Need emergency help with my first cheesecake!

[m brown]

PS, my trade secret, heat the knife over an open flame to hot, not red, and you will get a beautiful cut.(careful with your hands!)
Use a cheap knife, one that you can stand to use only for cutting cakes in this manner and keep clean between cuts!!
I use an 11$ serrated knife, 18 years old and still going strong.
this method works for mousse cakes, bavarian cakes and other soft hard to cuts!

[Mezzaluna]

Maybe you are right about the high heat, m brown, because although the top got dark brown, it never did crack. I did like the flavor of the cake, and will try it again at 350 for the first 20 minutes, as someone here suggested. Do you think a little higher, say 400, would be okay? I don't want to burn the top of the crust again. Also, if I want to add some flavor such as chocolate, fruit, or pumpkin, would I have to tinker much with the recipe to do that? Here's the general description: 2.5 lbs cream cheese, sugar, 5 eggs + 2 yolks, 1/4 cup cream, vanilla, lemon rind, a 3 tbsp. flour. I would think I could make minor adjustments to add the flavorings, rather than start from the bottom up. I'm trying to get a feel for how to make endless variations without feeling too intimidated. Thanks for the help, and for putting up with my fixation on this project!

[momoreg]

With all respect for the different methods used out there, I have never had a problem with cracking. The only time I have ever had a cheesecake crack is if I leave it in the oven too long. I prefer the top of my cake to be as pale as possible, sothat it looks pretty with fruit on top. At least with my recipe, if I were to start it off any higher than 300, I'd end up with a light brown top.

[Eeyore]

Ok here is my 2cents:

I make cheesecakes every week. 6 at a time. I never have any trouble with cracking.

I use graham cracker crust in a springform pan--cooked and cooled completely. I wrap bottom of pan in foil and set in water bath. If I need to prevent browning (not always important) I loosely cover with foil. I attach the foil to the water pan not the springform pan...and I dont cover completely so that steam can escape.

I bake at 200*-250* (convection) for 2 hours or so. The covered cakes will not set, so I uncover them and finish for about 20 minutes. They dont brown.

I make one big batch of vanilla batter and separate it so as to make different kinds. for example: I mix in finely ground praline or pecan brittle. Or I mix in ganache for chocolate. Or I just piple ganache in a decorative pattern on a vanilla cake before baking. Last week I mixed in melted white chocolate and swirled in raspberry sauce. These all work well -- and I just have to make one batch of batter.

eeyore

[Mezzaluna]

Thanks for the tips, Eeyore. I'd hoped it was that easy to change flavors. And thanks to everyone here for responding with such encouragement; I never learned to make desserts and pastry (with a tiny number of exceptions), so this is all a new world to me. I very much appreciate your patience and help![/list]