Preheat oven to 325°F.
Crust:
Stir together all of the crust ingredients, mixing until thoroughly combined.
Press the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of a pie or springform pan, making a thicker layer on the bottom than on the sides. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
Filling:
In a large bowl, mix together the room-temperature cream cheese (make sure it is completely softened in order to prevent lumps) and sugar until smooth. Add the sour cream, vanilla extract, and lemon juice; combine well. Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until just blended. If using an electric mixer, set at low-medium speed to avoid beating too much air into the batter.
To make cheesecake:
Wrap heavy-duty aluminum foil once around the springform pan (if using regular foil, wrap twice), press foil around the edges of the pan tightly to prevent water from seeping in.
Pour the cheesecake batter on top of the crust. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the batter into the crust and smooth the top. Place the springform pan inside of a large roasting pan. Carefully pour the hot boiling water inside of the roasting pan and place in the oven.
Transfer roasting pan to the oven and bake the cheesecake for 60 to 70 minutes. Cheesecake is done when it slightly jiggles evenly across the top when lightly shaken. Turn oven off and crack open the oven door 1-inch, and let the cake cool in the oven, as the oven cools, for another hour. This gentle cooling will help prevent the cheesecake surface from cracking. Remove from water bath and cover loosely and transfer to refrigerator; chill for a minimum of 4 hours, or overnight.
Salted Caramel:
Heat sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula. Carefully stir until sugar melts into a thick brown, amber-colored liquid. Be careful not to burn.
Once sugar is completely melted, immediately add the butter. Stir the butter into the caramel until it is completely melted, about 2 minutes.
Carefully pour in cream and immediately whisk to combine (it will bubble vigorously). Whisk until mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon of salt. Allow to cool down; transfer to a glass jar.
Right before serving cheesecake, drizzle salted caramel and top with pecans (if using). Enjoy!
** Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for several days; freeze for longer storage.
