Step 1

Preheat the oven to 325° and grease a 9 inch springform pan.You will need a large roasting pan that’s bigger and longer than the springform pan. (You can even use the aluminum foil disposable ones).If you are not sure about your springform holding up in water, you can wrap the outside of the springform pan in heavy duty aluminum foil from bottom up to the sides. Try to use a wide kind of foil so you would only need to use 1 solid sheet. (I recommend wrapping the outside of the springform in foil before adding the crust and cheesecake batter.)

Step 2

Although, there is a chance that a small amount of water will leak in, this will NOT ruin the cheesecake.

Step 3

Combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, vanilla extract, and brown sugar in a mixing bowl and mix very well.

Step 4

Spray inside of the springform pan with some cooking spray, making sure you get the sides too.

Step 5

Spread crumb mixture in the bottom of the prepared springform, evenly pressing it over the bottom and a little up the sides.

Step 6

Make sure to buy vanilla beans close to the time you need to use them. The longer vanilla beans sit, especially in a container that has been previously opened, the drier they become.

Step 7

Place the vanilla bean pod onto a cutting board and hold one end of it. Use a sharp pairing knife to slice through the top of the pod, lengthwise, all the way from one end to the other. (Make sure to always cut away from yourself.)

Step 8

Carefully open the vanilla pod to expose the beans on the inside. (If you accidentally cut through the whole vanilla pod, not a big deal! Just work with one half at a time.)

Step 9

Hold down the bean pod on one end to the cutting board, and use the dull part of the pairing knife to scrape the beans out of the pod. Make sure to scrape all the way from top to bottom.

Step 10

As you scrape the seeds, add them to the cream cheese block so you don't loose any beans.

Step 11

In a bowl of an electric mixer, beat cream cheese (with the vanilla beans) on medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy. I give it a good 2-3 minutes of beating to get is soft and smooth. Scrape sides and bottom on the bowl and beat for another minute.

Step 12

Pour in sugar while beating and add eggs, one at a time. Beat it until smooth. Stop to scrape bottom and sides of the bowl.

Step 13

Add sour cream, vanilla extract, and heavy whipping cream and beat, still on medium-high speed, until all mixed very well.

Step 14

Lower the speed to low and beat in corn starch. Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl and mix for a few more seconds to make sure everything is evenly mixed.

Step 15

Transfer batter into the springform and spread in evenly.

Step 16

Preheat oven to 325°.

Step 17

Place a large roasting pan into the oven and place cheesecake springform inside the roasting pan. Carefully add hot water to the roasting pan, about half way up the side of the springform.

Step 18

Bake for 85-90 minutes. Turn off the oven and open the oven door half way. Let cheesecake rest for 10 minutes and take it out of the oven. Take the foil wrap off the pan.

Step 19

Let it rest for 10 minutes on the counter and then gently run a butter knife between sides of the cheesecakes and the springform to carefully separate it. (You don’t actually have to take the cheesecake out of the pan until ready to serve.)

Step 20

Cool cheesecake for an hour and then cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.

Step 21

TIPS: Make sure the bowl and the whisk attachment are clean and dry. Chill the bowl of the electric mixer in the refrigerator for a few minutes and don’t take the heavy whipping cream out until ready to whip. Make sure to frost COLD, chilled cheesecake so whipped cream doesn't begin to melt.

Step 22

Beat cold heavy whipping cream, vanilla beans, and powdered sugar with a whisk attachment on medium-high speed. Slowly pour in vanilla extract while it's mixing and keep mixing until stiff peeks form. (Don't walk away, whipped cream forms pretty fast.)

Step 23

Use half of the whipped cream to spread over the cheesecake and another half to pipe rosettes or other decorative shapes.

Step 24

Cheesecake will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Store it in the original baking pan and make sure to re-wrap the pan with plastic wrap air-tight after each time you take out a slice.