I didn’t bake mine in a water-bath as none of my large pots fit in the tiny cube I call an oven. The texture isn’t affected by this, but your cheesecake will definitely be golden-brown instead of the pure white you would have gotten using a water-bath. This is not a problem though, as I spread a thin layer of tempered chocolate onto the cooked and cooled cheesecake, which provides a nice texture and makes it look pretty.