CHEESECAKE WATER BATH OR NOT RECIPES

Steps:

• To prepare the crust, melt the butter and brush on the bottom of a 10x2 heavy cake pan or 10-inch springform pan.
• Mix the crumbs and sugar in a bowl, then add enough butter to make the crumbs stick together.
• Press firmly onto the bottom of the pan.
• Set aside and preheat the oven to 325°F.
• In the bowl of a heavy mixer, beat the cream cheese on low with the paddle until smooth.
• Scrape and add the sugar, beat on low speed until smooth.
• Scrape the bowl.
• Add the vanilla and lemon juice, beat in the eggs and yolks, one at a time.
• Scrape the bowl well and combine.
• Scrape the bowl well to ensure even mixing, you should have a smooth batter.
• Pour into the pan, all the way to the top and set the pan into a larger pan.
• Set in the oven and then pour the hottest tap water into the outer pan.
• This is a water bath.
• Bake until the center is just firm, but when you tap the side the center will jiggle like firm jello.
• Don't worry, it will firm up when it cools.
• You don't want to overbake this cake, this will cause cracking and a dry texture.
• Remove from the outer water pan and set on a level surface and cool until room temperature.
• Then place in the refrigerator overnight.
• When you are ready to remove the cake from the pan, have the plate ready that you want to use.
• A board covered in plastic wrap is ok, too.
• If using a cake pan, hold it over a burner on your stove, just to melt the butter to release the cake.
• Keep the pan turning so you don't overheat.
• Then, turn pan over onto the plastic covered board and hold both at an angle.
• Tap the edge firmly on the counter until you feel the cake release it's seal.
• Turn out onto the board and immediately turn over onto the plate.
• Store the cheesecake in the refrigerator.
• If you wish to serve at room temperature, then slice while cold, then set the slices out about 1 hour before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• *************Crust************.
• Combine the graham cracker crumbs with 1 Tablespoon of sugar and then drizzle the melted butter over the top.
• Mix this together well enough to cover all of the crumbs with the butter. Do not let it turn into a paste.
• Press the crumbs onto the bottom and about two-thirds of the way up the sides of the springform pan. It’s ok if it doesn’t go all the way up the sides. You want part of the cheesecake to extend above the crust.
• Bake for 5 minutes, then chill it in a refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
• **************Filling*************.
• The cream cheese should be at room temperature before you begin mixing, or you'll end up with lumps in your cheesecake. Using cold cream cheese also leads to overbeating--whipping too much air into the batter--which forms unattractive air bubbles on the surface of the cake. Reduced fat and nonfat cream cheeses contain fillers that might prevent the cheesecake from setting properly. Never substitute whipped cream cheese for the solid block.
• Combine the softened cream cheese 1 C sugar, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.
• Mix the cream cheese and sugar by itself until it's smooth and light, before adding any other ingredients. If you end up with lumps in your batter, run the mixture through a sieve or give it a quick spin in the food processor and you'll have silky smooth results. Mix until smooth using an electric mixer (remove the lumps but don’t over-mix). Be sure to mix your cheesecake batter well, eliminating all possible lumps in the cream cheese BEFORE you add the eggs. It is the eggs that will hold air in the batter, so add them last, and mix as little as possible once they are in the mix.
• Add the pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice and continue beating until smooth and creamy.
• Lightly beat room temp eggs and add to batter mixture, and blend well, do not over whip as adding eggs and over mixing can add air to the mixture which will want to escape while baking and create a crack.
• Pour the mixture into the graham cracker crust.
• Note: Cheesecake is a custard at heart. It's delicate, so you want to bake it slowly and evenly without browning the top. The most effective way to do this is to bake it in a water bath. Since water evaporates at the boiling point, the water bath will never get hotter than 212 degrees F (100 degrees C), no matter what the oven temperature. This means that the outer edge of your cheesecake won't bake faster than the center, which can cause it to soufflé, sink, and crack. (see water bath instructions below).
• Bake in water bath for 60-70 minutes. Don't over bake the cheesecake. When perfectly done, there will still be a two to three-inch wobbly spot in the middle of the cheesecake; the texture will smooth out as it cools.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool at room temperature.
• When the cheesecake has come to room temperature, put it into the refrigerator.
• When the cheesecake has chilled or you’ve lost all will-power, release the spring and remove the sides of the pan.
• **********Water Bath Instructions**************.
• To prevent water from seeping into the removable bottom of the springform pan, wrap aluminum foil completely around the bottom and halfway up the sides of the pan in a criss-cross pattern. Or another method is to place a roasting bag around pan (thanks Laura!). Place the cheesecake into a jellyroll pan (or any baking pan with sides) and place the pans into the oven. I use a disposable foil roasting pan. Use a teakettle to fill the outer pan with hot water. Cheesecakes usually bake for about 1½ hours, so check the bath after the first hour and refill if necessary.
• Because cheesecake is very soft, it can be difficult to judge when it is done cooking. One way to check for doneness is to take the cake's internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer. The ideal temperature for a cheesecake is around 160 to 165 degrees F (70 to 72 degrees C). You can also insert a small knife into the center of the cake and if it comes out clean, the cake is done. Some bakers turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in it for an additional hour to ensure that it sets completely.
• Once the cheesecake has been removed from the oven, it needs to chill thoroughly--preferably overnight. The cake will have pulled away the edges of the pan. Carefully run a small knife around the edge of the pan to loosen any bits that might stick to the pan.
• Chill overnight for best results.
• For a seamless look, you can smooth the sides of the cheesecake with a hot, wet knife.