Make room for the pie pan containing your blind-baked crust in your refrigerator.

Make the pudding filling: in a small pot, whisk the milk, heavy cream to combine. Heat over medium-low heat until the mixture is warm but hasn’t begun to simmer yet.

While the mixture heats, whisk the sugar, cornstarch, and salt to combine in a medium, heat-safe bowl. Add the egg and whisk until the mixture is combined.

When the milk mixture comes to a simmer, remove it from the heat. Whisking constantly, gradually add about a third of the hot milk mixture to the egg-yolk mixture in a slow, steady stream until combined. Transfer the contents of the bowl to the saucepan and whisk well to combine.

Heat over medium-low and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture begins to thicken, 2-3 minutes. (Once the mixture thickens, you may find it easier to switch to a silicone spatula for stirring.) Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil with large bubbles breaking at the surface, 2 to 3 minutes more.

Remove the saucepan from the heat, and whisk in the cream cheese and the vanilla. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into the baked and cooled pie crust. Press plastic wrap or beeswax wrap directly on the surface of the custard (this prevents a “skin” from forming) and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours.

While the pie chills, make the cherry topping. In a medium pot, toss the cherries and lemon juice to combine. In a small bowl, stir the sugar and cornstarch together to combine. Add this mixture to the cherries and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the cherries are softened but not broken down and the mixture has thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the vanilla and almond extracts. Transfer the topping to a shallow baking dish or baking sheet to help it cool quickly to room temperature.

Once it’s cooled, store the cherry topping in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. When the pudding filling has chilled completely and set, spread the cherry topping over the surface in an even layer. Refrigerate until ready to serve (up to 2 days).

When you’re ready to serve the pie, make the whipped cream: in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, whip the cream until it begins to thicken, 1 to 2 minutes. With the mixer running on medium speed, add the sugar mixture in a slow, steady stream, then continue to whip to medium peaks. Add the vanilla, and mix to combine.

If desired, transfer the whipped cream to a pastry bag fitted with a large round or star tip (about ¾ inch/2 cm wide), and pipe the whipped cream on top of the pie. Or, just spread the whipped cream over the surface in an even layer. The pie is now ready to be sliced and served. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve, and store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.