New York Cheesecake

Preheat oven to 350. Beat cream cheese and sugar until very smooth (3 min), preferably with a whisk beater. Beat in cornstarch if desired. Add eggs 1 at a time beating after each addition. Add lemon juice, vanilla and salt and beat until incorporated. Beat in sour cream just until blended. Line an 8 inch by 2.5 inch springform pan with parchment and wrap the outside of the pan with foil to prevent seepage. Pour batter into prepared pan. Set pan in larger pan and surround it with 1 inch of very hot water. Bake 45 minutes. Turn off oven without opening door and let cake cool for 1 hour. Remove to a rack and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate over night. To unmold, have a serving plate and a flat plate 8 inches in diameter, covered with platic. Place pan on heated burner and move it around for 15 seconds. Wipe side of pan with hot, damp towel. Run a thin metal spatula around sides of cake and release springform pan. Place plastic wrapped plate on top and invert. Remove bottom of pan and parchment. Reinvert onto serving plate and smooth sides with metal spatula. Note: If cornstarch is omitted, a small amount of liquid will seep out after unmolding. It can be absorbed with a paper towel. The author prefers to skip the cornstarch as the cake is more creamy. For a denser cake that holds moisture without cornstarch, use 6 egg yolks instead of 3 whole eggs. This can be baked in an 8x3 cake pan. To unmold, run a thin spatula aaround the sides, place the pan on heated burner for 10-20 seconds, and then invert.