How To Cut A Perfectly Clean Slice Of Cheesecake

When it comes to dessert, a classic and traditional cheesecake slice can satisfy your sweet tooth. Even if you don't like cheese, the word "cheesecake" shouldn't deter you from relishing in this delicious dessert.

The famed dessert has stood up against the test of time, dating back to as early as 2,000 B.C. on the Greek island of Samos. The dish was originally considered an "energy boost" food, served to Olympic athletes before Olympic games and competitions. Even the first European cookbook featured a cheesecake recipe, boasting more of a flour-based "sweet food" (via Cheesecake.com).

Once the 18th century rolled around, Europeans swapped their yeast-based cheesecake recipe with beaten eggs, making it more of a creamy and thick consistency that we know cheesecake to be today. From a classic cheesecake recipe, to mixing in pumpkin or pomegranate mascarpone flavors, and more, cheesecake has become a staple dessert dish for friends and family to enjoy throughout the decades.

But baking it isn't the only thing needed to perfect a cheesecake. Presentation is everything, and if you offer up messy slices of cheesecake, it could ultimately ruin the whole experience. Thankfully, there's an easy trick to perfectly cut clean slices of cheesecake every time.

The days of taking out your perfect-looking cheesecake and ruining it with messy cuts are over. After all, slicing your cheesecake is just as important as the baking process when it comes to upholding its overall taste.

According to Martha Stewart, there is a simple way to ensure you get a clean slice every time. When you're ready to serve it, make sure to grab a big knife that has a thick enough side and edge that can support your slice and go all the way through. Then, the key here is hot water and a clean dish towel. To get a clean slice every time, you'll want to heat up your knife in hot water, dry it off, and then use it immediately to slice through the thick cheesecake. You'll want to do this for every slice, so the dish towel allows you to wipe the knife off clean and dry each time while still dipping it in the hot water.

MasterClass also suggests to cut your cheesecake from the edge. While you might automatically try to cut starting from the center, start your knife at the border and edge of the cheesecake and slice in one motion toward the center.

To ensure the hot water trick works properly, make sure you're cutting your cheesecake straight out of the refrigerator. The warmer the cheesecake is — such as room temperature if it's been sitting out — the harder it will be to get those clean slices you want, even with a hot knife (via MasterClass).

Additionally, using a sharp flat-edged knife isn't enough when it comes to serving. While bigger knives offer a decent side to support transferring it onto a plate, using a spatula or pie server on the bottom of your piece will offer more support.

Aside from using hot water to warm up your knife, you can also use dental floss to achieve clean slices of cheesecake. According to Baking Nook, you'll obviously want to use unflavored floss to avoid getting some minty residue on your cheesecake. Then, take a long piece of floss — long enough to cover the diameter of the cheesecake and to hold on either side — make it taunt, and gently rock it down, through the middle, in one even motion. Do this multiple times until you achieve your desired cuts of cheesecake.