Lemon Cheesecake Recipe – Sally’s Baking Dependancy

Look no additional—that is the one lemon cheesecake recipe you’ll ever make once more. Savor each sweet-tart style of the creamiest, dreamiest cheesecake flavored with recent lemon, nestled between a buttery graham cracker crust and a layer of home made lemon curd. High with clouds of fluffy whipped cream and sunny lemon slices for a easy but eye-catching presentation.

3 Elements to This Lemon Cheesecake

• Graham Cracker Crust: A basic graham cracker crumb crust is the proper base for this lemon cheesecake. In the event you can’t discover graham crackers the place you reside, see the publish on tips on how to make a graham cracker crust for substitution data.
• Lemon Cheesecake Filling: This can be a velvety-smooth and creamy filling, not stick-to-the-roof-of-your-mouth-dense like New York-style cheesecake could be.
• Lemon Curd: We’re topping the baked cheesecake with a layer of lemon curd. Have you ever made it earlier than? It’s surprisingly simple—in the event you can whisk, you may make lemon curd!

Begin With a Crumb Crust

Make the Filling

You could possibly actually do that with any recipe that requires granulated sugar and lemon zest. Seize your food processor (one thing you additionally want for the graham crackers within the crust!) and pulse away:

The cheesecake filling components come collectively in a sure order. Beat the cream cheese and lemon zest-infused sugar collectively first, after which beat in the remainder of the components aside from the eggs. Add the eggs one by one, beating solely till mixed. Over-beating the eggs incorporates an excessive amount of air into the batter, which causes the cheesecake to deflate and crack.

Whereas a standard concern about baking cheesecakes is tips on how to stop cracks in cheesecake, it doesn’t matter as a lot for this recipe as a result of we’re protecting the highest with lemon curd. Nonetheless, I at all times bake cheesecake in a water tub. Cheesecake loves a damp surroundings so it will probably bake up {smooth}, creamy, tall, and crack-free. I normally use the standard water tub technique, but additionally clarify another within the recipe Notes under.

Comply with my exact directions for baking and cooling your cheesecake. I’ve stated it earlier than and I’ll say it once more: there’s no larger check to your willpower than these few hours ready for a cheesecake to bake and funky. Throughout this time, you may make the lemon curd topping.

Make the Lemon Curd

After the lemon curd-topped cheesecake has chilled fully, you possibly can garnish and serve.

Non-obligatory Garnishes

This lemon cheesecake is classy (or ought to I say, sublemon—LOL) topped with whipped cream. You could possibly additionally add recent lemon slices and berries, and raspberry sauce, blueberry sauce, or strawberry topping would even be scrumptious.

However further toppings are fully non-obligatory; nobody goes to show down a plain slice of this divine dessert, with its shiny halo of home made lemon curd.

Within the pictured lemon cheesecake, I piped the whipped cream with Wilton 1M piping tip, however you can additionally simply unfold it on high like I do with this pumpkin swirl cheesecake.

Lemon Cheesecake Success Suggestions

1. Room temperature batter: Make sure that all the cheesecake batter components are at room temperature so the batter stays {smooth} and combines rapidly. Beating chilly components will lead to a chunky over-beaten batter… hardly the best way you wish to begin!
2. Bake the cheesecake: The lemon cheesecake can take wherever from 55–70 minutes. It’s finished when the sides are set. Utilizing an oven mitt, give the pan a light-weight faucet. The very middle of the cheesecake ought to nonetheless be a bit wobbly.
3. Cool the cheesecake: Cheesecake doesn’t like huge temperature modifications, so cool it utilizing my assured technique: flip off the oven, crack open the door, and let the cheesecake sit within the water tub within the oven for 1 hour. After that, take away it from the water tub and place it on the counter at room temperature to completely cool.
4. Chill the cheesecake: After the cheesecake cools to room temperature, unfold cooled lemon curd on high and chill it within the fridge for not less than 4 hours and even in a single day.

