If a cheesecake is underbaked can you put it back in the oven?

Answer 1

no.. because by that time all the air in the doughy part of the cake will have popped causing it to fall sticking it back in the oven will bake the rest of the way but it wont be the same and will be dense in the middle

Answer 2

Cheesecake is really a custard and setting happens when the egg proteins entwine, trapping moisture. The trick will be to heat it very evenly. The center is now cold and getting it to temperature without overcooking the edges will be tricky. You want to reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.

I would heat it in a water bath. If it's in a springform pan, you will need to wrap the bottom and sides in foil to make it water tight. Maybe a 250 degree oven and start with water that is below boiling. Use an instant read thermometer and pull it when the internal temp reaches 155 (assuming it will go up another 5-10 degrees from accumulated heat.

Alternative would be to cook it for a long time in a very low oven.

Wrap your cheesecake pan with foil, from the bottom, so it is setting in a foil liner, unbroken, so no water may enter from the bottom. set it inside another baking dish, as deep or deeper than the cheesecake pan. Put it in a preheated 325 degree oven, and fill the outside pan with very hot to nearly boiling water. be careful to not get any inside the foil wrapper below the cheesecake.

Bake for an additional 30 minutes, and test with a toothpick in the center. If still sticky, cook another 10 minutes and re-check. The steam in the oven should help it cook, without drying out the rest of it.