Wow! i made this to take with me to some new friends house. I was really scared, it was not my first attempt at cheesecake, but my first attempt at high altitude. Most recipes just don't come out quite right up here, but this one sure did. Smooth texture, followed recipe to the letter. I used the 13x9 pan of water on the lower shelf, no luck. It cracked everywhere, but it was still good. I was very apprehensive about submerging my cake into a water bath, but might try it next time. I also let it sit in the oven for 1 hour, on the counter for another hour and then outside (50's). It had already cracked inside the oven. It was so good, we decided this should be our wedding cake this summer! Can't go wrong here. We ate it plain with fresh strawberries. ****** UPDATE: I made this for my wedding, we had 40 people and I baked three of them at almost 14,000 ft. elevation (CO mountains) they turned a little dark, but didn't crack, they did sink a bit though (I used a stand mixer this time instead of a hand beater, I think this is what made the difference, do not over beat). I used an 8" and 2 -9" pans. EVERY single person raved at how fantastic this was and wanted to know my bakery. When I told them I made it (2 days ahead and held in the frig) they absolutely could not believe it. I practice twice (with a hand beater at lower altitude) before attempting my wedding cakes. We decorated with flowers, berries and offered a topping bar of choices.

This is an excellent basic cheesecake. Ultra creamy. The first time i made this i topped it with a homemade blueberry syrup. Folks were fighting over the last slices. Make sure to follow the cooling instructions so it will set up properly. I baked in a springform and instead of a water bath i placed a water filled pan on the shelf below it - worked out great.

This recipe was great. Cracks in cheesecake come from overmixing the batter or getting too much air into it not from not having a water bath. Don't overmix or beat your batter and this cheesecake won't have any cracks (mine didn't).

the best cheesecake ever!!! i did not overbeat the ingredients and i used a waterbath. it was still jiggly in the center when it was done and that worried me a bit. creamy to the bone!!

It was my 1st time baking a cheesecake, and this recipe turned out great. I typically enjoy thicker cheesecakes so I only used 1 cup of sour cream instead of the 2 cups the recipe calls for; however, that was the only change I made. Maybe it was beginner's luck, but it didn't crack at all.

Very good. I left out the salt, used more margarine for the crust (I like it to stick together more) and used low fat sour cream and low fat cream cheese. I baked it exactly for the time shown, left it in the oven turned off for an hour and then on the counter for another hour and then to the refrigerator. Mine did not crack and I did not use a water bath. I did wrap the bottom in foil though - just to be sure nothing leaked through. It was a teeny bit soft in the very middle, but it didn't affect the flavor. Served with a mixture of strawberries, raspberries and blackberries mixed with sugar. Thanks for sharing!

My first attempt at making a cheesecake. I was quite pleased. It didn't even crack. I placed the pan in a water bath, which I read keeps it from cracking and it worked. I don't think I'll add cinnamon to the crust next time.

Wonderful cheesecake. Very creamy and perfect taste.

Awesome. Made it for a family gathering and everyone complimented it. Someone said "I don't even like cheesecake but that was amazing". I topped it with halved strawberries and a strawberry glaze - fortunate to hide the 3" crack that formed in the middle. Next time I will certainly let it cool in the oven even longer than 30 minutes - I'd probably say for a few HOURS at least, I think the crack developed because I went from the oven after 30 minutes to the outside which was fairly cold to chill it. I made the crust with only 3 tbs butter and it still held together beautifully.

As I always do, I set the timer for five minutes less than the recipe stated, just to be on the safe side. That usually has been very helpful...but not this time. At 55 minutes my cheesecake was overdone. If I was to try this again (but more than likely I won't) I would either reduce the temperature to 325 degrees or shorten the baking time by 10-15 minutes, but even at that this would still be just a basic and average cheesecake. Also, for those who decide to try this recipe, I would suggest using three eggs, not four, and butter, not margarine, in the crust. I used the four eggs and didn't like that I could taste the "egginess."