Prep:

1. Bring all ingredients to room temperature
2. Preheat oven to 300F (conventional / no fan)
3. Prepare a 9" springform pan. Lightly brush softened butter inside the pan and line it with parchment paper (I recommend a parchment circle on the base, and a separate strip of parchment along the sides of the pan). 

Crust:

1. Grind the Graham crackers in a food processor until they form a fine crumb. Add the melted butter and pulse until combined 
2. Transfer the crust ingredients to the prepared pan. Pack very tightly using the back of a measuring cup. You can push a little up the edges, or leave it all on the bottom for a slightly thicker crust
3. Bake the crust in the pre-heated oven for ~7-8 min, then remove from the oven

Cheesecake:

1. First, whisk the cream cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla for ~3-5 min until well combined and creamy. Keep scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl and the paddle / whisk to ensure everything combines evenly. I recommend using the paddle attachment of your stand mixer
2. Break the eggs in a separate bowl and whisk lightly. Don’t overbeat because if the eggs get airy they will give a spongy texture to the cheesecake. Add them to the batter slowly and mix at a low speed until JUST combined 
3. Add the cream, sour cream, and lemon juice and mix at low speed until just combined. Keep scraping the bowl and whisk / paddle
4. Prepare the pan with the baked crust for the water bath. Either wrap it tightly with 2-3 large sheets of aluminum foil on the outside, or gently place it inside a silicone water bath protector
5. Pour the batter into the baked crust. Gently tap the cheesecake pan on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles; this will help prevent cracking
6. Place a large tray in the oven and fill it with ~1 inch of boiling water. Place the cheesecake pan in the water and bake for about ~75-80 min in the middle rack. Don’t open the oven until at least 70 minutes. When done, the cheesecake should be set at the edges but be very jiggly in the middle (like jello!). The exact time may vary depending on your oven, the color of your pan(s) and how much water is in your bath - so trust the jiggle test over the clock!
7. Cool the cheesecake for 1-2 hours at room temp. After this, place it in the fridge and chill for at least 6 hours (or overnight), uncovered, until it's fully cooled and firm to touch. Fridges can vary, so make sure the cheesecake is fully set before removing from the pan (overnight is usually safe!). I chill the cheesecake with the aluminum foil / silicone protector still in place

Serving:

1. Once the cheesecake has chilled, carefully remove it from the pan and transfer to a serving stand. If there are any imperfections, you can use a hot offset spatula to smooth them out
2. Optionally, decorate the cheesecake with plain whipped cream and / or berries. Serve and enjoy!

Video Tutorial: