The key to our dense and creamy cheesecake texture is baking it in a water bath. This keeps the baking even and keeps the humidity in the oven high, so the cheesecake doesn’t lose a lot of moisture during the hour and 45 minutes it is in the oven. This recipe baking time is for a 9-inch springform pan, which yields a fairly tall cheesecake. If you use a larger diameter pan, your baking time may need to be reduced slightly.