In a 1-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, stir together the cherries, sugar and salt.

Stir very frequently and carefully until the cherries start to release their juice. This only took 5 minutes (but this will vary on your pan size, type, etc). You do not need to add any liquid!

Once it’s hot and the cherries have released their juices, mix together the cornstarch with the water in a small bowl.

Turn the heat to medium and continue stirring very frequently until the mixture has thickened and coats the back of a spoon. It’ll thicken a bit more as it cools. This will take about 2-3 minutes. You’ll hear bubbling going on under the surface. You might start to get some bubbles around the edges. If it starts simmering before it thickens, turn the heat off. You don’t want to let it simmer too long. If you overcook cornstarch, it’ll cause stuff to break down.

Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in the vanilla extract and almond extract.

Place on a wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour. Then refrigerate until cold, about 2-3 hours. You can also chill it overnight or up to 3 days.

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar and salt until well combined.

Stir in the butter until well combined.

Press onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9” (23 cm) pie pan. Pat it as evenly as possible. Freeze the crust while you prepare the filling. Once frozen, you can place it in a large Ziploc bag for up to 2 weeks.

Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth and creamy.

Beat in the lemon juice and vanilla until combined.

In a separate medium or large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer or a stand mixer with the whisk attachment to beat the heavy cream. Start on low so it doesn't fly everywhere, and gradually increase the speed to high. Continue beating until you have stiff peaks. But don't overmix, or it'll break down into butter or can turn the filling soggy later on.

Gradually fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.

Transfer the cheesecake filling to the frozen crust and evenly smooth it out.

Chill for at least 4+ hours before topping it with the cherry filling.

There won’t be enough cherry topping to cover the entire surface of the filling, so start adding it in the center and then start making your way toward the edge of the pie.

The best thing to do is place the pan in a large springform pan. Then you can cover the springform tightly with plastic wrap or foil. If you place plastic wrap or foil directly on the cherry topping, it will stick to it. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.