• Move the oven racks to the middle and lowest positions. Place a large roasting pan on the lowest rack.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F 162.7 C
• Place a kettle of water on the stove to boil.
• Spray a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray and line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Next, wrap the bottom of the springform pan in two layers of foil that cover the bottom and go up the sides of the pan. The foil will prevent the water from the water bath from seeping into the pan.

MAKE THE CHEESECAKE LAYER

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large bowl using a handheld mixer, add the cream cheese to the bowl. Beat the cream cheese until smooth and creamy.
• Add the sugar and salt and mix for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• Add the eggs and mix until combined.
• Next, add whipping cream, and vanilla. Mix until the mixture is smooth and combined.
• Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan. And smooth the batter into an even layer.
• Place the springform pan in the foil pan that’s in the preheated oven. Carefully pour the water from the kettle into the foil pan or roasting pan so that 1 inch of water surrounds the springform pan’s sides.
• Bake for 45 minutes, or until the cheesecake is firm to the touch and not jiggly.
• Remove the cheesecake from the foil pan and set it on a wire rack to cool for 1-2 hours.
• Once cooled, move the cheesecake (still in the springform pan) to the freezer to freeze until frozen solid, about 2-3 hours or overnight.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Instructions

• Start with the topping by dividing the melted butter equally between two 9-inch cake pans. Sprinkle 1/2 Cup of the brown sugar into each pan. Arrange the pineapple slices and cherries and, set them aside.
• Preparing and baking the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, add the sifted flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt, and whisk to combine.
• In a medium-sized bowl, add the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Whisk to combine, getting all the brown sugar lumps broken up. Whisk in the eggs, buttermilk, pineapple juice, yellow food coloring, and vanilla until combined.
• Add the wet mixture to the dry mixtures and mix until combined, with no dry spots or lumps.
• Evenly divide the batter between the two pans, about 2/3 of the way full, do not overfill! (one of the batters will be poured on the gram cracker crumb and the other on the pineapple topping)
• Line oven with foil or two cookie sheets, cakes may bubble over some. Bake for 48-53 minutes, covering loosely with foil at the 20-minute mark to avoid burning. Cakes are down when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
• Place cakes on a wired rack to cool for 10 minutes.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Assembly

• Place a gram cracker cake layer on your cake plate or platter.
• Remove the cheesecake from the freezer. Release the springform’s sides from the pan.
• Remove the cheesecake from the bottom pan by sliding a knife under the parchment. Peel the parchment from the bottom of the cheesecake.
• See how the size of the cheesecake layer compares to the pineapple cake layers. If the cheesecake layer is larger, shave off some of its exterior to get it to the same size as the pineapple upside-down cake layers.
• Place the cheesecake layer on top of the gram cracker pineapple cake layer that’s on the cake plate. Then top with the upside-down pineapple cake.
• Serve