Lemon cheesecake baked in a water bath, topped with lemon curd and whipped cream

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter in a bowl until it resembles wet sand.

Wrap a 9-inch springform pan well in a few layers of aluminum foil so the water bath cannot seep in. Press the crumbs into the bottom and a little up the sides with the hands or the bottom of a measuring cup.

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

Beat room temperature cream cheese in a stand mixer with the paddle about 30 seconds until creamy, then switch to the whisk attachment, scraping the paddle clean, for a smooth, lump-free filling.

Add the sugar with a small pinch of salt, the 4 eggs and a small splash of vanilla; combine and scrape the bowl.

Add the sour cream; for a plain cheesecake, stop here.

Add freshly squeezed lemon juice and lemon zest and mix until combined; finish smoothing with a spatula.

Pour into the crust. Set the pan in a larger high-sided pan and pour boiling water halfway up as it slides into the oven.

Bake at 350 about an hour. At 45 minutes, lightly tent with foil if browning too much on top and bake about 10 minutes more, until the edges look set and the center still jiggles a little.

Cool to room temperature, take out of the pan, cover and refrigerate overnight; the foil should not touch the top.

Whisk heavy cream with a small splash of vanilla; once it starts to thicken add confectioners sugar and whip to stiff peaks.

Microwave the lemon curd about 30 seconds to loosen it, let it cool, and spoon it over the chilled cheesecake.

Pipe the whipped cream around the edges with any tip.

Variation: at serving, dust confectioners sugar around the edges and add fresh mint and fresh lemons; without the lemon, omit the lemon and use any jam or just whipped cream.