What Is A Springform Pan And Do You Really Need One For Cheesecake?

From a mixer to measuring cups, every serious home baker should be equipped with certain essential baking tools – some of which are fairly niche. While chocolate chip cookies and banana bread only require standard sheet pans and loaf pans, some baked goods — say, cheesecake — come with a more complicated supply shopping list. Notably, most cheesecake recipes recommend preparing the not-quite-pie-or-cake in a special container: a springform pan. As helpful as it is, if you don't already own one, don't worry; you don't need to buy a special pan just for the creamy dessert.

A springform pan is virtually identical to a round cake pan with one main exception: It springs apart into two pieces. Springform pans feature a flat, removable base that fits snugly with a ring. Ideal for delicate desserts that can't bear being handled much, the separate parts latch together to create a sturdy, watertight container for baking, then effortlessly disassemble without disturbing the fragile bake, keeping it pristine for serving — minus the struggle of trying to pry it from the pan.

This special two-piece pan is associated with cheesecakes because of how difficult it can be to remove them after baking without damaging their smooth sides. Unlike some sweets that are turned upside down to cool and release from the pan, the dense, creamy dessert is likely to splatter on the floor when flipped. Fortunately, it's possible to bake a cheesecake in almost any pan (and easily remove it) with the help of parchment paper.

In its first form, cheesecake dates back to ancient Greece, where a much flatter version of the dessert was served at Grecian weddings and even the first Olympic games in 776 B.C.E. However, modern American cheesecake — most commonly made with cream cheese instead of smashed cheese sweetened with honey – isn't a copycat of its older counterpart. Clearly, there's always room to do the dessert differently. 

While cheesecakes are usually baked in a springform pan, they don't have to be. The special tool is designed for convenience and precision, but it's not the only option out there. Technically, you can prepare cheesecake using most metal baking pans, so long as you line them with parchment paper. The thin barrier can help you slide the dessert right out with no ruined edges, although it could come out a bit bumpy.

As far as your contenders for the chosen pan go, a regular round pan works, but so does a loaf pan. After all, a rectangular cheesecake can be cut into perfect wedges and no one will be the wiser. You can even make mini cheesecakes in muffin tins, pressing the crust and pouring the batter into cupcake liners for mess-free serving and eating. Whichever route you go, note that you may need to tweak the recipe's recommended baking time; cheesecake cooks faster in a shallower pan and slower in a deeper one.

No matter which type of cheesecake you plan to make, it's totally reasonable to heed recipe directions and use a springform pan for the dense dessert. After all, baking is a science, so why risk messing things up by making adjustments to timing if you don't have to? Plus, while they're often associated with cheesecake, springform pans are useful for other bakes, too.

Besides soft-textured cheesecake (and its tendency to crack), there are plenty of other delicate desserts that a springform pan can help simplify. For instance, multilayered tortes with fruit and creamy fillings, jello cakes, and cold icebox cakes require a solid container for their shape to solidify, but they can be a pain to remove from ordinary pans. A springform pan allows for them to be easily served without compromising their layers and clean edges.

Springform pans can also be used to prepare other baked dishes beyond dessert. Craving an eggy breakfast? An otherwise tall and fragile quiche can be easily made using the two-piece pan, which allows you to proudly serve it with its firm golden crust on display. Springform pans can also come in clutch for dinner, whether you're in the mood for deep-dish pizza, baked vegetable lasagna, or chicken pot pie. While it may not be a necessity, a springform pan can still help save you time and trouble when preparing all kinds of foods.