To make the cherry sauce:In a 2 quart saucepan, combine the frozen cherries, sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Stir to coat the cherries.

Over medium high heat, heat cherries until boiling.

Once the fruit mixture has come to a boil, allow the mixture to continue boiling for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning. If the mixture bubbles too furiously, turn the heat down.

The sauce is done when the cherry juice is thick and syrupy, it coats the back of a spoon, and the mixture has reduced to 2 cups. 

Allow the cherry mixture to cool completely before topping the cheesecake or storing in the fridge*. The sauce will thicken as it cools. 

To make the Graham Cracker Crust:Preheat the oven to 350º and spray an 8” or 9” springform pan or a cake pan with high sides with cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with a piece of round parchment paper and spray the parchment too. 

Crush the graham crackers into fine crumbs. This can be done in a food processor or with a rolling pin and a ziploc baggie.

In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and salt and give it a mix.

Pour over the melted butter and stir until the crumbs are evenly moistened and will clump together when squeezed.

Use a drinking glass with a flat bottom to press the crumbs into the bottom of the springform (or cake) pan.

Bake the crust at 350º for 12-15 minutes until golden brown around the edges. Once baked, remove the crust from the oven and lower the oven temperature to 325º.

To make the cheesecake filling: Add cream cheese to a large mixing bowl and beat on medium low speed until smooth—about 30-45 seconds.

Add the sour cream and mix until incorporated. Once mixed, use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.

Next, add the sugar and beat until well mixed. Turn the mixer down to low speed and add 3 tablespoons of lemon juice and vanilla extract, mix until blended. Give the batter a taste and add another tablespoon of lemon juice or a couple of drops more of vanilla if desired.

Turn the mixer back up to medium low, and add the eggs one at a time, mixing each egg thoroughly before adding the next. Give the mixing bowl a final scrape and finish mixing until the batter is smooth and all the ingredients are completely blended.

Pour the cheesecake filling over the prepared graham cracker crust.

Next, you'll need to prepare your water bath. Grab another cake pan or a roasting pan that is larger than the cake pan holding the cheesecake.

If using a springform pan, wrap the bottom and sides in foil to prevent water from getting into the cheesecake, if you're using a high sided cake pan, you can just set your cheesecake into the larger pan.

Pour hot, steaming water into the roasting pan, being careful not to splash water into the cheesecake. Add enough water to the roasting pan so that it comes up to the same height as the batter sitting in the cake pan.

Carefully transfer the water bath and cheesecake into the oven and bake at 325º for 55-65 minutes. The cheesecake is done when the sides have risen and puffed and the center jiggles but doesn't look wet. It should jiggle like gelatin, not like a liquid.

Turn off the oven and stick a wooden spoon in the oven door to keep it open a crack. Let the cheesecake cool in the oven for 1 hour.

Remove the cheesecake from the oven and the water bath and allow it to cool to room temperature before chilling overnight.

Unmolding and topping the cheesecakeIf using a springform pan: Simply run a thin knife along the edge between the cheesecake and the pan to loosen, and make sure to get down to the crust. Unhook the buckle and gently lift off the ring of the springform pan.

If using a cake pan without a removable bottom: Run a thin knife along the edge between the cake and the pan to loosen, and make sure to get down to the graham crust. Heat up some water until very hot and steaming, and pour it into a roasting pan or larger cake pan. Carefully dip the cheesecake pan in the very hot water for about 15 seconds and remove. Grab a dinner plate and place it over the top of the cheesecake pan and then flip the cake pan over. The cheesecake should slide out slowly onto the dinner plate, crust side up. If the cake doesn't slide out easily, dip the bottom of the cake pan again for a few seconds. Finally, grab your serving plate or a cake circle and carefully flip the cheesecake right side up.

After unmolding, spoon the cherry topping over the cake and serve.