Instructions

1. Line the inside bottom of the pan with two sheets of heavy duty aluminum foil. The heavy duty sheets are usually bigger and thicker than those of regular strength.

2. Clamp the pan’s side ring around its base and fold the aluminum foil up toward the top of the pan. Press the foil tightly against the inner sides. By placing the aluminum foil inside of the pan, you are making a shield that separates your baked item from its base, protecting it from any leakage that may come from the water it is baking in, which is also called a "water bath."

3. Apply a crisscross pattern to wrap the outer sides and bottom of the pan with several sheets of heavy duty aluminum foil. This is extra security to protect your sweet confection from become soppy with water.

4. Place the springform pan into an empty roasting pan and put it into the oven. Add hot or room temperature water, depending on the recipe’s instructions, to the roasting pan using a kettle or a measuring cup, filling it about halfway full. Preparing the water bath this way eliminates the risk of water overflowing into the springform pan as it might if you put it into a roasting pan that already contains water.

5. Pat dry and carefully remove the outer aluminum foil when the item is baked and taken out of its water bath. Make sure droplets and tiny rivulets of water do not sneak out of the foil and into the springform pan.

6. Serve directly from the springform pan and trim away the edges of the inside aluminum foil until it is not visible or only barely so. If you are confident your baked dish will turn out sturdy, add a sheet of parchment paper to the inside bottom of the pan before baking. When ready to serve, remove the side ring and slide the parchment paper and the baked good off the pan’s base and transfer the dessert to a serving plate or platter.