Preheat oven to 350° (175 degrees C).

Triple wrap the outside of your spring form pan tightly with tinfoil. Make certain there are no holes or tears in the foil that water can seep through.

Spray Pam a 9 inch spring form pan. In a medium bowl, mix graham cracker crust crumbs with melted butter. Reserve a small amount of your crust after mixing. Press on to bottom of spring form pan and halfway up the sides. Note: I use a few stiff paper plates that are stuck together and press down firmly with that. This will make a thicker, more sturdy crust than the average. If using boxed, crushed Graham Crackers, double the amount the recipe calls for one pie crust.

Bake crust in oven at 350° for 8 to 9 minutes on the bottom 1/3 rack of your oven.

After baking, fill in any cracks with additional graham cracker crust. Press firmly but gently again.

Let crust cool quickly in fridge or freezer. 

In a large bowl, mix cream cheese just until smooth.

Blend in milk and sugar in cream cheese until just blended. Then mix in the eggs, one at a time, mixing just enough to incorporate.

Mix in sour cream, vanilla and flour just until smooth.

Pour filling into cooled, prepared crust and flatten with plastic spatula or spoon.

Place your spring form pan in a roasting pan and fill it with boiling water until it's half way up your spring form pan. Place cake and roasting pan on the same 1/3 rack you baked your crust on.

Put cake in oven immediately and bake in preheated 350° oven undisturbed for 1 hour.

Turn the oven off and allow the cake to cool in oven with the door closed for 5 to 6 hours absolutely undisturbed. Do not open the oven door. The trapped moisture should prevent any cracking.

Chill in refrigerator until serving.

Serve Cheesecake at room temperature. One hour prior to serving, place chilled fruit garnishments on your cake or you can serve it plain.

FORTY CHEESECAKE TIPS! *Listed below are 40 tips to help ensure your cheesecakes aren't dry, don't over brown at the edges, don't crack or have the crust fall apart. There are also tips on batter mixtures, cooking times, falling cakes, garnish options and so on. In short, almost everything you'll need to know to make the perfect cheesecake every time. Just note that no advice will absolutely guarantee that your cake will not crack or split, however, if you follow these basic tips, you'll have a better chance than most.

TIPS FOR CHEESECAKE CRUSTS:

#1 Always pre-bake your crust for 8-10 minutes. Regardless if the recipe doesn't necessarily call for it.

#2 Preheat your oven to 350°.
Make your graham cracker crust and press it into the base of your spring form pan firmly and just slightly up the sides. Withhold a small amount of crust mixture and set to the side covered. After you've laid your crust in your spring form pan, place it on the bottom 1/3 rack of your oven and bake 8-10 minutes.

#3 Your crust will probably call for butter. Consider using a quality salted butter like Tillamook to negate some of that sweetness if using a candy topper or overly sweet garnish.

#4 After baking, press crust again until it's even. Use the remaining graham cracker mixture to fill in cracks if any. I use a paper plate to press the crust evenly. Let crust cool quickly in fridge or freezer.

#5 Have every ingredient at room temperature, even the sugar. This will help tremendously with your mixing and blending.

#6 Using cold cream cheese in your mixture will cause lumps. However, if you do find yourself with lumps anyway, run mixture through a sieve (tight strainer) and squeeze through with spatula. Or you can spin mixture very quickly in a food processor.

#7 Don't use cream cheese in a tub or bucket of any kind. Whipped cream cheese has far too much air in it to make a sturdy or functional cheesecake.

#8 Use quality cream cheese bricks that are high in fat. The same with your sour cream-high fat. These will make the best cheesecakes. It's not exactly the healthiest option but hey, what's life without a little whimsy?

#9 When mixing your cheesecake ingredients, be careful not to over beat them. You'll want your mixture smooth yes, but my best advice is, "Dont be confused by anyone else. Do exactly as the author of the recipe advises you to do since they've not only experimented with the recipe but obviously made the same recipe many, many times before." Just remember though, less mixing is better for the cake.

#10 Try this if you're worried about over mixing: Beat your softened, room temperature cream cheese first, then add all of your additional ingredients one at a time. (or as your author recommends) You won't have to blend as much and risk over beating. 

#11 Another way of softening your cream cheese is place your brick in the microwave for 15 seconds. 15 additional seconds for every brick you have in the microwave alongside another.

