Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a 9-inch spring form pan and line the bottom with baking paper.

For the crust: pour the melted butter into the crushed Graham crackers and mix until all the crumbs are soaked. Pour the mixture into the pan and shape the bottom crust by pressing it with a spoon. Refrigerate while making the cheesecake batter.

For the topping: In a small saucepan, heat the cherries with the water, sugar and vanilla. Stir on a low heat until the syrup lightly thickens. Remove from the heat and let it cool.

Using an electric mixer or a whisk, cream the sugar with the cream cheese and vanilla extract. Add the salt.

Mix-in the eggs one at a time. Do not over-beat the mixture to prevent aerating the batter. Add the heavy cream, sour cream and lemon juice. Mix well.

Add 3-4 tablespoons of flour, one at a time, then mix to prevent lumps.

Pour the batter into the spring form pan with the crust.

Wrap the bottom of the spring form pan with aluminum foil and place it on a baking tray. Pour hot water on the tray up to an inch on the side of the pan.

Place it in the preheated oven and bake for about 1 hour or until the sides are slightly puffed and the center is set or a little wobbly.

Turn off the heat and let the cake stay inside the oven for 1 hour to prevent cracking.

Take the cheesecake out and run a knife on the side of the cake to release it from the pan. Let it cool completely to room temperature. Refrigerate for 5-6 hours or overnight to let the cake set properly.