Frequently Asked Questions

Do you take the filling out of the Oreos before using them?

Unless otherwise specified, I do not. I leave the filling in (the best part of the Oreo!) – even in crusts. Because of the filling, I use less butter in the crust.

Do I have to use a water bath for the cheesecake?

The short answer is no. You don’t have to use a water bath.

The long answer is that I’d recommend it personally. Without a water bath, cheesecakes can easily crack when cooling, sink in the middle when cooling and often brown on the edges. The cheesecake flavor will be the same, but it tends to have a less creamy texture (in my opinion, anyways). If you choose not to use a water bath though, you’ll likely want to reduce the baking time by maybe 15 minutes or so. If you’d like to see how I often set up my pan to avoid it leaking, check out my tutorial here.

I don’t like/don’t have access to shortening. What else can I use?

I often use shortening in frostings for consistency reasons. You can read more about why I do that in this post. You certainly don’t have to use it, but since that’s what I use in the cakes/cucpakes/etc that are photographed, I include it in the recipes to be true to what you see in photos.

That said, there isn’t a problem with swapping out the shortening for additional butter. Maybe just check out that post above on consistency, or my post on my standard buttercream, for some tips.

Xx cups of powdered sugar? Do I really have to use that much?

Again, this is place where my post on frosting consistency would be a good read. The short answer is no, you don’t have to use it all. The long answer can be found in full in that post, but basically it’s a matter of consistency and volume of frosting.

Can this recipe be frozen?

I don’t often freeze cakes, so it’s usually tough to say for sure. When I do freeze them, it’s after the cake is complete and I freeze it in slices to give to my mom who enjoys pulling a slice out occasionally to enjoy with her coffee. 🙂

If you want to try freezing something, my suggestion is to first wrap it very well. I’d wrap it in clear wrap, then again in foil. Then when you are ready to thaw it, place it in the fridge still fully wrapped until completely thawed. It looses less moisture that way.

What camera/lens do you use?

You can find more information on the equipment I use in this post.

Have a question you think should be answered here? Send me an email or leave a comment below.