Baked Ricotta + Cream Cheesecake with Strawberries

It's been awhile since I baked a cheesecake. I still have yet to perfect my technique and discover new mixtures and proportions for a recipe I would keep as my personal cheesecake Fail-Proof-Basic recipe. I'm open to new ideas and a friend of mine; Shaun, lead me to this website JoyofCakes.com which provided me with lengthy information about cheesecakes and many useful tips on baking them well. I decided to give the recipe a couple of alterations (we like our cheesecake with a thick cookie base) and tried it out today. Left out the cranberry sauce though....Cranberries send shivers down my spine! sOo SOuR!
Initially; I was aiming for an artistic pink swirl design on top of my cake. I was thinking of filling the center with berries and exposing the pretty corners with swirls of pink and beige. Unfortunately....tips from the website on "how-not-to-crack-the-surface-of-your-cake" did not really work on mine. *tear* My cake CRACKED! *sob* It was a shame....I must have gone wrong somewhere along the lines of removing the cake from the oven too quick or not topping up the bain-marie with enough water. *sigh* I quickly patched up my cake with a couple of strawberries and some homemade jam I whipped up in the microwave.
It guess it still looks okay. The bright side is; we get to eat the cake with delicious fresh berries! Enough with my babbling; here's the recipe!
Base:

250g digestive biscuit crumbled
2 tbsp castor sugar
70gs unsalted butter melted

Stir these ingredients together and press the mixture firmly into the base of a springform tin. Refrigerate while you make the filling.
Filling:

1 1/2 cup soft ricotta cheese
500g Philadelphia cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp corn flour
4 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Beat cream cheese in a large mixing bowl on high till fluffy. Add in ricotta and sugar and beat on low till smooth (no lumps). Add in one egg at a time, beat well after each addition. Add in corn flour and vanilla. Pour mixture on to the cookie base. Wrap the bottom of the cake time with 2 layers of thick foil paper and place into a larger tin/ bain-marie filled with water until at least 3/4 the height of the cake. Bake in preheated 170 degree oven for 1 hour. The sides of the cake should be set and slightly brown when its done and the middle should still be a little wobbly. Leave to cool in the oven with the oven door open for about 30 minutes before taking the cake out. Loosen sides of the springform tin and remove and decorate when absolutely cooled if you wish. Refrigerate for at least 7-8 hours before serving; overnight preferably.

How did I make the swirls? no secret...
I poured the cheesecake filling into the tin and left about 1/2 cup of filling in the mixing bowl. I dropped in a couple drops of red non-flavoured food colouring and mixed the mixture into a smooth pink colour. I spooned the mixture into the center and slowly swirled the design around the corners with the back of a fork.

Edit:
Tasting verdict:
The cake had a grain-ny texture, despite my "beat till smooth" and "strain ricotta in sieve" steps...I wouldn't say this combination was a good one. I've baked creamier and smoother cheesecakes with only ricotta / cream cheese.