david greenstein wrote:

> Can I bake a cheesecake somehow without a springform pan?
> Could I just butter another pan really well and then not expect to get
> the cake out?
> Or could I use wax paper somehow?

Alton Brown's cheesecake recipe calls for a round cake pan 9 inches across
and 3 inches deep, brushed with butter and then lined with parchment. Here's
his recipe (from foodnetwork.com):

Sour Cream Cheesecake

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown

Crust:
33 graham cracker squares, crumbled
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus additional, for brushing
the pan
1 tablespoon sugar

Filling:
20 ounces cream cheese
1 1/4 cups sour cream
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
3 yolks
1/3 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Brush some of the melted butter around a 9 by
3-inch cake pan. Adhere parchment to the bottom and the sides.

In a small bowl, combine crumbled graham crackers, the remaining melted
butter, and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Press 2/3 of the mixture into the bottom
of the parchment-lined pan. Place remaining crumbs on a sheet pan and bake
both the crust and the remaining mixture for 10 minutes. Cool. Reserve
additional crumb mixture for sides.

In a mixer with a paddle attachment, beat sour cream for 10 seconds. Add the
cream cheese and sugar and mix on low for 30 seconds and then turn up to
medium. Scrape the bowl.

In a separate container, combine vanilla, eggs, yolks, and heavy cream. With
the mixer on medium, slowly pour the liquid mixture in. When half of it is
incorporated, stop and scrape. Continue adding the mixture until the rest of
the ingredients are incorporated. Once completely combined, pour into the
cooled crust.

Lower oven temperature to 250 degrees F. Place cheesecake into a preheated
water bath, in the oven for 1 hour. Turn the oven off and open the door for
one minute. Close the door for one more hour. Remove the cheesecake from the
water bath and place in the refrigerator for 6 hours to completely cool
before serving.

When ready to serve, place the entire cake pan into a hot water bath for
about 15 seconds. Unmold onto a cake round or serving dish. Take the
remaining graham cracker mixture and press into the sides of the cake.

To slice, place your knife into a hot water bath and wipe dry each time you
make a pass through the cake.


BOB'S NOTE: I use animal crackers instead of graham crackers.