Lemon Cheesecake Recipe – Sally’s Baking Habit

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 contemporary lemon, nestled between a buttery graham cracker crust and a layer of do-it-yourself lemon curd. Prime with clouds of fluffy whipped cream and sunny lemon slices for a easy but eye-catching presentation.

Right here we have now a pure lemon cheesecake. I tailored this recipe from my fashionable key lime cheesecake recipe. Some opinions have mentioned they’d love much more key lime taste, so I stored that in thoughts right here, and infused somewhat extra contemporary zest into the batter.

Plan forward to make this cheesecake—ideally, the day earlier than you propose to serve it. It wants time to bake, cool, and set within the fridge. Don’t all of us want somewhat me time earlier than a giant occasion? 😉

3 Elements to This Lemon Cheesecake

• Graham Cracker Crust: A traditional graham cracker crumb crust is the proper base for this lemon cheesecake. Should you can’t discover graham crackers the place you reside, see the publish on easy methods 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—when you can whisk, you may make lemon curd!

Begin With a Crumb Crust

The recipe is principally the identical as my conventional graham cracker crust, however with extra crumbs and fewer butter, as a result of cheesecake is so heavy and moist. Observe that I take advantage of somewhat extra crumbs right here than what I take advantage of for normal cheesecake as a result of right now’s batter is somewhat thinner. (And subsequently you wish to begin with a barely drier crust.)

The crust seems buttery, delicate, and crunchy on the identical time. Give it a 10-minute head begin within the oven earlier than including the filling.

Make the Filling

Have you ever ever tried vanilla sugar earlier than? I ask as a result of we’re doing one thing related right here. Some readers have talked about they might love extra lime taste in my key lime cheesecake, and so I wished to amp up the lemon taste in right now’s recipe with out really altering the bottom recipe.

Pulse lemon zest with the sugar you want for the cheesecake filling. This infuses the sugar with lemon taste. As an alternative of the lemon zest simply sitting within the batter, it’s now damaged down within the sugar (which, together with the cream cheese, is the bottom of the filling). Very simple.

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

The cheesecake filling elements 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 elements aside from the eggs. Add the eggs one after the other, 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 typical concern about baking cheesecakes is easy methods to stop cracks in cheesecake, it doesn’t matter as a lot for this recipe as a result of we’re masking the highest with lemon curd. Nonetheless, I at all times bake cheesecake in a water bathtub. Cheesecake loves a moist surroundings so it might bake up {smooth}, creamy, tall, and crack-free. I often use the normal water bathtub technique, but additionally clarify another within the recipe Notes beneath.

Comply with my exact directions for baking and cooling your cheesecake. I’ve mentioned it earlier than and I’ll say it once more: there’s no higher take a look at 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

I’ve an entire separate web page devoted to do-it-yourself lemon curd, with a video tutorial to assist. That is an optionally available topping, however accelerates the lemon taste within the dessert. I strongly suggest including it!

Cool the lemon curd utterly. Then unfold it on prime of the lemon cheesecake after the cheesecake has cooled to room temperature, and earlier than chilling within the fridge. You need the lemon curd to sit back and set on prime of the cheesecake.

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

Non-obligatory Garnishes

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

However additional toppings are utterly optionally available; nobody goes to show down a plain slice of this divine dessert, with its shiny halo of do-it-yourself lemon curd.

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

Lemon Cheesecake Success Suggestions

1. Room temperature batter: Be certain the entire cheesecake batter elements are at room temperature so the batter stays {smooth} and combines rapidly. Beating chilly elements will lead to a chunky over-beaten batter… hardly the way in which you wish to begin!
2. Bake the cheesecake: The lemon cheesecake can take anyplace from 55–70 minutes. It’s performed when the perimeters are set. Utilizing an oven mitt, give the pan a light-weight faucet. The very heart of the cheesecake ought to nonetheless be a bit wobbly.
3. Cool the cheesecake: Cheesecake doesn’t like huge temperature adjustments, so cool it utilizing my assured technique: flip off the oven, crack open the door, and let the cheesecake sit within the water bathtub within the oven for 1 hour. After that, take away it from the water bathtub 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 prime and chill it within the fridge for at the least 4 hours and even in a single day.