#12 Also, you can add 3 1/2 tbs AP flour to your batter if your recipe doesn't already call for it. All purpose flour helps keep your cake from splitting and the flour doesn?t tamper with the taste whatsoever. However, it does effect the texture but not enough to make a huge difference. The benefits of adding a starch include: Your cake isn't as apt to rise in the middle during baking and eventually sink in the center. Your cakes top will be flatter and smoother than without it. Flour will also almost eliminate that dry, dark brown and raised/hardened edge cheesecakes are synonymous for. 

#13 It is important to note that cheesecake recipes that contain even a small amount of starch, i.e., cornstarch or flour, will produce a more cake-like texture. Cheesecakes that do not contain starch tend to be more smooth, creamy and heavy so choose your recipe wisely if you do have a preference!

#14 Time wise, cook your cheesecake as per your authors directions BUT leave your cake in the oven after the baking is completed for a minimum of 2 hours. I know some say 1 hour, some say 6 hours and some say 5 minutes. However, I've always had the best of luck with leaving it at minimum (if hurried) of 2 hours undisturbed with the oven door closed and a maximum of 6 hours. In my opinion, even if your recipe doen't call for this step and you have the extra time, do it anyway.

#15 No poking, no shaking and no toothpicks if checking for doneness during or after baking. In fact, don't check for doneness at all. Find a solid recipe with high ratings and trust it.

#16 Speaking of your cake shaking, your cheesecake will shake a bit at its completion but by leaving it in the oven and the cakes refrigerator sitting time, I promise your cake will firm up!

#17 When you cake is setting up, do not peak at the cake [even while baking] and do not open the oven door under any circumstances. Here's why. This will let the moisture escape from the hot water bath within the oven and will cause cake cracking and potentially dry your out your cheesecake. The point of the hot water bath is moisture, moisture, moisture!

#18 If you find you do have some minor cracking on top, a simple cream cheese frosting will cover those right up and put a silky sheen atop your cheesecake. A garnish (fruit or otherwise) will do the same so no worries!

TIPS FOR BAKING CHEESECAKES:

#19 Do not use a spring form pan that has a raised pattern on the base of the pan. You'll want your base absolutely smooth, otherwise your crust will stick inside those indentations making it much harder to transfer your cheesecake to your serving platter. In short, your entire cake will break up entirely or in half as you try to lift it.

#20 Preheat oven as per the authors directions for your specific cheesecake recipe. Take [3] 18" x 18" pieces of heavy duty tin foil and CAREFULLY wrap one sheet around the outside of your spring form pan, barely crimping the foil neatly and tightly over the top of pan. Be careful as to not make any holes in the tinfoil whatsoever. If you do, discard that foil and start over with a new sheet. Do the same thing again and again with the second and third sheet of tinfoil. Remember folks, no holes. This will keep the fluid from the hot water bath [listed below] from seeping through to your cheesecake.

#21 Some professional Baker's have reported that using extra large Turkey Baking Bags work pretty good as well for keeping water out. However, I would still use them in conjunction with tinfoil for precautions sake. Mishaps occur all the time with hot water baths.

#22 After wrapping your spring form pan that already contains your baked crust, fill your pan with your cheesecake mixture and level it neatly with a plastic spatula or spoon.

#23 Don't tamp your unbaked cheesecake mixture on the counter after pouring and leveling it if you see air pockets. You'll shatter your crust and it will fall apart upon serving.

#24 Place your spring form pan inside a deep roasting pan in the same bottom 1/3 rack as you baked your crust upon. Now, fill your roasting pan with piping hot water from a tea kettle until it's risen halfway up your cheesecake pan. Usually it takes about 1 1/4" of water. Be careful not to burn yourself reaching in the oven while filing your pan. This method is slightly safer than filling the roaster outside of the oven and setting your cake in boiling water. All the while hoping you didn't rip the foil as you try to balance everything without scalding yourself just sounds a bit more dangerous to me.

#25 Another option: Instead of placing your spring form pan inside a roasting pan is to place an oven safe pan filed with rapid boiling water to the side of your cake pan in the oven. It's not as effective but it does work! Moisture is moisture!

#26 When you finally pull the cheesecake out, place it in the fridge and chill for at least 4 hours but longer is better for your cake.

#27 When you're cheesecake is ready to be unhinged, a good tip is to use a hairdryer to heat up the spring form sides and use a clean, thin, warm butter knife to separate the cake from the pan walls then unhinge pan. Some Bakers even use the knife method just as the cake is done and then quickly put the cake back in the oven to let it sit for a few hours.

