James, cheesecake, unfortunately, has a tendency to crack. I don't know why that is.

Here's a version that seems to be less prone to that than others I've tried:

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Butter
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
(2) 8-oz pkg soft cream cheese
1/2-3/4 cup sugar or Splenda for low carb version
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin
1/2 cup sour cream
4 eggs
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon'1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
pinch salt

Preheat oven to 300.

Butter bottom and side of a 9 1/2 inch springform pan. Sprinkle bottom with chopped pecans, distributing evenly.

Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract. Add pumpkin and sour cream. Beat thoroughly. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each. Add cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Mix thoroughly.

Pour batter over nuts. Bake 60-70 minutes until a knife placed in center comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes fefore removing from pan. Chill 2 hours bbefore serving.

This worked well with individual springform pans as well. Oddly, the cooking time stayed the same.

Hi, James. Both of these have been hits:

RICH CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE (serves 10-12)
1 1/2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup butter, melted
Two 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
8 oz sour cream
Six (1 oz) squares semisweet chocolate, melted
1 TBL + 3/4 tsp cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup whipping cream, whipped
Garnishes: additional whipped cream, sliced almonds, chocolate curls
Combine first 3 ingredients, mixing well. Press mixture into bottom of a 9" springform pan; chill. Beat cream cheese until light & fluffy; gradually add sugar, mixing well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in sour cream, melted chocolate, cocoa & vanilla; mix well. Gently fold in whipped cream; spoon into prepared pan. Bake in a preheated 300° oven for 1 hour. Turn off oven; allow cheesecake to cool in oven 30 minutes. Open door & allow cheesecake to cool in oven an additional 30 minutes. Refrigerate 8 hours. Remove sides of springform pan & garnish, if desired. Can be frozen.~~
From Food for Thought.

PRALINE CHEESECAKE WITH PECAN SAUCE
Crust:
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup pecans, chopped & toasted
4 TBL butter, melted
Preheat oven to 350°. Combine the crumbs, sugar & pecans in a bowl. Add the melted butter & mix well. Press the crumb mixture over the bottom & 1 1/2" up the sides of a 9" springform pan. Bake 10 minutes.

Filling:
Three 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup evaporated milk
2 TBL flour
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup pecan halves, toasted

Beat together the cream cheese, brown sugar, evaporated milk, flour & vanilla. Add the eggs & beat just until blended. Pour into the hot baked crust. Bake 50-55 minutes. Cool in the pan 30 minutes, loosen the sides of the springform & remove the rim. Cool completely. Arrange the pecan halves on top of the cheesecake.~~

Pecan Sauce:
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
2 TBL cornstarch
2 TBL butter
1/2 cup broken pecan pieces

In a saucepan, mix the brown sugar & cornstarch. Add 1 1/2 cups of water. Bring to a boil & stir over medium heat until thickened & bubbly, about 5 minutes. Stir in the butter & add the pecans. Serve the sauce over the cheesecake or pass in a sauceboat.~~Without Reservations

Personally, cracks in cheesecake don't bother me but there's info below on some causes.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cracks in cheesecake

This is my favorite cheesecake from The Frugal Gourmet (Jeff Smith) on Our Ancestors. It is creamy and not real sweet.

New York Style Cheesecake

Crust
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted

Blend the cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter and line the bottom of an 8 or 9 inch ungreased springform pan.

Filling
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups sour cream
2 T butter, melted
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 pound cream cheese, softened

Blend sour cream, sugar, eggs and vanilla in mixing bowl until smooth. Add the cream cheese and butter. Blend until smooth.
Pour into the springform pan.
Bake in the lower third of a 325 degree oven for 45 minutes.
**When the baking is finished, remove the cake from the oven, and turn the oven on to broil. Broil the cheese cake just until the top begins to show attractive spots of brown.
Refrigerate for 4 hours, or preferably overnight, before cutting and serving.
**I don't bother with the broiling and I leave it in the oven (turned off) with a wooden spoon holding the door open a bit until it cools. This is done to help prevent cracking; it doesn't work every time!

Hi James, Here's a recipe I begged my Aunt Mildred for, about 20 years ago. Her New York cheesecake. She generously shared it with me, and I have 'wowed' many guests with it. I always get requests for the recipe. It's very creamy and delicious. Aunt Mildred said there would be less likelyhood of it cracking by following her directions for cooling it. I've not had any cracking problems. Here's her recipe:

New York Cheesecake
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup (1 stick) of melted butter
1 cup sugar - divided (2 Tablespoons for crust, the remainder for the filling)
2 pounds cream cheese, (allowed to sit at room temperature till softened)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup sour cream

Blend together well, the graham cracker crumbs, butter and (2 Tablespoons) sugar. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a greased 9 inch springform pan. Chill the springform pan in the freezer while you perpare the filling. Heat the oven to 450ð. Beat the cream cheese and sugar till smoothe and light. Beat in the eggs, vanilla and cornstarch just till blended. Stir in the sour cream. Pour the mixture into the prepared springform pan. Bake 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 200ð and bake an additional 45 minutes. Turn oven off. Open door slightly. (Aunt Mildred used a wooden spoon to have her oven door cracked a peep) Let cool 3 hours in the oven. Carefully remove the sides from the springform pan. Chill the cake thoroughly in the refrigerator. Then top with a glaze before serving, if desired.

Aunt Mildred also gave me the recipes for her 2 favorite glazes on this particular cake. One is strawberry and the other is pineapple. I'll give you those recipes too.

Strawberry Glaze
1 quart fresh strawberries - rinsed and hulled
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup water
2 Tablespoons butter
8 drops of red food coloring
1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Crush enough berries to make 1/2 cup. Set remaining berries in the refrigerator. In a saucepan mix sugar and cornstarch. Gradgually add the crushed berries and water, stirring till well blended. Bring to a boil stirring constantly. Boil and stir for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and food coloring. Strain. Cool slightly. Add lemon juice. Cool completely. Carefully arrange reserved berries on cake. Cut very large berries in half, and place cut side down. Spoon cooled glaze over berries. Chill in refrigerator.

Pineapple Glaze
1 - 9 ounce can crushed pineapple (drained)
2/3 cup syrup from the drained can of pineapple
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Blend syrup and cornstarch in a saucepan. Bring to a boil stirring constantly. Continue to boil and stir for 3 minutes. Cool slightly. Add pineapple. Cool completely, and spoon over cake. Chill in refrigerator.

I just tried a new recipe today from Paul Dean from the Food Network. Its a cheese cake tart. Super!!!! Even my teens loved it.
Missy from Texas

I've used this recipe for many years. Always creamy and no cracking. Scroll down this post for recipe: http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/cooking/msg0520353927008.html

Here is a link that might be useful: Or see cheesecake recipe here