I send out a big thank you to Stan Wishnafski for this recipe. He was a retired pastry chef, and we attended the same church for several years. I remember that he would often bring entire cheesecakes to church, to give to people as a way to say thank you. I called it the cheesecake ministry! Stan said, One of the more unusual characteristics cheesecake is the ripening process; it should be made at least 24 hours in advance. The dramatic difference between cured and uncured cake is hard to believe. It seems to increase in quality for at least 2 days, getting creamier while maturing. From my experience eating this, it's a lot like Costco cheesecake, rich and light at the same time, and not gummy like cheap cheesecakes.