With a fork, lightly beat egg yolks in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whip softened cream cheese on high speed until smooth and creamy. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine whipping cream, whole milk, granulated sugar, and sea salt. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until sugar dissolves.

Pour a small amount of hot cream into the beaten egg yolks. Continue tempering hot into cold, a few splashes at a time, stirring well after each addition, until you’ve added about half of the hot cream.

Pour tempered mixture back into the saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens, about 4-5 minutes.

Pour over whipped cream cheese and whisk until cheese dissolves. Whisk in lemon zest, vanilla bean paste, and vodka, if using.

Cool 10 minutes, then whisk again. Cover and refrigerate at least 12 hours, or overnight.

Whisk chilled base briskly to recombine.*

Pour into frozen ice cream maker, with bowl frozen according to manufacturer’s instructions. Churn until thick and creamy, about 15 minutes, or until consistency resembles soft serve ice cream.

With a flexible rubber spatula, scoop ice cream into a freezer-safe container. Freeze 2-4 hours prior to serving, or until ice cream reaches scoopable consistency.

Allow to stand at room temperature for 10-15 minutes prior to serving. Serve accompanied by warm cherry, blueberry, or strawberry compote.

Store homemade cheesecake ice cream in the freezer for up to 1 month. Prior to serving, allow ice cream to sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes, or until just soft enough to scoop.