Print

Lemon Cheesecake Recipe

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  Creator: Sally
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  Prep Time: 1 hour
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  Cook dinner Time: 1 hour
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  Whole Time: 8 hours (consists of chilling)
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  Yield: serves 16
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  Class: Dessert
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  Technique: Baking
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  Delicacies: American

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Description

Savor each sweet-tart style of the creamiest, dreamiest cheesecake flavored with recent lemon, nestled between a buttery graham cracker crust and a layer of home made lemon curd. You can also make this lemon cheesecake recipe a day upfront, so the cheesecake has time to set within the fridge, and the lemon curd has time to set on high. Add the non-obligatory whipped cream and lemon slices or berries proper earlier than serving.

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Graham Cracker Crust

Cheesecake

Toppings

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Directions

1. Alter the oven rack to the lower-middle place and preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
2. Make the crust: In the event you’re beginning out with full graham crackers, use a food processor or blender to grind them into high-quality crumbs. Pour right into a medium bowl and stir in sugar till mixed, after which stir within the melted butter. Combination shall be sandy. Press firmly into the underside and barely up the edges of an ungreased 9-inch springform pan. Pat down till the combination is not crumby/crumbly; you should utilize the flat backside of a small measuring cup to assist {smooth} it out if wanted. Pre-bake for 10 minutes. Take away from the oven and place the recent pan on a big piece of aluminum foil. The foil will wrap across the pan for the water tub in step 6. Enable crust to barely cool as you put together the filling.
3. Make the lemon sugar: Place sugar in your food processor or blender. Spoon lemon zest on high. Pulse/mix till the 2 are blended and the lemon zest is barely damaged down, about 10-12 pulses.
4. Proceed with the filling: Utilizing a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and lemon sugar collectively on medium-high pace in a big bowl till the combination is {smooth} and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice, bitter cream, and vanilla extract, then beat on medium-high pace till totally mixed. On medium pace, add the eggs one by one, beating after every addition till simply blended. After the ultimate egg is integrated into the batter, cease mixing. To assist stop the cheesecake from deflating and cracking because it cools, keep away from over-mixing the batter.
5. Pour cheesecake batter into heat crust. Use a rubber spatula or spoon to {smooth} it into a fair layer.
6. Put together the easy water tub (see Word for various technique): Boil a kettle/pot of water. You want 1 inch of water in your roasting pan for the water tub, so be sure you boil sufficient. I exploit a whole kettle of scorching water. Because the water is heating up, wrap aluminum foil across the springform pan. Place the pan inside of a big roasting pan. Fastidiously pour the recent water inside the pan and place within the oven. (Or you possibly can place the roasting pan within the oven first, then pour the recent water in. Whichever is simpler for you.)
7. Time-saving tip: If topping with lemon curd, which I extremely advocate, make the curd on the range because the cheesecake bakes, so it has time to chill earlier than utilizing in step 10.
8. Bake cheesecake for 55–70 minutes or till the middle is nearly set. (Word: in the event you discover the cheesecake browning too rapidly on high, tent it with aluminum foil midway by way of baking.) When it’s finished, the middle of the cheesecake will barely wobble in the event you gently faucet the pan. Flip the oven off and open the oven door barely. Let the cheesecake sit within the oven within the water tub because it cools down for 1 hour.
9. Take away from the oven, elevate out of the water tub, then cool uncovered cheesecake fully at room temperature.
10. High with lemon curd: After cheesecake has cooled fully at room temperature, unfold about 3/4 cup of lemon curd (round 1/2 of the curd recipe) on high, nearing the sting of the cheesecake with out spilling over. I exploit an offset spatula to unfold.
11. Refrigerate the cheesecake for not less than 4 hours or in a single day.
12. Use a knife to loosen the chilled cheesecake from the rim of the springform pan, then take away the rim. Add extra garnishes like whipped cream, lemon slices, and berries, if desired. I used Wilton 1M piping tip for the pictured whipped cream. Utilizing a clear sharp knife, lower into slices for serving. For neat slices, wipe the knife clear and dip into heat water between every slice.
13. Cowl and retailer leftover cheesecake within the fridge for as much as 5 days.

