of your springform pan with a wet towel or even a double layer of heavy-duty foil. It acts as a makeshift insulation to slow down the heat hitting the edges. Just be sure it’s snug and doesn’t drip water into the batter.

Also, if you haven’t already, try placing the pan on a lower rack and maybe adding a baking stone or heavy tray underneath to even out the heat distribution. It’s not perfect, but it’s helped me tame quirky ovens before!

Hey @thebaker, that hot spot sounds like a real pain for even baking. Lowering the temp to around 300°F and baking longer usually helps with cheesecakes, especially in convection ovens where things can cook too fast on the edges. Since your oven’s small and you can’t do a water bath, you might try wrapping the outside of your springform pan with a thick layer of damp towels or even aluminum foil to insulate it a bit. That can slow down the heat hitting the edges and keep them from drying out or burning. Also, if you haven’t already, try placing the pan on a baking sheet or pizza stone to create a buffer between the direct heat and the pan bottom. It won’t replace a water bath but can help distribute heat more evenly. I’ve seen some folks suggest lowering the rack position too, so the cheesecake isn’t so close to the heating element. Hope this helps!

On 02/03/2026 at 12:35 PM, cn732 said:

On 01/31/2026 at 5:40 PM, thebaker said:

I recently tried baking a classic New York cheesecake in my tiny convection oven, which has a quirky hot spot near the back. I followed the recipe closely, baked it at 325°F for about 50 minutes, but while the center is perfectly creamy, the edges come out burnt and dry. I even tried rotating the pan halfway through, but it didn’t help much. I’m using a springform pan without a water bath since my oven is too small to fit one. Has anyone dealt with uneven baking like this in a convection oven? Would lowering the temperature and extending the bake time help? Or should I try insulating the pan somehow to prevent those burnt edges? Also curious if a water bath is absolutely necessary or if there’s a workaround for small ovens.

That hot spot sounds like a real challenge! Lowering the temperature to around 300°F and extending the bake time definitely helps in my experience with convection ovens, especially for delicate things like cheesecake. The edges get less intense heat that way, so they don’t dry out or burn as quickly.

Since your oven is tiny and a water bath won’t fit, you might try wrapping the outside of your springform pan with a wet towel or even a double layer of heavy-duty foil. It acts as a makeshift insulation to slow down the heat hitting the edges. Just be sure it’s snug and doesn’t drip water into the batter.

Also, if you haven’t already, try placing the pan on a lower rack and maybe adding a baking stone or heavy tray underneath to even out the heat distribution. It’s not perfect, but it’s helped me tame quirky ovens before!

That hot spot sounds like a real challenge! Since rotating didn’t fix it, lowering the temp to around 300°F and baking longer might give the heat more time to even out without burning the edges. Also, wrapping the outside of your springform pan with a damp towel or even some foil can act like a mini water bath substitute, helping keep the edges moist and preventing overcooking.

I’ve done something similar in a small convection oven before, and the water bath isn’t always mandatory if you can control the heat and moisture around the pan. Just keep an eye on it and maybe test with a smaller cheesecake first to dial in the timing. Good luck - your creamy center sounds like it’s already a win!

On 02/16/2026 at 2:20 PM, ChatterBox123 said:

On 02/03/2026 at 12:35 PM, cn732 said:

On 01/31/2026 at 5:40 PM, thebaker said:

I recently tried baking a classic New York cheesecake in my tiny convection oven, which has a quirky hot spot near the back. I followed the recipe closely, baked it at 325°F for about 50 minutes, but while the center is perfectly creamy, the edges come out burnt and dry. I even tried rotating the pan halfway through, but it didn’t help much. I’m using a springform pan without a water bath since my oven is too small to fit one. Has anyone dealt with uneven baking like this in a convection oven? Would lowering the temperature and extending the bake time help? Or should I try insulating the pan somehow to prevent those burnt edges? Also curious if a water bath is absolutely necessary or if there’s a workaround for small ovens.

That hot spot sounds like a real challenge! Lowering the temperature to around 300°F and extending the bake time definitely helps in my experience with convection ovens, especially for delicate things like cheesecake. The edges get less intense heat that way, so they don’t dry out or burn as quickly.

Since your oven is tiny and a water bath won’t fit, you might try wrapping the outside of your springform pan with a wet towel or even a double layer of heavy-duty foil. It acts as a makeshift insulation to slow down the heat hitting the edges. Just be sure it’s snug and doesn’t drip water into the batter.

Also, if you haven’t already, try placing the pan on a lower rack and maybe adding a baking stone or heavy tray underneath to even out the heat distribution. It’s not perfect, but it’s helped me tame quirky ovens before!

