Becca's Birthday Cheesecake

For the Crust::

• 1-1/4 cups of graham cracker crumbs
• 3 Tbsp.  sugar
• 5 Tbsp. melted butter

For the Cheesecake:

• 3 (8 ounce) blocks of cream cheese, softened at room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• J1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 large eggs
• pinch of salt

For the Topping:

• 1 pint (2 cups) sour cream
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine crust ingredients together until well combined.  Press into a 9″ spring form pan, pressing crumbs into bottom and about 1 1/2″ up sides of pan.    

For the filling, combine the sugar and softened cream cheese in a large mixing bowl and beat together until smooth.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition.  Add the vanilla, lemon juice and salt and beat until smooth and creamy.  Pour into crust.

Bake at 350F degrees for 35-45 minutes.

While cheesecake is baking, mix together topping ingredients. 

After 35-45 minutes of baking, remove cheesecake from oven and turn oven down to 325F degrees. 

Pour topping over hot cheesecake, gently spreading to edges.  Return cheesecake to oven and bake for an additional 12-15 minutes.

Remove cheesecake from oven and leave sides on pan while allowing cheesecake to cool to room temperature.  

Refrigerate several hours (or overnight).

Source
Julie Jorgensen