Is this not one of the most gorgeous things you’ve ever seen?

Let’s just admire it for a moment.

Do I really need to say anything?

Other than: this is one of the best cheesecakes I’ve ever had. And yes, it does have something to do with the fact that I made it myself, and that I’m immensely proud of it. That it was so cooperative during our photo shoot earned it a lot of points, too. I never expected it to taste as good as it looks, but O…M…G. I took my first bite and giddiness set in.

Soft and creamy with more than a hint of citrus, an extra-thick buttery graham cracker crust, and a syrupy cherry topping that is both sweet and tart, this cheesecake is just luscious. Naughty. Dangerous. So dangerously good I had to do a drop-off at the neighbor’s, like, ASAP.

I combined a couple of different recipes here, dangerous in itself seeing as how this is only the second cheesecake I’ve ever made. But I was extremely pleased with the tweaking I did, starting with the crust: I used a recipe for a New York cheesecake crust (bigger than a regular cheesecake), reasoning that you can never have too much buttery graham cracker. I was right (duh).

But while I’m being all smug here, I might as well tell you that, still not having reached anything close to baking perfection, I flippantly dismissed one key instruction in the recipe, which resulted in my cheesecake being slightly underbaked in the middle, which at this point is cliche. I don’t expect any different, so it’s fine.

Cherry Cheesecake, adapted from Baking Illustrated and Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:

For the crust

• 15 graham crackers (sheets measuring 4 3/4 x 2 1/2 inches), finely ground
• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt

For the cheesecake

• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 tsp lemon zest (I just eyeballed this and might’ve used more than 1 tsp)
• 1 tsp orange zest (ditto)
• 3 8-oz packages of cream cheese, cut into rough 1-inch chunks, at room temperature
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

For the cherry topping

• 12 oz frozen or fresh pitted cherries (I used frozen dark, sweet cherries)
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1/2 cup water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees with rack in the middle. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan.
2. Make the crust. Combine all the crust ingredients, either in a food processor or by smashing the graham crackers in a sealed plastic bag, then transferring them to a bowl and mixing them with the rest of the ingredients. Press into the springform pan, using one cup of the crumb mixture for the sides of the pan. (Use the bottom of a glass or a ramekin to press down on the mixture, and use a teaspoon or rubber spatula for the sides.)
3. Bake until fragrant and golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool on a wire rack to room temperature, about 30 minutes. When cool, wrap the outside of the pan with 2 squares of aluminum foil; set the springform pan in a roasting pan.
4. While the crust is cooling, combine the sugar with the lemon and orange zest, either in a bowl with your fingers or in a food processor. (Make sure it’s well combined.)
5. In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese on low speed to soften it slightly, about 5 seconds. Add the sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until creamy and smooth, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Reduce the speed to medium-low and add the eggs 2 at a time; beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl well after each addition. Add the vanilla and salt and mix until just incorporated, about 5 seconds longer. Add the heavy cream. Give the batter a final scrape, stir with a rubber spatula, and pour into the prepared springform pan; fill the roasting pan with enough hot tap water to come halfway up the sides of the pan.
6. Bake until the center jiggles slightly, the sides just start to puff, the surface is no longer shiny, and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the cake reads 150 degrees, 55 to 60 minutes. Turn off the oven and prop open the oven door with a potholder or wooden spoon handle; allow the cake to cool in the oven for 1 hour. (So this is the part where I was like NO WAY because I’m impatient and it’s 87 degrees outside, which was stupid because then I just baked more stuff in the oven anyway. I did take my cake’s temperature after 60 minutes, and it was about 153 degrees, which is when I took it out of the oven and let it cool at room temperature in the water bath.)
7. Transfer the springform pan without foil to a wire rack and cool the cake to room temperature, about two hours. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 5 hours, preferably 24. (Mine probably chilled for about 16.)
8. Make the cherry topping. (You can make this a day in advance and refrigerate it.) Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then continue boiling for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Cool completely before spreading on cake, either to room temperature or chill in the refrigerator.
9. When cheesecake is chilled, remove the sides of the springform pan and top with the cherry topping.

Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.