With the pan of water, steam from the water will help keep the top of the cheesecake from cracking. However, there are two schools of thought on cheesecake – cook directly in a water bath or cook out of the water. I do the latter. I am more willing to deal with a cake with a bit of a sunken middle than I am willing to deal with water leaking into the pan. Even if wrapped with foil, there will still be condensation leaking into the springform pan. But if you still just need that absolutely perfect top and are willing to risk it, by all means stick the cake in the water to cook!
Calorie count is purely an estimate calculated using an online application to serve as a guide and not to be taken as accurate nutritional information. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.