Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C with an oven rack in the center. Wrap the base and sides of a 9 inch / 23 cm springform pan well with aluminum foil, and transfer to a large baking pan such as a casserole dish, or large cake pan (this will serve as the water bath during the final stage of baking).

Make the crust: in a medium bowl, stir the cookie crumbs, sugar, butter, and salt to combine. Press the mixture evenly into the base of a 9 inch / 23 cm springform pan.

Transfer the pan to the oven and bake the crust until lightly golden, 10-12 minutes. Let the crust cool to room temperature.

Reduce the oven temperature to 325° / 160°C. Bring a large kettle of water to boil to use for a water bath.

Make the cheesecake: in a food processor, process the cream cheese for 1 minute. Scrape the bowl well. In a small bowl, whisk the sugar, flour, and salt to combine. Add this mixture to the mixer, and process until evenly incorporated. Scrape the base and sides of the bowl well.

Add the eggs one at a time, processing each until it’s fully incorporated, and scraping the bowl well before adding the next.

Add the sour cream and pulse to combine. Scrape the bowl well, then add the cream and vanilla and pulse to combine. Scrape the bowl well, and pulse one more time to ensure it’s totally smooth.

Pour the custard into the cooled crust. Gently transfer the dish containing the springform pan to the oven and fill the dish with boiling water, ideally so it comes about halfway up the sides of the springform pan.

Bake the cake for 20 minutes, gently rotate the pan, and bake for 20 minutes more. The cake should be lightly browned at the edges and the surface and should appear visibly souffled and puffy.

Reduce the oven temperature to 275°F / 135°C and bake for 10 to 15 minutes more, until the cake jiggles slightly in the center when you gently shake the pan.

Turn the oven off and open the oven door to vent out the heat. Leave the cheesecake inside for 10 minutes, then let cool at room temperature for 1 hour. Unwrap the foil from around the pan.

Chill the cake for at least 8 hours before serving. To unmold, using a small offset spatula, run it around the outside of the cheesecake to loosen, then gently remove the outer ring. Using a large spatula, gently loosen the base of the cheesecake and transfer to a platter.

Make the sour cherry topping: In a medium pot, toss the cherries and ¼ cup (50 g) sugar to combine. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the cherries are juicy. In a small bowl, stir the cornstarch, salt, and the remaining ¼ cup (50 g) sugar to combine. Stir into the cherry mixture.

Bring to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture visibly thickens. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla, if using. Let cool completely.

Keep the cheesecake chilled until ready to serve. To serve, spoon the cherry topping on top of the whole cheesecake.