I have been trying to learn how to bake a fantastic cheesecake, but I cannot get the timing down. Either the center is too mushy or the edges are over cooked. I have started with the oven at a higher temp and then reduced it. I have tried the pan of water in the oven (I still got cracks!). I have left it in the oven for two hours without cracking the door. Does anyone have a FULL-PROOF method to a perfect cheesecake?

I did cheesecakes with two of my friends as a fundraiser for our daughters who were going on a missions trip to Peru. I have a couple recipes I can give you that are what we used.
A lot depends on what kind of oven you have - electric tends to bake hotter than gas. I'll find my recipes and give them to you. It can start as a trial and error type thing. But I know that these recipes worked well for us.

I have never actually made a "true" cheesecake, in the cheesecake pan, although I HAD to have one for Christmas one year - many, many years ago. LOL I have a recipe for a chocolate chip cheesecake that you bake in a regular pie pan with a graham cracker crust, and it's awesome. It's not my own, I think it came from Eagle Brand. Here's a link for the recipe http://www.recipezaar.com/157443 I have made this cake so many times, and it's always come out right. Maybe you need to try a different recipe or something. And, make sure that your oven is the right heat - buy one of those hangable thermometers, and put it in the oven. What your oven says, may not be what the actual temperature is - this could be a problem. But, you'd probably see issues with other things besides the cheesecake.

The reason a cheesecake cracks in the middle is because as it cools, it contracts and if it's stuck to the side, it will simply pull apart at the middle. If you release the seal at the side it will contract and cool in one piece. The only time I get cracks is when I forget to do the knife trick.

Also, blend the batter slowly and leave the electric mixer on and walk away for about 10 minutes after it's all done.... it makes for a creamy cheesecake with no air bubbles (smack the heck out of it prior to baking to bring any up to the surface).

The other thing I do is always bake in a water bath and be sure to use foil around the base of the pan so there are no leaks........ have fun!!

Thank you all for your tips. Is there a tried and true method for knowing when to take it out of the over? Every recipe I've tried has a different time and temp.

I use Alton Brown's recipe from www.foodtv.com. It is easy and fantastic. The last one I made I messed up and it tasted better than the previous one. Good luck.

when the cake is fully baked it will still wiggle a bit in the middle and the sides will be dry. some people wait until the middle is solid and then their cake ends up being over cooked.

Thank you butterflybeddy. I think I over-cook the "jiggle" on the two I did today. Fortunately, even "mistakes" get devoured around here, and I'll try again tomorrow!

I use two recipes that I got from www.foodnetwork.com
One is a sweetpotato cheesecake and the other is ultimate cheesecake.
The sweetpotato does not require a water bath, but you do have to do the knife trick to release it from the sides of the pan as soon as it comes out of the oven.
The ultimate cheesecake requires a water bath and the knife trick.

Are your ingredients warm room temp? When I started making cheesecakes I found that the ingredient have to be warm room temp especially the eggs.

You shouild beat your cream cheese and sugar for at least 5 minutes.

When adding your eggs break the yolk first that way you wont have to mix so long to incorporate and only mix until the egg is combined then turn the mixer off and add the next.

Anything that goes in after the eggs can be stirred in by hand.

Bake in a boiling water bath

Allow the cake to cool completely in the oven. Be sure to turrn the oven off about 7 mins before you think its done.

I got these rules from a cheese cake guru in my area. So far so good

I used to sell cheesecakes to restaurants and have probably baked 500 in the past 20 years. I don't use a water bath because it will totally change the texture of a cheesecake, unless you want it to be creamy. I bake a New York cheesecake, and I don't want that texture.
Beating in too much air will cause cracking. I beat my room temp cream cheese and sugar until it's VERY creamy and then just beat in the eggs. If you beat too much after you add the eggs you'll beat in way too much air. I stir in the cream. I bang the bowl on the counter to get rid of as many air bubbles as I can.
I bake my cheesecakes at 475 for 10 minutes and then turn the oven down to 275 for 1 hour and 20 minutes. There should be a 50 cent sized "jiggle" in the middle of the cake. I also run a knife around the crust as it starts to cool, however, sometimes cheesecakes will crack no matter what you do! After mine are cold, I'll press in the cracks and cover the cheesecake with ganache. I've never had a complaint!

Go to www.baking911.com After I read how to make the perfect cheesecake from that site mine have been perfect with no cracks. My favorite cheescake to make is white chocolate raspberry swirl.

Jacqui

have you ever tried the recipie on the back of the knox gelatin box its a no bake recipie very easy and soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo good and its not very sweet. its so good .

In the past I have also been incredibly frustrated with the hit and miss cheesecake issue, so I feel your pain! It seemed that if I baked it so that the center is done, the edges seem a little dry to me, but if I take it out any sooner, the middle is soupy, even after it's completely cooled and refrigerated! I guess it's just a fact that the sides are a little bit drier. It's not bad dry, just a little drier than the center. As someone mentioned, the Ultimate Cheesecake by Tyler Florence is very good! I recommend it! I always use the water bath, but don't know how much it really helps! The most fun I have with cheesecakes is changing the extract I use in it, then using crushed cookies that compliment it for the crust, like coconut cookies with coconut extract, etc. (Gee... had to explain that one didn't I? Like you didn't understand it!! ) At the Christmas holidays, buy some Keebler Almond Crescent cookies for the crust and use almond extract instead of vanilla! If you love almond like I do, you will think this is divine!! I can't get enough of it!!!

That's funny to me that people have trouble with cheesecakes I can make them like wild fire and yet I can't make a cookie to save my life think God for cookie mix.

It doesnt matter if you beat the cake too much,cold or room temp.,water bath-no water bath,leave in oven to cool-or not,run knife around edge or not...................................sometimes the dang things just crack!!Why you ask?I DONT NO!!But I can mix up 3 recipes of cheesecake,put them in 3 pans,in the same oven, same rack, same temp,cook for the same amount of time,loosen the edges,cool away from a draft...............one will crack and the other two will be fine
I gave up trying to figure it out!!