Almost every cheesecake recipe calls for baking the cheesecake over a water bath, but if you prefer to do it without one, you’ll need to plan on a longer bake time. Without a water bath, you’ll want to bake your assembled cheesecake for 2 hours and 10 minutes in a 225-degree oven. The low temperature is necessary to keep the surface of the cheesecake from cracking. Once the cheesecake is done baking, turn off the oven, open the door a crack, and leave the cheesecake in there for a half-hour to let it cool gradually; this will also help to prevent cracking.

The size of the cake pan, the consistency of the batter, and the oven temperature are all factors that affect the time needed to bake a cake. The usual time to bake a cake ranges from 25 minutes to an hour and is very specific to the individual cake. For example, a classic birthday cake recipe or a chocolate cake recipe will need to bake in the oven for about 25 to 35 minutes in a 350-degree oven using two or three 9-inch cake pans, respectively. The time to bake cakes like these in the oven is different than a recipe for a classic pound cake, which bakes for much longer; so follow your cake bake time and recipe closely. You can check that your cake is done by poking a cake tester into the center. When removed, it should have dry or sticky crumbs attached to it. If you see liquid batter stuck to the tester, the cake needs a few more minutes to bake.