We know, this is an annoying step in the baking process. But there are two big reasons to bake cheesecake in a water bath. One is that you get a creamier texture when you bake in a water bath. And two is that the cheesecake is much less likely to crack. We tested this version without the water bath, and the top cracked quite dramatically. Yes, you can cover the cracks with the sour cream and crumb topping, but the texture difference really makes the water bath worth the hassle!