CRUST

• Grease and line your loaf pan with parchment paper
• For the crust, in a bowl, combine your graham cracker crumbs with melted butter and brown sugar. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of your greased and lined baking dish. Use the flat bottom of a cup to press down firmly into the bottom of the pan. Freeze the crust for 15 minutes
• Preheat oven to 325°F
• Bake the crust for 15 minutes, until the crust is deeply golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

FILLING

• For the cheesecake, add your cream cheese to a bowl and beat with a mixer on medium-high until smooth. Mix in your sour cream, heavy cream, and vanilla until combined
• In a small bowl, whisk together your sugar and flour to remove any clumps before mixing into your cheesecake batter
• Add half of your beaten eggs into your batter, mix until combined, and then mix in the remaining half
• Pour your cheesecake batter over your cooled crust. Use a spatula to spread evenly in the pan
• Bring 4-6 cups of water to a boil. Place your cheesecake on the center rack of your oven. Place a large casserole dish on the rack below where your cheesecake will be and quickly (but carefully!) pour your boiling water into it until it reaches about halfway up your dish. Shut the oven door immediately to trap all of that steam inside the oven!
• Bake your cheesecake at 325°F for 38-42 minutes. When it’s done, there will be a slight wobble in the center of the cheesecake, like set JELLO. Turn the oven off, but crack the door slightly, leaving the cheesecake in the oven for another hour
• After an hour, remove the cheesecake from the oven and allow it to cool completely at room temperature before covering it with foil and refrigerating it for 8 hours or overnight