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1
Heat the oven to 160 °C. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar. Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the base of a 23 cm springform pan to a depth of 5 mm. The surface should feel compact and hold its shape when pressed with a finger.
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2
Beat the room-temperature cream cheese on medium speed until completely smooth. Add the sugar and beat until incorporated. Cold cream cheese will leave lumps that no amount of further mixing will correct; the mixture at this stage should be perfectly homogeneous and glossy.
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3
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing only until each disappears into the batter. Add the vanilla, lemon juice, and sour cream or heavy cream, and mix just until combined. This is where the dish lives or dies: overmixing beyond this point incorporates air that will cause the cake to rise in the oven and crack as it cools. The batter should be smooth and ribbon-like, with no visible streaks.
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4
Wrap the outside of the springform pan tightly in two layers of heavy-duty foil, sealing it against water ingress. Pour the filling over the crust. Set the springform inside a larger roasting pan and pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to come 2–3 cm up the sides of the springform.
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5
Bake at 160 °C for 60–75 minutes. The cake is done when the edges are fully set and matte, and the centre — roughly a 7–8 cm circle — gives a distinct, slow jiggle when the pan is gently shaken. It should jiggle, not slosh. The centre will appear slightly underdone; it is not.
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6
If using the sour cream topping, stir the sour cream and sugar together and spread in a thin, even layer over the surface of the baked cake. Return to the oven for 5 minutes. The topping should appear just set and opaque.
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7
Turn off the oven, crack the door open, and leave the cake inside for 1–2 hours. Rapid cooling causes cracking. When the cake has reached room temperature, transfer to the refrigerator and chill for a minimum of 4 hours before unmoulding. The fully cooled cake will be dense, firm to the touch at the edges, and uniformly set across its surface.