New York Cheesecake

For the crust

1. Preheat oven to 300F (150C).
2. Combine graham cracker crumbs and sugar In a medium-sized bowl and stir together. Add melted butter and use a fork to stir together until crumbs are moistened.
3. Pour crumbs into 9” springform pan and firmly press into the bottom and up the sides of your pan (if the crust won’t go all the way up the side of your pan don’t stress, my grandmother and my mother often make this recipe just pressing the crust flat into the bottom, either works!). Set aside.

For the cheesecake

1. Combine cream cheese and sugar in a large mixing bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment) and use an electric mixer to beat until smooth and creamy (don’t over-beat or you’ll add in too much air). Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure there are no lumps and then stir briefly again.
2. Add vanilla extract and salt and stir until combined, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated.
3. With the mixer on low speed, add lightly beaten eggs, one at time, stirring just until each egg is incorporated into the batter. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula again to be sure all ingredients are mixed.
4. Pour cheesecake batter into prepared springform pan and place on a parchment or foil lined baking sheet. Transfer to center rack of 300F (150C) preheated oven and bake for 60-70 minutes. To tell that the cheesecake is done, give it a light jostle. The center will still be jiggly (like jello) but the edges should be set. If you still aren’t sure if it’s done, you can use an instant read thermometer to check the temperature of the center of the cheesecake, it should read at least 165F/74C.
5. When cheesecake is done baking, remove from the oven and let cool at room temperature for 5 minutes before preparing the topping (leave the oven on as the cheesecake will return.)

For the topping

1. After the cheesecake has cooled for 5 minutes, combine sour cream, sugar, and vanilla extract and use an electric mixer to beat together until thoroughly combined.
2. Pour mixture evenly over the cheesecake and return to the 300F (150C) oven for 5 minutes.
3. Remove cheesecake from the oven and allow to cool for at least an hour before transferring to the refrigerator to chill overnight, or at least 6 hours, before serving.