Q: When you bake a cheesecake in a springform pan, why do you wrap the pan with foil? Won’t the seal on the pan keep it from leaking? Also, how do you remove the metal bottom of the springform pan?

A: Most cheesecakes are custards at heart, and custards need slow, gentle heat. So they are often baked in a water bath. Wrapping the two-part springform pan in foil is insurance to keep water from getting in.

Even if the cheesecake isn’t baked in water, the pans have been known to get warped or slightly bent, which can let them leak. Wrapping the pan is easier than cleaning the oven.

To get the cheesecake off the pan bottom, first cool the cake completely and remove the outer ring. Then chill the cake.

When it is very firm, you should be able to slide a metal spatula, such as a pancake turner or an icing spatula, under the crust from several angles to loosen it and slide the chilled cheesecake off the pan and on to a serving dish.