Baked cheesecake: a water bath is not mandatory for every recipe

Useful to know

King Arthur’s Easy Cheesecake uses cream cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla on a crumb crust. This particular recipe is designed to bake without a water bath. [1]

It does not follow that water baths are unnecessary for every cheesecake. Different formulas and sizes need different controls. The source advises avoiding excessive air when mixing the filling. Choose a complete method rather than combining one recipe’s base, another’s timing and a third recipe’s tin.