• Preheat the oven to 350℉ and spray the inside of a 9” springform pan with cooking spray and fully line the pan. Add a piece of parchment paper to the bottom, and 2-3 strips of parchment to the sides, so they stick up slightly over the edges.

Graham Cracker Crust

• Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and melted butter in a bowl with a fork and mix until completely combined and the crumbs are completely moistened.
  2½ cups graham cracker crumbs , ⅓ cup granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ cup unsalted butter
• Add the crumbs to a 9” springform pan and press the crust into the bottom and the whole way up the sides of the pan. Be sure it’s very compact.
• Note: a ⅓ cup dry measuring cup with straight sides is great for this job.
• Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Reduce the oven temperature to 315℉. Place a 9x13" pan on the very bottom rack of the oven.

Cinnamon Sugar Filling/Prep

• Mix together the sugar and ground cinnamon and set aside.
  1½ cups dark brown sugar, 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• Set a pot of water to boil (about 6-8 cups). This will get poured into the 9x13" pan in the oven prior to baking.

Cheesecake Batter

• To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer on the very lowest setting), add the cream cheese and mix on low speed until broken down. Scrape down the sides.
  32 oz full fat cream cheese
• Add the sugar and cornstarch and mix on low speed until combined and smooth. Scrape down the sides again.
  1 cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• With the mixer running on low speed, slowly pour in the whisked eggs. Continue mixing until you can no longer see streaks of eggs. Scrape down the sides.
  4 large eggs
• Add the vanilla and sour cream and use a rubber spatula to fold it into the cheesecake batter until fully incorporated, being sure to get to the very bottom of the bowl.
  1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 1 cup full fat sour cream

Assembly

• Add ⅓ of the cheesecake batter to the cooled graham cracker crust and spread to meet the edges.
• Sprinkle half of the cinnamon sugar evenly on top.
• Add another ⅓ of the batter and spread evenly. Gently dollop it all over before spreading.
• Sprinkle on the remaining cinnamon sugar, then finish by adding the remaining cheesecake batter. Gently tap the pan on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles.

Baking

• Pull out the bottom oven rack and fill the casserole dish with the boiling water. Carefully push the rack back in, taking care not to slosh water over the sides.
• Close the door and allow the oven to come back to temperature for a few minutes.
• Add the cheesecake to the center rack of the oven and bake for 1 hour.

Sour Cream Topping

• While the cheesecake bakes, whisk the sour cream, sugar, and vanilla vigorously (by hand or with a mixer) until the sugar is dissolved. This takes a couple minutes.
  1½ cups sour cream, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla

Baking Continued

• *After 1 hour, gently pull the rack out and spoon on the sour cream mixture. Go from the outside in, and smooth it out. Bake for an additional 10 minutes.
• Once done, turn off the oven and crack the oven door. Allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven for 1 hour. Then, transfer to the counter to cool for another 30 minutes to one hour.
• Transfer to the refrigerator (uncovered) and chill for at least 6 hours, but overnight is best.
• Once fully chilled, dust the top with cinnamon, then slice and serve.