Cheesecake

Method

1. mix3 min
   by hand
   graham cracker crumbs + 1 tbsp sugar + melted butter, until the crumbs clump when pressed — then press firmly up the sides and across the base of a 6 in springform. Loose crumbs float off into the batter and make the bottom greasy rather than crisp.
2. bake10 min
   350°F
   the crust alone, until it smells toasted and sets. A raw crust turns to paste under a wet custard; a pre-baked one stays a barrier.
3. mix4 min
   low speed, paddle
   cream cheese + 0.5 cup sugar + flour + salt, scraping the bowl twice, until absolutely no lumps remain. This is the only stage that can smooth the batter — cold cream cheese never fully breaks down, and once eggs are in, more beating only adds air. Air is what makes a cheesecake dome and then crack as it cools.
4. mix2 min
   lowest speed
   + sour cream + heavy cream + vanilla + lemon juice, just to combine. The acid firms the set slightly and cuts the flatness of pure dairy.
5. fold2 min
   minimal agitation
   + eggs one at a time, stopping the moment each disappears. Eggs are the entire structure here; whipped eggs mean a soufflé that collapses into a crater.
6. bake60 min
   325°F, water bath, foil-wrapped pan
   set the springform in a larger pan, wrap the base in foil against seepage, and pour boiling water halfway up the sides. Bake until the outer inch is set and the middle 2 in still wobbles as one mass when nudged — around 150°F at the center. The water caps the edge temperature at boiling, so the custard sets evenly instead of curdling at the rim; a cheesecake baked to a firm center is already overcooked and grainy.
7. rest60 min
   oven off, door ajar
   leave the cake in the cooling oven, then run a thin knife around the rim while still warm. Cracks come from the custard contracting faster than the crust it is stuck to — a slow cool and a released edge give it nowhere to tear.
8. store360 min
   refrigerated, uncovered 1 hr then loosely covered
   chill at least 6 hours, ideally overnight. The set is not finished when the cake is cool — the fat has to recrystallize, which is what turns a soft baked custard into something that slices cleanly. Cover only after the surface is dry, or condensation will bead on top.