#28 After a long chill time and unhinging your spring pan, use two large spatulas to pick up your cake and move it safely to a serving platter.

#29 If your recipe calls for you to take your cake directly out of the oven and plate asap, it's a good idea to lightly butter the outside edges while the cake is still warm.

#30 If you intend on freezing your cake, double wrap your firm, 4 to 5 hour refrigerated cheesecake air tight with plastic wrap and tinfoil. But before you wrap it, freeze the cake uncovered for at least 30 minutes so it can firm up enough to handle the double wrap without denting or mis-shaping it.

#31 A frozen cheesecake can last up to 2 months in the freezer but 1 month is typically recommended. To de-thaw your cake, just place in the refrigerator for 24 hours. 

#32 Cheesecake should always be served at room temperature so take it out of the fridge 45 minutes early unless the weather is very warm. 25-30 minutes will take it to room temperature. 

#33 Always garnish your cheesecake 1 hour before serving. Have your canned or fresh fruit in the fridge so it's fully chilled when you're ready to top and serve. Remember, the cheesecake should be at room temperature but a chilled fruit garnish is always desired and appreciated!

#34 There's no need to purchase expensive fruit cheesecake toppers. In fact, one of the best cheesecakes I ever tasted was made with seven tablespoons of warmed, quality, multi-berry jam swirled within the cake and baked!

#35 Most seem to think that a cheesecake MUST have a topping or theme of some type. However, have you've ever noticed that plain cheesecakes are usually the first to run out at a party or reunion? My theory? It's probably because the most of us are simply fickle by nature. Some like cherry but prefer strawberry. Some adore blueberry but don't want to stain their teeth in public. Some enjoy pineapple but claim it gives them canker sores so they decline. Some even gag at the smell of pumpkin. With that, [other than the lactose intolerant or extreme dieters] most end up choosing the pain ole' moist, delicious piece of cheesecake rather than going without. So don't fear the void folks! 

#36 Cheesecake is a lot like Sushi. In order to get a brilliantly clean cut, fill a bowl with steaming hot water and dip your knife in it until it's heated. Have a clean towel handy to clean your knife blade in between each slice. Viola! You'll have perfect slices every time!

#37 Never use anything other than quality cream cheeses in your cheesecakes. Even if there is a sale on generic cream cheese touting 500 bricks for $2.00. While you can purchase the more expensive cheeses at a deli, the best cream cheese out there for the price is Philadelphia Brand Cream Cheese.

#38 Always make sure you look for any special instructions (i.e., high or low altitude or barometer precautions) in your recipe.

#39 As I understand it, some of the most famous cheesecakes baked at 3 to 5 star restaurants worldwide employ the low and slow methods of baking their cheesecakes. They start out at 350° then reduce to 275° and bake for 1 1/2 hours. After baking, they leave their cheesecakes in the oven and don't open the oven door for at least 4 hours. They also employ the hot water bath technique. So, if you come across any recipe that mimics anything like theirs, give her a try!

#40 Kids love to help decorate and if you're interested in getting them to eat cheesecake, try putting whipped cream on top of your cake and have them decorate with candies such as: Skittles
M&M's
Mini Marshmallows
Mini chocolate chips
Mini Tootsie Rolls
Fruit Rollups
Banana Runts
Malted Milk Balls
Gummy Bears Or Worms
Starburst Candies
Twizzlers
Life Savers
Crushed Peppermint
Crushed Peanut Brittle
Marzipan Shapes
Chocolate shapes & Curls
Chocolate Mints
Hershey's Kisses

*Cheesecake has got to be one of the most versatile desserts in the entire universe. From fresh fruits to canned fruits, to chocolates and candies, it can accommodate most anything the most creative imagination can dream up.

Is also healthy for you. Especially if you're a Diabetic with a sweet tooth! I personally have a Vampire Cheesecake recipe that's packed with 40 cloves of garlic as well as one that's topped with Foie gras moouse and Beluga Caviar in my culinary repertoire! Now, I'm not suggesting you try those. Just know that there are far more garnish options than Cherry or Blueberry!

Face it, the garnish options are as endless as they are delicious! Follow these tips for as perfect of a cheesecake as you're ever going to make!

Let me know your favorite cheesecake recipes and toppings! Maybe you even have tips of your own you'd like to share with the world! I'd love to hear all of them!