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Notes

1. Make Forward Directions: This cheesecake could be made the day earlier than. It has to relax for fairly a while earlier than serving. See step 11. If utilizing, you may make, cowl, and refrigerate the lemon curd as much as 10 days upfront.
2. Freezing Directions: One other method to make this cheesecake forward of time is to freeze it, and for finest outcomes, I like to recommend freezing with out the lemon curd topping and simply topping the cheesecake with the curd earlier than serving. Cool the cheesecake at room temperature. To freeze with the springform pan base: Take away the outer rim from the springform pan. Wrap the cheesecake with the underside of the pan with a couple of layers of plastic wrap, then a closing layer of aluminum foil. To freeze with out the springform pan base: After the cheesecake has fully cooled, run a pointy knife beneath the crust to launch it from the underside of the pan. Fastidiously slide it onto a parchment paper lined piece of cardboard or use a plate. Wrap all of it in a couple of layers of plastic wrap, then a closing layer of aluminum foil. With or with out the springform pan base, you possibly can freeze the cheesecake for as much as 3 months. Thaw in a single day within the fridge earlier than serving. Add toppings when serving cheesecake.
3. Particular Instruments (affiliate hyperlinks): Citrus Juicer | Citrus Zester | Food Processor | Electrical Mixer (Handheld or Stand Mixer) | 9-inch Springform Pan | Giant Roasting Pan for water tub | Offset Spatula | Piping Bag (Disposable or Reusable) and Wilton 1M Piping Tip if piping
4. Toppings: Along with the lemon curd, my favourite toppings for this cheesecake are whipped cream, recent lemon slices, and recent blueberries. Raspberry sauce, blueberry sauce, or strawberry topping would even be scrumptious. 
5. Various Water Tub Technique: If you don’t personal a big roasting pan or are nervous about your springform pan leaking, you possibly can bake the cheesecake instantly on the oven rack, above a big pan of scorching water on the rack under. Boil a kettle or pot of water. You want 1 inch of water in your pan for the water tub, so be sure you boil sufficient. Place a big metallic baking or roasting pan (I normally use a 9×13-inch baking pan—don’t use glass) on the underside rack of the preheated oven. Pour boiling water into pan, about 1 inch deep. Instantly place the cheesecake on the middle rack. Shut oven to lure the steam inside. This various water tub technique provides steam to the oven with out having the cheesecake sit within the water, so no have to wrap the springform pan in aluminum foil.
6. Room Temperature Components: Carry all chilly components to room temperature earlier than starting. Room temperature components mix rapidly and evenly, so that you received’t threat over-mixing. Additionally, beating chilly components collectively will lead to a chunky cheesecake batter, hardly the best way you wish to start!
7. Can I exploit Meyer lemons? Sure. No different modifications to the recipe.
8. Can I exploit limes? Sure. Or strive my key lime cheesecake.
9. Can I make mini lemon cheesecakes? Sure. For about 30 mini cheesecakes in a muffin pan, use the crust and filling above and observe the identical baking directions as these mini margarita cheesecakes. Or, for a smaller batch, observe the margarita cheesecakes recipe and swap the tequila, triple sec, and lime juice with 1/4 cup (60ml) lemon juice and the lime zest for lemon zest. Additionally, change the tequila and lime juice within the whipped cream with lemon juice. Be at liberty so as to add lemon curd on high of the cooled cheesecakes earlier than chilling.
10. Non-US Readers: Don’t have graham crackers the place you reside? Use 200g floor digestive biscuit crumbs (about 2 cups; 13–14 biscuits), 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar, and 6 Tablespoons (85g) melted butter. Pre-bake the crust for a bit longer, about 12–14 minutes. And from what I perceive, spreadable cream cheese offered in a bathtub in nations exterior of the US is just a little totally different from the spreadable cream cheese within the US, so could also be OK to make use of on this recipe. I’ve no expertise with it, however some non-US readers have reported success with straining off extra liquid earlier than utilizing. In the event you strive it, tell us the way it seems!

Key phrases: lemon cheesecake