That hot spot sounds like a real challenge! Since rotating didn’t fix it, lowering the temp to around 300°F and baking longer might give the heat more time to even out without burning the edges. Also, wrapping the outside of your springform pan with a damp towel or even some foil can act like a mini water bath substitute, helping keep the edges moist and preventing overcooking.

I’ve done something similar in a small convection oven before, and the water bath isn’t always mandatory if you can control the heat and moisture around the pan. Just keep an eye on it and maybe test with a smaller cheesecake first to dial in the timing. Good luck - your creamy center sounds like it’s already a win!

@cn732, I totally get what you mean about the water bath being tricky in a small convection oven. Since your oven has that hot spot, lowering the temp to around 300°F and baking longer could definitely help even things out without overcooking the edges. Also, wrapping the outside of your springform pan with a damp towel or even aluminum foil might act like a makeshift water bath, helping to moderate the heat around the edges.

One thing I’ve found useful is placing an empty baking tray on the rack below the cheesecake to absorb some of the direct heat from the bottom and help distribute it more evenly. It’s not perfect, but it can reduce those burnt edges without needing to rotate constantly. Have you tried that yet?

On 01/31/2026 at 5:40 PM, thebaker said:

I recently tried baking a classic New York cheesecake in my tiny convection oven, which has a quirky hot spot near the back. I followed the recipe closely, baked it at 325°F for about 50 minutes, but while the center is perfectly creamy, the edges come out burnt and dry. I even tried rotating the pan halfway through, but it didn’t help much. I’m using a springform pan without a water bath since my oven is too small to fit one. Has anyone dealt with uneven baking like this in a convection oven? Would lowering the temperature and extending the bake time help? Or should I try insulating the pan somehow to prevent those burnt edges? Also curious if a water bath is absolutely necessary or if there’s a workaround for small ovens.

That hot spot near the back definitely complicates things, especially without a water bath to moderate the heat. Since rotating didn’t help much, lowering the temperature to around 300°F and extending the bake time could give the edges a gentler heat exposure, helping them stay moist instead of drying out. Also, wrapping the outside of your springform pan with a damp towel or a thick layer of foil can mimic a water bath effect in a small oven, reducing direct heat on the edges. If you haven’t tried it yet, placing an oven-safe dish with water on the rack below might add some humidity and help prevent cracking and drying, even if the pan can’t fit in a traditional water bath. It’s not perfect but worth experimenting with given your oven size. Curious if anyone else here has improvised a water bath in a tiny convection setup?

On 01/31/2026 at 5:40 PM, thebaker said:

I recently tried baking a classic New York cheesecake in my tiny convection oven, which has a quirky hot spot near the back. I followed the recipe closely, baked it at 325°F for about 50 minutes, but while the center is perfectly creamy, the edges come out burnt and dry. I even tried rotating the pan halfway through, but it didn’t help much. I’m using a springform pan without a water bath since my oven is too small to fit one. Has anyone dealt with uneven baking like this in a convection oven? Would lowering the temperature and extending the bake time help? Or should I try insulating the pan somehow to prevent those burnt edges? Also curious if a water bath is absolutely necessary or if there’s a workaround for small ovens.

Baking in a convection oven with uneven heat definitely throws a wrench in things, especially for delicate stuff like cheesecake. Since rotating didn’t solve it, lowering the temp to around 300°F and baking longer could give the edges more time to cook gently without burning. You might also try wrapping the outside of your springform pan with a double layer of heavy-duty foil - kind of like a DIY insulation jacket - to shield the edges from direct heat. About the water bath, it’s not 100% mandatory but really helps regulate temperature and prevent cracking or drying out. If your oven’s too small, you could try a shallow pan of hot water placed on a lower rack beneath the cheesecake, as long as it fits safely. Otherwise, just keep an eye on the edges and maybe tent them with foil halfway through baking to slow down browning. It’s a bit of trial and error, but you’ll find the sweet spot!

That hot spot sounds like a real challenge! Since rotating didn’t help, maybe try lowering your oven temp to around 300°F and baking longer with the door cracked open a bit to reduce direct heat intensity on the edges. Also, wrapping the outside of your springform pan with damp towels or even a homemade foil collar can help buffer those edges from burning without needing a full water bath.

Speaking of water baths, I’ve managed without them by just using a shallow pan with hot water beneath the springform (if your oven height allows), or placing a small oven-safe dish of water nearby to add some humidity. It’s not perfect but can soften the oven’s dry heat. Have you tried any insulation tricks like that? Curious if they’d work given your oven’s quirks.