Ingredients
- 1¼ cups graham cracker crumbs (about 1 inner package in a regular-sized box)
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 7 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 8-ounce packages full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1¼ cups white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 2 egg yolks, beaten
- 1½ 16-ounce containers of sour cream
- Fruit or berries of your choice, for garnish (optional)
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Butter a 10-inch springform pan and then cut a circle and a strip of parchment paper and use them to cover the interior sides and bottom of the pan (the butter holds it in place). Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter. Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 15 minutes, and then remove to cool. Turn the oven down to 325° and place a cake pan filled with water on the bottom rack.
To make the filling, beat the cream cheese until smooth in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the sugar. Beat until well combined. Add vanilla and almond extract, and the beaten eggs and yolks. Continue beating at medium speed, stopping to scrape down the sides, until smooth and well combined. Add sour cream. The final mixture should be very smooth. Pour it into the pan with the crust. Bake for an hour or slightly longer, until the filling is set and no longer shiny. It will continue to set as it cools. Cool completely at room temperature before refrigerating to avoid cracking.