Hi Mark!

A few tips on the cheesecake...

Start with the cream cheese at room temperature and only beat it until until all the packages are combined and no lumps of cheese remain. It should only take about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl frequently. If your mixer has a paddle attachment, it will be better than a whisk attachment because a whisk incorporates air and you don't want that to happen with a cheesecake. If you beat it for a long time to the point of frothiness, it would increase the volume and not fit in the pan. I use a regular springform, not a high-sided fancy one.

Did you start off the baking at 500 F? It's important for the initial "set" It is quite possible that your oven - as Judi pointed - out is not the correct temperature. Ovens frequently go out of whack and some ovens will be hotter or cooler in certain areas.

The texture you describe is almost right - cakey around the outside and creamy in the middle but it shouldn't be gooshy or runny. Slightly "jiggly" is right. Another wonderful kitchen tool is an instant read thermometer. Great for using on large cuts of meats and cheesecakes. With a cheesecake, the temperature in the middle should read 150 F. YOu don't really need one is your oven is right, but they are useful to have.

Karen