Shopping List

Ingredients

16 ounces cream cheese (2 bricks Philadelphia, do not use "organic" or other "natural" cream cheese)

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3 large eggs

3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

3 cups sour cream (26 ounces)

3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs or other cookie crumb (for optional “crust”)

10 ounces fresh or frozen cherries, pitted

4 1/2 tsp cornstarch

1/8 tsp almond extract

Equipment

8-inch x 2 1/2 inch spring form pan (a 9-inch pan is fine, your cake will just be thinner and the baking time should be reduced, 10-inches is too big).

Large roasting pan or other similar pan that is at least 1 1/2 inches deep and at least 2 inches bigger than you spring form pan.

Heavy duty aluminum foil, preferably the 18-inch wide kind

Electric mixer, stand or hand held.

Large mixing bowl

2-3 quart saucepan

Whisk

Rubber spatula

Cake board or cake plate that has a flat part that is at least as wide as the cake.

Plastic wrap