Classic American Cheesecake

Ingredients

 * 2 lbs cream cheese, room temperature
 * 1 cup sugar
 * 1 teaspoon vanilla
 * ½ teaspoon salt
 * 4 large eggs
 * 1 lemon, zest of, of finely grated

Crust

 * ⅓ cup unsalted butter
 * 1½ cups dry cookie crumbs, such as gingersnaps or graham crackers
 * 3 tablespoons sugar
 * melted butter, for brushing pan

Directions

 * 1) Preheat oven to 300°F.
 * 2) Brush a 9-inch spring-form pan generously with melted butter.
 * 3) For crust:.
 * 4) Melt butter, stir in cookie crumbs and sugar.
 * 5) Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan, spreading evenly with the back of a spoon.
 * 6) Bake until lightly toasted- about 13–15 minutes.
 * 7) Remove from oven and cool.
 * 8) For the cheesecake:.
 * 9) In an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, beat cream cheese until soft.
 * 10) Add sugar, vanilla and salt.
 * 11) Add eggs one at a time, beating until smooth and scraping down the sides after each addition.
 * 12) Stir in zest.
 * 13) Pour batter into spring-form pan and bake until done.
 * 14) Turn oven off and leave door slightly open for 1 hour.
 * 15) Transfer to refrigerator and chill overnight.
 * 16) Remove sides of spring-form and cake on pan base.