What is the best advice you can give me when making a baked cheesecake?

I want to make a chocolate baked cheesecake, I have the recipe and it looks simple enough but I hear there are many things which can go wrong. Any advice before I start would be much appreciated : )What is the best advice you can give me when making a baked cheesecake?
I'm the unofficial cheesecake Queen! lol Yeah, things can go wrong, but frankly, they sure as he!! can go wrong in any recipe.


You need to read the entire recipe first, make sure you have ALL your ingredients in their proper form(s).


You need to have goo measuring cups and spoons on hand, as well as a Springform pan that is sized according to your recipe.


RE-read that recipe


Set the oven


Start your recipe, HOPEFULLY, with a KitchenAid mixer (the mixing stage is one of the most crucial)


I hope you've remembered to have your cream cheese packets out and they're now good and soft...right? ;-)


Normally, you start by mixing the cream cheese in the mixer 'til you reach the proper consistency. From there, how and what you add, depends entirely on YOUR particular recipe.


Eventually, you have it finished and you will be ready to pour it into the pan. I recommend placing the Springform pan on a baking sheet first..then pour away. Place the entire thing in the oven and set your timer for however long the first stage of baking IS. Usually, there are several stages, and the temp usually decreases with each one of them. After baking, cool the cheesecake on a rack in your kitchen or wherever. After it cools, refrigerate it. When it's time to serve your cheesecake, simple remover the outer ring of the pan and slice. You may find it easier to slice if you first dip the knife in a glass of warm water. Enjoy! If you need any specific help with your recipe, or you want a good recipe, just shoot me an email and I'll hit ya up with one. Good luck!What is the best advice you can give me when making a baked cheesecake?
Cracks can also be caused by bubbling of air in the batter, so make sure that your cream cheese is soft and that you only mix everything as much as is necessary because otherwise too much air is added. Using a water bath may also help avoid cracks. Basically if you follow everything the worse that can happen is that it won't look quite as pretty but it will still taste good if you have a good recipe, unless you use a springform pan that isn't closed or something.
The #1 tip is DO-NOT open the oven door while it is baking, not even for a little peek! As long as your oven temp is correct and you bake at the directed time then there is no need to check.


Opening the door will cause cracks in the top.