Always use room temperature cream cheese, eggs, sour cream, and heavy cream for even and smooth mixing.
Beat cream cheese first and separately to smoothen it out before adding other ingredients.
Overmixing can make the batter airy and cause the cheesecake to become spongy and cracked.
Mix in eggs gradually one at a time to avoid uneven mixing.
Water bath helps in even heating and keeps the cake from curdling and cracking.