Strawberry Vanilla Cheesecake

Grease bottom of 9-inch (2.5 L) springform pan; line side with parchment paper. Set on large square of heavy-duty foil; press foil up side of pan.

Crust: In bowl, stir crumbs with butter until moistened; press onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake in centre of 350°F (180°C) oven until set, about 10 minutes. Let cool on rack.

Split vanilla bean in half lengthwise, scrape out seeds and reserve. In large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth; beat in sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in vanilla bean seeds, lemon juice and salt. Beat in sour cream. Pour over crust.

Set springform pan in larger pan; pour enough hot water into larger pan to come 1 inch (2.5 cm) up sides. Bake in centre of 325°F (160°C) oven until shine disappears and edge is set yet centre still jiggles slightly, about 1-1/4 hours.

Topping: Combine sour cream, sugar and vanilla; spread over cheesecake. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn off oven. Let cake stand in oven for 1 hour. Remove from water and transfer to rack; remove foil and let cool completely. Cover and refrigerate until set, about 2 hours. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 2 days or overwrap in heavy-duty foil and freeze for up to 2 weeks.)

Cut tops off strawberries. Place strawberries, cut side down, in concentric circle on top of cake.

In small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over water; let stand for 5 minutes to soften. In saucepan, stir together raspberry jam, softened gelatin, and liqueur (if using); heat over low heat, stirring, until melted and smooth, about 2 minutes. Brush over strawberries. Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 6 hours.)