Ingredients

Makes 1 Cake

　　

For chocolate-almond crust

3/4 cup blanched whole almonds, toasted lightly

　　20 thin chocolate wafer cookies

　　1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened

　　1/3 cup sugar

　　1/2 teaspoon almond extract

　　1/4 teaspoon salt

　　

For cherry topping

3/4 teaspoon unflavored gelatin

　　1 tablespoon water

　　3 cups pitted picked-over fresh tart cherries (about 2 pints)

　　1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

　　1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

　　1/4 teaspoon almond extract

　　

For cheese filling

two 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened

　　1 cup sugar

　　3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

　　3 large eggs

　　an 8-ounce container sour cream

　　2 teaspoons vanilla

　　1/2 cup cherry juice reserved from making topping

　　

Make crust:

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350° F.

　　

Step 2

In a food processor pulse almonds until ground. Add chocolate wafer cookies and grind fine. Add butter, sugar, almond extract, and salt and pulse until combined well. Transfer mixture to a 9-inch springform pan and press evenly onto bottom and 1 inch up side. Bake crust in middle of oven 10 minutes and transfer to a rack to cool. Crust may be made 3 days ahead and kept, covered, at room temperature.

　　

Make topping:

Step 3

In a very small bowl sprinkle gelatin over water and let stand about 1 minute to soften. In a heavy saucepan bring cherries, sugar, and lemon juice to a boil, stirring. Remove pan from heat and reserve 1/2 cup juice for filling. To mixture remaining in pan add gelatin mixture and almond extract and stir until gelatin is dissolved.

　　

Make filling:

Step 4

In a bowl with an electric mixer beat cream cheese with sugar until smooth. Beat in flour and add eggs 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in sour cream, vanilla, and reserved cherry juice until combined well.

　　

Step 5

Pour filling into crust and bake in middle of oven 50 minutes. (Cake will not be set in center but will set as it cools.) Transfer cake in pan to a rack to cool completely. Chill cake, loosely covered, 1 hour. Remove side of pan and transfer cake to a plate. Spread topping evenly over cake. Chill cake, loosely covered, at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.