A new dessert is another possibility. Although families may hold strongly to one traditional dessert, the crowd is often big enough to support the presence of one or two others. These are where creative cooks can shine. Keep scraping the sides as you beat in the sugar. When you add the eggs, any lumps that are there will remain, and you'll have little white dots all through your finished cake.
Many cooks worry about their cheesecakes cracking.
Whipping air into the eggs will cause the cheesecake to rise high, then fall, enhancing its chances of cracking. And don't overcook the cheesecake. The 3-inch circle in the middle of the filling should still jiggle and shake when the cheesecake is finished, according to author and food scientist Shirley Corriher. It will continue to cook with residual heat. Cooling and chilling will firm it, so don't worry about undercooking.