BA's Best Cheesecake

Preheat oven to 350°. Pulse 9 oz. graham crackers, chocolate wafer cookies, vanilla wafer cookies, or gingersnap cookies, in the large bowl of a food processor until fine crumbs form (you should have about 2 cups). Add 1 Tbsp. raw sugar and ¼ tsp. kosher salt and pulse just to combine. Add ½ cup (4 oz.) melted butter and pulse until mixture is the consistency of wet sand.

Transfer mixture to springform pan and, using a measuring cup, press crumbs firmly onto bottom and 2" up sides of pan. Bake crust until fragrant and edges just start to take on color, 12–15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

Preheat oven to 325°. Pulse 20 oz. cream cheese (2½ 8-oz. bars), room temperature, ¾ cup granulated sugar, and ¼ tsp. kosher salt in the large bowl of a food processor (no need to clean it first), occasionally scraping down sides of the bowl, until smooth. Scrape in the seeds from 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (save pod for another use), or add 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract. Add ⅔ cup sour cream, room temperature and ¼ tsp. finely grated lemon zest and pulse until smooth. Add 2 large eggs, room temperature and pulse to combine. Scrape cheesecake batter into cooled crust and bake until edges are set but center is still wobbly, 35–40 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Chill until firm, at least 2 hours. Do ahead: Cheesecake can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.