Print

Lemon Cheesecake Recipe

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  Writer: Sally
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  Prep Time: 1 hour
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  Prepare dinner Time: 1 hour
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  Complete Time: 8 hours (consists of chilling)
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  Yield: serves 16
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  Class: Dessert
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  Methodology: Baking
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  Delicacies: American

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Description

Savor each sweet-tart style of the creamiest, dreamiest cheesecake flavored with contemporary lemon, nestled between a buttery graham cracker crust and a layer of do-it-yourself lemon curd. You may make this lemon cheesecake recipe a day prematurely, so the cheesecake has time to set within the fridge, and the lemon curd has time to set on prime. Add the optionally available 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. Modify the oven rack to the lower-middle place and preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
2. Make the crust: Should you’re beginning out with full graham crackers, use a meals processor or blender to grind them into wonderful crumbs. Pour right into a medium bowl and stir in sugar till mixed, after which stir within the melted butter. Combination will likely be sandy. Press firmly into the underside and barely up the perimeters of an ungreased 9-inch springform pan. Pat down till the combination is now not crumby/crumbly; you need to use 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 bathtub in step 6. Permit crust to barely cool as you put together the filling.
3. Make the lemon sugar: Place sugar in your meals processor or blender. Spoon lemon zest on prime. 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 absolutely mixed. On medium pace, add the eggs one after the other, beating after every addition till simply blended. After the ultimate egg is included 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 good layer.
6. Put together the straightforward water bathtub (see Observe for different technique): Boil a kettle/pot of water. You want 1 inch of water in your roasting pan for the water bathtub, so be sure to boil sufficient. I take advantage of a whole kettle of sizzling water. Because the water is heating up, wrap aluminum foil across the springform pan. Place the pan inside of a giant 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 less complicated for you.)
7. Time-saving tip: If topping with lemon curd, which I extremely suggest, 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 sort of set. (Observe: when you discover the cheesecake browning too rapidly on prime, tent it with aluminum foil midway via baking.) When it’s performed, the middle of the cheesecake will barely wobble when 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 bathtub because it cools down for 1 hour.
9. Take away from the oven, carry out of the water bathtub, then cool uncovered cheesecake utterly at room temperature.
10. Prime with lemon curd: After cheesecake has cooled utterly at room temperature, unfold about 3/4 cup of lemon curd (round 1/2 of the curd recipe) on prime, nearing the sting of the cheesecake with out spilling over. I take advantage of an offset spatula to unfold.
11. Refrigerate the cheesecake for at the least 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 sit back 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 prematurely.
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 number of layers of plastic wrap, then a ultimate layer of aluminum foil. To freeze with out the springform pan base: After the cheesecake has utterly 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 number of layers of plastic wrap, then a ultimate 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 | Meals Processor | Electrical Mixer (Handheld or Stand Mixer) | 9-inch Springform Pan | Massive Roasting Pan for water bathtub | 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, contemporary lemon slices, and contemporary blueberries. Raspberry sauce or strawberry topping would even be scrumptious. 
5. Various Water Bathtub Methodology: If you don’t personal a big roasting pan or are nervous about your springform pan leaking, you possibly can bake the cheesecake straight on the oven rack, above a big pan of sizzling water on the rack beneath. Boil a kettle or pot of water. You want 1 inch of water in your pan for the water bathtub, so be sure to boil sufficient. Place a big steel baking or roasting pan (I often 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 different water bathtub technique provides steam to the oven with out having the cheesecake sit within the water, so no must wrap the springform pan in aluminum foil.
6. Room Temperature Substances: Carry all chilly elements to room temperature earlier than starting. Room temperature elements mix rapidly and evenly, so that you received’t threat over-mixing. Additionally, beating chilly elements collectively will lead to a chunky cheesecake batter, hardly the way in which you wish to start!
7. Can I take advantage of Meyer lemons? Sure. No different adjustments to the recipe.
8. Can I take advantage of 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 comply with the identical baking directions as these mini margarita cheesecakes. Or, for a smaller batch, comply with 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 prime 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 bought in a bathtub in nations outdoors of the US is somewhat 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. Should you strive it, tell us the way it seems!

Key phrases: lemon cheesecake