Cheesecake Round 2!

I learned a lot from the first cheesecake and since I had none left for Sunday's get together, I decided to bake a new cheesecake.  I took into account what might be the issues with the last one and adjusted the recipe.  Here's a list of what I did different.

1. I made sure not to overmix the batter.  I mixed each ingredient in just enough so it is even.  Make sure to control the speed and set it to a low speed.
2. I made sure to avoid air bubbles and folded the batter into itself carefully, specially when pouring it in the pan.
3. I cooked the cheesecake a little longer.  About 1 hour 15mins.  45mins at 325 then the rest at 350.  Make sure to check the top of the cake and if it gets too stiff, you might overcook it.  Just cook it enough so the middle core jiggles only slightly.
4. I noticed that the last 10 minutes of cooking might have been too high at 350 so i dropped it back to 325.  When it finished, I left the over door open for about an hour till the oven cooled down and won't keep cooking the cake.  Then I closed the oven door for the next 3 hours.  

 This is the result before it went in the refrigerator.

The next day, I took it out of the ref and plated it.  It was nicely chilled and firm.  And yes, no cracks!

 The final product with a crust because everyone wanted a crust on the fist one I made.  The crust is the same mixture as the bottom from the recipe.  Make sure to make twice as much as the perimeter of the cake takes a lot of crackers to cover it.

That's it.  My cheesecake adventure is complete.  I didn't think I could make a perfect crack-free cheesecake but I did and it only took two tries.  I thought this was going to be tough and it was.  I had to learn a lot just based on what I've researched and it turned out pretty nice.  I can't wait to experiment with this recipe next time I bake it.  Oreo cookie crust sounds great to me.

And if anyone was wondering, it was a hit with the friends for Cheesecake night.  The fresh crust really made a difference.  It was actually more moist and fluffier than the first one.  I thought I might have overcooked it but it was actually perfect.  I'd like to try this with fresh strawberries on top.  I guess I'll wait till spring to try it.