How to Make Cheesecake

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 graham crackers, crushed
  
• 1/3 cup sugar
  
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 3 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup milk
  
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten

Equipment:

• Oven
• Medium mixing bowl
• Spatula
• Springform pan
• 2 pieces of 12 x 18-inch heavy duty aluminum foil (or 4 smaller pieces)
  
• Large mixing bowl
  
• Electric hand mixer
• Large roasting pan
• Wire cooling rack
• Knife

1. Preheat oven to 375º F (190º C).

2. In medium mixing bowl, add the crushed graham cracker and 1/3 cup sugar. Stir with spatula. Add melted butter. Stir until it's even throughout.

3. Pour the mixture into the pan. Press it down to make sure it's evenly distributed along the bottom of the pan and about two inches up the sides.

4. Use the aluminum foil to create an airtight, waterproof seal for the sides of the pan. Leave the top uncovered.

1. In the large mixing bowl, mix cream cheese, sugar, flour and vanilla. Blend with electric hand mixer on medium speed. Use spatula to stir around the sides. 

2. Add milk and begin blending. Add eggs, then continue blending until mixed.

3. Pour the mixture into the crust. Smooth out the mixture.

1. Fill a roasting pan with hot water to create a water bath. Make sure to use a roasting pan large enough that your springform pan can fit inside and tall enough that when you pour in the water, it will reach about halfway up the sides of your springform pan. 

The extra moisture from the water bath helps prevent cracking, and the bath conducts the water so the cheesecake cooks more gently and evenly.

2. Gently set the cheesecake into the bath, then place the bath into the oven. If you're using an eight-inch springform pan, cook for 40-45 mins. If it's a nine-inch, cook for 35-40 mins. After cooking, the edges of the cake should be firm, and the center should jiggle if shaken.

3. Turn off the oven. Let the cheesecake cool in the oven for one hour. Take it out and let it cool for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the foil. Use a knife to loosen the cheesecake around its edges. Let it cool for another 30 minutes.

4. Unsnap the outside of the springform pan, then lift and remove the outside. Cover the cheesecake and chill for at least four hours before serving.