Prep:

1. Bring all ingredients to room temperature
2. Preheat oven to 350F (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). Brush a little more butter on top of the parchment paper. Wrap the pan tightly with 2-3 large sheets of aluminum foil on the outside

Crust:

1. Grind the Graham crackers and sugar 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 ~8 min, then remove from the oven and change the oven temperature to 325F

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 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 cornstarch and mix at low speed until just combined. Keep scraping the bowl
4. 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
5. Place a large tray in the oven and fill it with 1-2 inches of boiling water. Place the cheesecake pan in the water and bake for about ~75-80 min. Don’t open the oven until at least 75 minutes. When done, the cheesecake should have firm, set edges but be very jiggly in the middle
6. Remove the pan from the oven and let the cheesecake cool at room temp for 15 min. Then run a butter knife or offset spatula around the edge of the cheesecake so it is no longer sticking to the edges of the pan (it will still remain inside the pan; do NOT open the pan or release its edges!). This step helps make sure the cheesecake does not crack as it cools down, but is not necessary if you have lined the edges of the pan with parchment paper as the parchment will naturally pull away from the pan as the cheesecake cools
7. Cool the cheesecake for 2-3 hours at room temp. After this, place it in the fridge and chill overnight, uncovered (12+ hours)

Serving:

1. Once the cheesecake has chilled overnight, 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
3. Serve and enjoy!

Video Tutorial: