Lemon Cheesecake

This Lemon Cheesecake will make lemon lovers think they have died and gone to heaven. Ultra creamy with an incredible luscious lemon flavor. My family has requested that this cheesecake be at all holiday dinners moving forward.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Lemon Cheesecake, Lemon Cheesecake Recipe

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 1

Servings servings

Calories 343kcal

Author Heather

Ingredients

Lemon Cookie Crust

12 Lemon Shortbread Cookies *2 cups crumbled
1/4 cup butter melted

Lemon Cheesecake

4 8 oz cream cheese *softened to room temperature, 32 oz total
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
4 lg eggs *room temperature
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tbsp lemon zest *about 4-5 small lemons or 2-3 large lemons
1 tbsp lemon extract
1/4 tsp natural yellow dye *optional

Lemon Curd

2 lg lemons *zested, or 4-5 small lemons
1/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup granulated sugar
4 tbsp butter
3 lg eggs
pinch of salt

Topping

candied lemons *optional

Instructions

Lemon Cookie Crust

Preheat oven to 350℉.
In a food processor, process about 12 Lemon Short Bread Cookies to achieve 2 cups cookie crumbs. Place crumbs in a medium sized mixing bowl and add melted butter. Stir well.
Press cookie mixture evenly onto the bottom of an ungreased 9 inch spring form pan.
Note: If using graham crackers increase butter to 1/2 cup, use 2 sleeves of graham crackers and grease spring form pan.
Bake for 10-15 mins or until golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside. Keep oven temperature at 350℉.

Lemon Cheesecake

Beat cream cheese in a stand mixer until light and fluffly, scraping down sides halfway through. Add sugar and continue mixing until smooth and well combined.
On low speed, add 1 egg at a time making sure to scrap down sides with each addittion.
Once eggs are incorporated keep mixer on low speed and add in whipping cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, extract and natural dye.
Wrap the bottom of springform pan in 2 layers of aluminum foil and pour batter over the top of cookie crust. Place prepared spring form pan into a large roasting pan and carefully pour warm water into roasting pan, reaching about 2 inches in depth.
Carefully transfer roasting pan to preheated 350℉ oven and bake for approximately 1 hour or until center is slightly jiggly and the top is lightly golden brown. Turn halfway through baking.
Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. Once cheesecake is cool enough to touch, remove from water bath and continue to let cool to room temperature.
Chill in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours before applying lemon curd.

Lemon Curd

Using a vegetable peeler, zest lemons avoiding the white pith as much as possible.
In a food processor, process zest with sugar until zest is finely minced.
In a stand mixer cream butter with zest and sugar mixture. Add eggs once at a time and then lemon juice and salt.
Pour mixture into a stainless steel saucepan and cook over med/low heat, stirring constantly until sauce has thickened, about 10-12 mins. Do not boil the curd. It will thicken prior to simmering.
Remove from heat and chill.

Assembly

Once cheesecake has fully chilled, carefully remove from spring from pan and transfer onto platter. Top with chilled lemon curd and candied lemons.

Notes

*Please use as many organic ingredients as possible.

Nutrition