Foolproof Cheesecake

Preheat the oven to 325°.

Make the crust: In a large bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs with the sugar and melted butter to combine. Press the mixture evenly into the base of an 9-inch springform pan. Bake until set, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool.

Make the cheesecake batter: In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the cream cheese, sour cream, heavy cream and sugar until well combined. Scrape well after mixing. Add the eggs one at a time, pulsing and scraping well after each addition. Add the zest, vanilla and salt, and pulse to combine.

Pour the batter over the cooled crust and transfer to the oven. Once the cheesecake is in the oven, reduce the temperature to 300°. Bake until the cheesecake is set but still slightly jiggly in the center, about 1 to 1½ hours.

Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake inside for 1 hour. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and refrigerate until fully cooled, about 2 hours.

Run a knife around the edge of the cooled cheesecake, then release it from the springform pan. Top with cherry preserves, if using. Slice and serve.