• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Prepare the pan: lay out two or three long strips of foil. Wrap the bottom and up the sides of a 9 or 10-inch springform pan with the foil making sure that the foil comes up at least halfway all the way around.

Crust:

• Make the crust: stir together the graham cracker crumbs and ⅓ cup sugar, then stir in the melted butter. I like stirring this with a fork so it doesn’t get clumpy. Press into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pan. Chill while you make the filling.

Cheesecake:

• Place 1 ⅓ cups granulated sugar and lemon zest in a small food processor and run to incorporate the zest into the sugar. This can also be done with a fork or whisk if you don't have a processor. This is to get lemon flavor into every bite of the sugar.
• Beat cream cheese with a stand mixer until smooth. Beat in lemon sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Mix in salt, lemon juice, and vanilla extract just until smooth, then add heavy cream and mix about 5 seconds. Be sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of your bowl throughout the mixing process to get any clumps of cream cheese stuck to the sides or bottom. Pour into crust.
• Place the cheesecake in a large roasting pan. Place pan in the center of your preheated oven. Pour the boiling water carefully in one corner of the pan, until it reaches about a third to halfway up the cheesecake.
• Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the cheesecake is just slightly jiggly in the center. Turn off the oven, prop open the oven door, and let it sit for one hour. Remove from oven and remove from water bath, then let it cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.