Start by bringing all your ingredients to room temperature.

Preheat your oven to 350F (conventional) for the crust.

In a food processor, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter, and blend until smooth.

Grease a 9” springform pan and pack the crust mixture tightly into the bottom. Optionally, you can push it up the sides a bit. Bake for 8 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 325F.

For the cheesecake filling, beat the cream cheese, granulated sugar, salt, and vanilla in a mixing bowl until creamy for about 3-5 minutes, scraping down the bowl as you go.

Beat the eggs in a separate bowl and then gradually add them to the cream cheese mixture, mixing on low speed until just blended. Don’t overmix!

Add the heavy cream, sour cream, lemon juice, and cornstarch, mixing on low speed again just until combined.

Pour the cheesecake batter into the prepared crust and wrap the bottom of the pan tightly with aluminum foil.

Place a large baking tray filled with 1-2 inches of boiling water in the oven, and then put the cheesecake pan in the water bath. Bake for approximately 75-80 minutes. The edges should be firm, while the center is slightly jiggly.

Let it cool in the oven for 15 minutes with the door slightly ajar. Carefully run a knife around the edge, then let it cool at room temperature for 2-3 hours before refrigerating overnight.

Decorate with whipped cream before serving. Enjoy!