• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
• Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, butter and cinnamon. Press firmly into bottom and sides of a 9-or 10-inch springform pan. Set aside.
• Beat room temperature cream cheese and gradually add sugar a little at a time. The trick to making this cheesecake extra creamy is beating the cream cheese and sugar really well before adding the eggs. I like to whip the mixture until it is very smooth and fluffy. Add in vanilla bean paste or extract. Scrape edges, beat again.
• Now add the eggs one at a time and mix just until smooth and incorporated.

  *Use a spatula to scrape edges and bottom of the bowl, make sure there are no remaining lumps*.
• Pour filling into crust. Bake 1 hour and 5 minutes. No water bath is needed!
• In a mixer or medium bowl, whisk sour cream, sugar and vanilla.

  When your cheesecake has baked for 1 hour and 5 minutes, remove from the oven and spoon sour cream topping evenly on top of cheesecake. Lightly spread with a spatula or spoon and return to oven for 10 minutes more.
• Cool 25 minutes or so before slowly opening and removing your springform pan.
• I like to allow mine to cool enough to room temperature that I can add plastic wrap over the top without it causing condensation. It will still get a little bit in the fridge, but you can remove the wrap and dab the top with a paper towel if needed.
• Refrigerate (I like to make it the day before or give myself 6-8 hours of setting time in the fridge) before decorating with the American Flag topping.

American Flag Topping

• Make a batch of the lemon buttercream. This is optional but will be so pretty to pipe in-between the fruit.
• With a large knife, very lightly mark lines for where you would like to add your blueberries and the stripe lines with the raspberries.
• Add fruit.
• Use a star nozzle to pipe frosting in-between the fruit stripes.