What makes a pumpkin pie develop a crack down the middle while cooling when it looked great coming out of the oven?

Answer

the temperature drops causing a drying effect which cracks the top . try a spray bottle of water to use . spray a fine mist of water on the top after you get it out of the over and spray it again after five minutes and again after ten minutes. don't spray too much , if you spray it till the water forms drops , or starts rolling, thats too much. just fine water mist. that should help. if the pie cools too fast that can cause the cracking or movement.

• it doesn't crack because it dried out. It cracks because it swells in the oven and then shrinks when it cools. If it cools too fast it will shrink too fast leaving a crack down the middle. This can also happen if you over-bake. Don't cool the pie in a cold or drafy room and remove the pie just before the center is done, the residual heat in the pie will finish the baking. You could cover with a towel after taking the pie from the oven until the pie is closer to room temp if you find your pies continue to crack.

Answer

cooling it to fast or over mixing it

Answer

over cooking is a common cause of cracking in pies and cheesecakes that are pudding like. do not over cook as it will continue to cook after taking out of oven. what looks to be not cooked most times is done. The center should still be wiggly.

Don't stress about it. It's only a pie. Cut it into wedges and serve with lots of fresh, unflavoured cream, and nobody will ever know the difference.

First answer by ID0000000000. Last edit by Cre8ov. Contributor trust: 19 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 131 [recommend question]