Crust

1. Before starting, preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C).
2. Prepare a 9″ springform pan, line the inside walls with parchment paper and spray the bottom and sides of the pan with a nonstick cooking spray. Set aside
3. Pulse graham crackers, granulated sugar, and melted butter together in a food processor. Continue to pulse it until the mixture resembles beach sand, and keeps its form when pressed together.
4. Pour the cracker mixture into the bottom of the pan and level it out. Use the bottom of a cup or measuring cup to firmly press the crumbs into an even layer.
5. Bake the crust for about 10 minutes, then remove it from the oven and allow it to cool while you make the cheesecake filling.

Cheesecake Filling

1. Prepare a large pot of water to boil as you prepare the cream cheese mixture.
2. Place the softened cream cheese into a large bowl. If you have a paddle for your mixer, you will want to use that to beat the cream cheese. Otherwise, you can use a beater.
3. Beat the cream cheese on medium-low until it is smooth and creamy – about 1- 2 minutes.
4. Then, add in the sour cream and continue to mix until thoroughly incorporated.
5. Add the vanilla, salt. and lemon zest and continue to mix on medium-low. Use your spatula and clean the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is being incorporated.
6. With the mixer on, slowly add in the sugar and continue to mix until thoroughly incorporated.
7. Change the mixer to low, and slowly add the eggs one at a time, and continue to mix until well incorporated. This should take a minute or two.
8. You can remove the beater. Use a spatula along the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix the mixture a few times to make sure everything is really well incorporated. Set the cream cheese mixture aside.

Assembly

1. Pull out your crust again. Tear off two large sheets of aluminum foil and wrap them around the base. For an extra barrier, because nobody wants a soggy cheesecake crust, I baked my cheesecake in a large oven bag. If you want to try this, you can put the tinfoiled pan inside the bag with the bag pushed down around the sides. Pour the cheesecake into the pan and level it off a bit to make an even layer.
2. Tap the cheesecake on the counter a few times to release any bubbles. You can also use a toothpick or skewer to pop any obvious bubbles.
3. Pour the boiling water into a large roasting pan until the water is about 1- 1 1/2 inches deep and place the springform pan wrapped with the aluminum foil and oven bag directly in the water.
4. Transfer the roasting pan to the oven and bake for about 60-65 minutes at 325°F (163°C). The center of the pan should be slightly jiggly, but otherwise set.
5. Turn the oven off and allow the cheesecake to sit in the oven to cool for an hour before removing.
6. After an hour, you can remove the cheesecake from the oven and place on a cooling rack. While the cheesecake is still warm, you can use a knife and run around the edges to release it from the pan.
7. If you used parchment paper around the edge, you can run it around the outside of the parchment paper, or skip it altogether if you prefer.
8. Allow the cheesecake to cool completely before covering with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge overnight – or at least 5 hours at the very minimum if you are really impatient like me.