A bain marie is to keep the outside of the pan at a uniform temperature as well as to add moisture to the oven. A roaster of water under the cake won't do the job. You need to submerge the cake pan in the water.
Linda C

Eileen: Do you have one of the throw away Alluminum Roasting Pans ??? That the springform will fit into.
I don't know the size of your Springform.
Set the All. Pan on a cookie sheet, for support.

I assume you are going to bake this in an oven.
Wrap the bottom of springform with Alluminum Foil and up the sides, so the water doesn't get to the Batter.

Set it in about 3/4 inches of water and place into the oven.
LOU

The steamer trays could work as they're large, & might be your best bet.

We do a lot of cake baking around here and here's another thought, although I use bake even strips for cakes, it may work for the cheesecake. Since the cheesecake would bake longer than a cake, I would just let them soak up as much water as possible . Here's a link that maybe helpful.

Lucy

Here is a link that might be useful: bake even strips

forgot to mention, that the bake strips can be joined together (length wise) for larger pans.

What a GOOD thing!! Never heard of them....I do believe I will get me some!
Linda C

I have a cheap oversized roasting pan that I use when I need a bain marie. It doesn't have to be a very good pan and it does get mineral deposits on it so it is nice to have something where you don't have to worry about cleaning them off.

I've got another bain marie question. Any tips on how to remove the pan sitting in the water bath when it is done? I always find that a tricky step. The instructions usually say to fill the bath up to half way on the pan holding what you are cooking. Even at the end of cooking that means there isn't much clearance between the top of the pan and the top of the water. I don't want to get scalded. I don't want to drop the just finished goody. The pot holder usually ends up getting wet. I haven't burned myself or lost the custard yet but ...

Usually I bail some of the water out of the bain marie to lower the water level but that is a tiresome process and still some boiling hot water is sloshing around waiting to get me.

I've got some of the bake even strips that I've used when baking cakes, but they might not hold the temperature down long enough for cheesecake or rice pudding (which is often what I'm cooking in a water bath). I find them a little tricky to use on large pans too - there is nothing to hold them in place so getting the pan into the oven without the strip slipping off can be a little tricky unless you put it on a baking sheet. I have thought about making little hangers with stainless steel wire to hook them onto the rim of the pan.

It is possible to improvise an equivalent to the bake even strips. Once when I didn't have enough of them I folded a strip of heavy duty aluminum foil until it was somewhat (about an inch)wider than the side of my pan was high. Then I took two strips of paper towels as long as my foil strip and folded them to a bit narrower than the height of my pan. Layed them onto the foil and folded the edges of the foil over the paper toweling. Wet it well and apply as with the bake even strip.

Linda you will love them, no more cakes w/humps. We have a draw full, well maybe not that many, but cakes out of this kitchen come in all sizes, from 6" to sheet cakes ,so we do have a lot and they all get wrapped w/the bake strips.

Lucy

I have "heard tell of"....to quote my grandmother...people wrapping wet tea towels around a cake pan to make for an even bake.
When I am getting the flan out of the bain marie, I just sacrifice the potholder and get it wet....gotta work fast so the boiling water doesn't get to your hands.
Actually silicone mitts work better but I always feel so clumsy in them I gave mine away.
Linda C

Lucy, they sound great! I am putting them on my wish list,

I gave away my silicone potholders, too, for the same reason. They seemed manly, so my manly man-friend has them now!

Lucy, how do you keep the bake strips from falling off the pan when you put it into the oven?

I don't find it much trouble with a smaller pan but found it difficult with a nearly half sheet pan. Wasn't able to do it with a sheet pan - I couldn't hold the strip in enough places to keep it from sagging off the pan.

Eileen: I put this recipe everywhere, might as well put it in here too.
Maybe it will help.

LouÂs Fluffy Cheesecake

Ingredients:

6 extra large eggs, Separated
1 cup of Vanilla Ice Cream
1 ¼ Cups of Sugar
1 /4 pound of Butter (softened in micro wave and let cool but still soft)
2 packs of Philadelphia Cream Cheese. ( 16 Oz. )At room temp.
Sugar ¾ cup for Batter and ½ cup for egg whites
1 tablespoon of Lemon Juice
6 Tablespoons of Orange juice,
2 teaspoons of Vanilla flavor
Grate the skin of one orange , with a hand grater, fine side. ( 2 tablespoons )
2 heaping tablespoons of AP flour
¼ cup of Cornstarch

Beat the egg whites, until they start to peak. Add the ½ cup of Sugar,
A little at a time, at a medium speed for 1 minute.
Beat for another 3 minutes, or until they hold stiff peaks.
Put aside, until the batter is mixed.

In a bowl large enough to hold the batter and beaten egg whites,
Add the 6 egg yolks, Cream Cheese, ¾ cup of Sugar, Lemon juice, Orange Juice,
Softened butter, Vanilla flavor, Flour , Ice Cream and grated Orange skin.

Beat this for 3 to 4 minutes, until smooth, add Cornstarch and mix on low speed 1 minute.

Fold 1/3 of the beaten egg whites into the cake batter, using a rubber spatula.
Then fold in the remaining egg whites , very easily but well.

Pour this into a 9 x 13 in. SS Pan or your favorite pan, that is oiled and dusted with flour.
Or you can use a Graham Cracker crust.

Place this Pan into a slightly larger pan, that has about ¾ inches of water.
And then into a pre heated 320 degree oven on the middle shelf.
Bake for about 50 to 55 minutes or until the top is a Golden tan ( not Dark Tan !!! )
Turn the oven off but leave the cake in, until it cools down.
When cooled down, cover the top with Aluminum Foil and refrigerate, for at least 1 hour.

You can add a topping of your choice , a Pineapple Sauce, preserves, thickened peach pie filling , etc.
Seems to be OK for freezing.
LOU

Cloud-swift
"how do you keep the bake strips from falling off the pan when you put it into the oven?"

I purchased a package of "T" pins and pin away to get a snug fit around the larger pans, & solved the problem of keeping them in place.

Bake strips can be purchased wherever you purchase Wilton products, i.e.: party stores, Michael's and alike.

Silicone potholders - I agree that there a great idea but, clumsy! Just not flexible enough..

Lucy

Cloud-swift
Removal of Cheesecakes

I turn off the oven after the required bake time & leave the cheesecake for 1 hr. w/door a jarred, as usual. After that hour, I then remove the bain marie w/cake pan & set out.

I use a roasting pan w/handles which makes this easy enough to do. Once it cooled down enough to handle, then I simply remove the cheesecake for further cooling w/o any ill effects to the cheesecake.

Lucy

I tried that but was never able to get it snug enough around the sheet pan. Maybe I just don't have the touch.

By the way, there are also other brands of bake-even (or even bake) strips. I bought some at a place near us called Cake Castle. They seem to be the same as the Wilton ones (which I also have). Amazon shows some that use velcro instead of pins to close them. I'm a little leery of velcro in the oven.

Thanks for the tips...its a 9x13 and it does fit into a aluminum pan so ill use that methos next time...Id like to get those Bake even strips thats a cool gadget!