I think you know how to bake a cheesecake! Is there something new about the way the cheesecake is constructed? I can't think that the cornstarch will do anything but stabilize the set a little. The whole raise the oven temperature to a higher number then lower it is a hedge against people who think that an oven is sufficiently warm when the light goes out, whereas to bake a nice cheesecake, the walls should be well heated. The initial higher temperature also covers the heat loss after opening the door somewhat. Some (only some) modern ovens are designed to get truly hot truly faster, and to retain and return better. I was expecting your sentence to say that it kept the finishing temperature throughout, rather than the high initial temperature, because of that.

The thing is that cheesecake is dense. Even the raised kind with flour is. And there's no hole in the middle for the heat to pass through like on an sponge or ring cake. Getting the center well cooked without drying out or scorching the outside is the trick. Getting a golden top without cracks is also the trick. You know the tricks. I'm guessing this is a recipe for "easy" cheesecake (which makes binding it with cornstarch make sense). None of the fiddly bits. It's probably okay, but you already know how to make a better one.

It's been many years, but I remember cooking at one temperature until done. And done meant there were cracks starting in the top. As soon as you saw some cracks, the cheesecake came out of the oven and onto a cooling rack. This was a very heavy Italian cheesecake with lots of ricotta cheese and a very thick graham cracker crust.

The temperature you bake the cake at and whether to leave in the oven to cool gradually or cool faster and whether cornstarch and whipping craem are "odd" additives and would play in how long to cook it depends on many things.

How big is the cake...how many pounds of crem cheese? How many eggs? how big a pan will you bake it in...2 pounds of cream cheese in an 8 inch spring form will mean different baking time than that same recipe in a 10 inch pan.
The bain marie keeps the outside from cooking too fast and, they say, prevents cracking. Leaving the oven ajar after baking allows it to finish cooking in the center without further cooking on the outside.
And Pillog, I don't find any cheesecake has "fiddley bits"....a cheese cake is the easiest dessert I make.
I would say try it as written, but 3 pounds of cream cheese is a terrible thing to waste if it's not good! Why not post the ingredients here and those of us who have made many different cheese cakes may give you some hints?

Thanks, everyone, for the input, and the suggestion to post the recipe...here it is:

Make your favorite graham cracker crust for the springform pan--(EDITED TO ADD: use a 9 inch springform pan -- thanks for catching that Linda!)

Cheesecake:

32 ounces of cream cheese, room temp

1/3 C of regular white sugar

(and) 1 + 1/3 C more of regular white sugar

1⁄4 C of cornstarch

1 T vanilla

2 eggs, room temp

3⁄4 cup whipping cream (not whipped yet, just the cream as liquid!)

Put 8 oz of the cream cheese in a bowl and add 1/3 C of the regular white sugar and the 1/4 C of cornstarch and beat on low until creamy. Should take about 3 minutes.... after it's creamy, beat in the rest of the cream cheese.

After it's all mixed in, move the mixer to high and add the rest of the sugar (1 1/3 Cups) and the vanilla.

After this is incorporated, slowly beat in the eggs, one at a time, making sure you beat after each egg is added.

Slowly add the heavy cream and mix until just blended. Don't overmix.

Pour the filling into a prepared springform pan (you've already made the graham cracker crust), and wrap foil around the bottom of it. Then, place the foil-bottomed springform pan in a larger pan and add hot water so the water comes up about an inch from the bottom of the cheesecake pan.

Bake about an hour at 350 degrees. The center should have a tiny jiggle to it.

Carefull remove the cheesecake from the water bath, remove the foil, and cool the cheesecake on a rack for about an hour. Put in fridge for 4 to 6 hours, or overnight, then remove the springform pan and get ready to serve.

Says nothing about the size of pan to use....
It will be a very sweet and very soft cheese cake....in fact I would not make it. Too sweet for my tastes and even with the cornstarch, it will be very "creamy" and soft.
The cheese cake recipe I use most often is 4 packages of cream cheese,8 oz each ( 2 pounds)...1 1/4 cup sugar, 4 eggs, 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1/4 cup cream...or sour cream. 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract.
Beat the cream cheese with 3/4 cup sugar, add the eggs one at a time and beat...mix the cornstarch with the remaining sugar, beat in, add the cream and vanilla and pour into crust in a 8 inch spring form pan and bake at 300 degrees in a bain marie for 60 minutes....or more. Test it, if a tooth pick comes out fairly clean half way between the edge and the center, turn off the oven, prop the door ajar and let it sit for another hour. Remove and chill.
And I love a chocolate almond crust....I use chocolate Teddy bear cookies and add some ground almonds...and make it just like a regular graham cracker crust

Sooz, I used to make divine cheesecakes from the recipes on the Kraft Philadelphia cream cheese website. Actually, the recipes were printed on a little pamphlet stuck to the package. Iirc, it was 3 packages of cc, no cornstarch, no whipping cream, etc.. Fabulous compliments received. Never cracked. Check it out.

Linda, thanks for catching the pan size (I added that info) thing, and for including the recipe you use most often. Maybe I'll use that one instead of the one I posted--because it's a Linda T&T recipe!!! I do like a more dense-than-creamy cheesecake!

Westsider thanks for the info about the recipe you found on the Kraft website... I'll have to check that out as well!

Linda,

By "fiddly bits" I meant the fiddling with the temperature and cracking open the oven, rather than just throwing things in a pan and accepting so-so results.

For me, a standard butter cake is easiest to make, than a good cheesecake, but I believe you that it's your easiest. That doesn't mean that you're not applying skill. I thought butter cakes (standard cakes raised with baking powder, which in some parts of the country are called "pound cakes" which confuses the heck out of me who only uses "pound cake" for quatre-quarts) were dead easy until I saw the messes that some people make while ostensibly following a good recipe.