Hi wheatleyp1,
I just made a cheesecake for my department's holiday party and when I pulled out the recipe, I discovered I had saved an article with a lot of info to make a succcessful cheesecake.
Work with proper temperatures: The cream cheese should be at troom temp for more complete blending and silken results. Remove eggs from the fridge just long enough in advance to remove the chill. You've already invested in an oven temp to make sure it's correct.
Prepare the pan: Grease the sides of the pan adequately so that as it cools, it will release the cake and not cause any cracking. I actually cut a circle of parchment for the bottom so I can remove the cake from the pan to plate it.
Mix the cake carefully: Beat the mixture at low speed, adding eggs one at a time and beating until each egg is blended.Beating the mixture at high speeds will incorporate too much air into the batter and produces an inferior consistency. Fold in any chunky ingredients (chocolate chips, nuts, candied fruit) at the very end, stirring just enough to fully incorporate.
Add moisture to the oven: a humid environment helps to keeep a fine cheesecake from drying out during baking. Position a samll ovenproof pan on the lower rack of the oven, and fill it halfway with hot to boiling water. Bake the cake on a rack positioned above the panful of water.
Know when it's done: Curb your curiosity to keep opening the oven door and peaking in. Trust your recipe and bake to the minimal amount of time recommended before testing.
Loosen immediately: Leave the springform locked, but carefully runa thin spatula or knife blade around the inside of the springform. This loosens any stickier parts before the pan is removed.
Let it rest: Allow 10 minutes before adding any glaze or other topping.
Cool it in the fridge: Author Myra Chanin recommends to run your cake directly from the oven to the fridge, or the cheesecake will develop cracks and fissures. Allow 4-5 hours, but overnight is preferable. (My recipe says to bake it for an hour, turn off the oven, and let it cool in the oven for 5 hours and it came out beatifully. I then chilled it overnight in the fridge.)
Garnish it beforehand: Many toppings will drip, break down, or stain the cake. Your best bet is to decorate the cake no more than one to three hours before serving it.
Serve it "warm": Remove the cheesecake about 30-40 minutes before serving. This will eliminate the chill and allows the rich, dairy subtleties to shine through.
Okay all, don't shoot the messenger, but that was a synopsis of whole article. I used "Chantal's New York Cheesecake" recipe from allrecipes.com. It has over 1800+ 5-star reviews and is the easiest recipe I've ever encountered. It came out with lightly browned edges, and was light and smooth. It was a hit with my department manager!
Barbara