Ingredients

  • For crust
  • 1.5 C Crushed graham crackers
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • For filling
  • 3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
  • Sour cream topping:
  • 1 C sour cream
  • 1/8 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Method

  • Make crust
  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Combine graham crackers, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in processor. Process until fine crumbs form. Mix in melted butter. Transfer to prepared pan. Pat crumb mixture over bottom (not sides) of pan. Bake crust until set and golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer to rack while preparing filling.
  • Make filling
  • Reduce oven temperature to 300°F. Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in large bowl until smooth. Beat in sugar. Beat in eggs just until blended. Mix in sour cream, lemon peel and vanilla.
  • Pour filling into crust-lined pan. Bake until sides of cheesecake puff slightly and center is just set, about 1 hour. Turn oven off. Leave cake in oven with door slightly open for 30 minutes.
  • Transfer cake to rack. Run small knife between crust and pan. Cool cake completely in pan on rack, (cake may crack slightly as it cools). Cover and refrigerate cake overnight.
  • Make toping
  • While the cheesecake is cooling, whisk the sour cream, sugar and vanilla together until smooth. Once the cheesecake has cooled for approximately 30 minutes, pour the sour cream topping over top. Using a rubber spatula or offset spatula, smooth out the surface.
  • Place back into the oven at 400°F and bake for about 7 minutes.
  • Cool cake completely in pan on rack. Cover and refrigerate cake overnight.