This lemon curd cheesecake recipe combines the tangy freshness of lemon with the creamy decadence of cheesecake into an absolutely irresistible lemon cheesecake. Whether you're a fan of tangy treats or simply looking to add a burst of sunshine to your dessert table, this lemon curd cheesecake will surely give you rave reviews!
This recipe is adapted from my easy cheesecake recipe, and there is no sour cream or heavy cream in the batter. For the lemon flavor, I have not only added lemon juice and zest into the filling, I even topped this homemade cheesecake with a layer of my favorite lemon curd. Plus, I have made a taller crust for this cake as you can see in the image below. The buttery crust extends all the way up the sides of the cake and makes a perfect combo with the creamy filling and tangy topping.
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❤️Why you will love this recipe
- This is an easy homemade cheesecake recipe with homemade lemon curd.
- The recipe makes a deliciously creamy cheesecake with tangy lemon curd, making this a perfect cheesecake for any lemon lover with its power packed lemon flavor.
- The recipe comes with easy step by step instructions so it is fairly easy to make, even for beginner bakers.
- The combination of tangy and sweet lemon curd, buttery digestive biscuit or graham cracker crumbs crust and creamy lemon cheesecake filling makes this a perfect lemon dessert.
📋Ingredients
Crust
- Digestive biscuits / cookies (or Graham Crackers ) - these form the crunchy base for this cheesecake.
- Granulated sugar (Caster sugar) - sweetens the cheesecake crust.
- Butter (melted) - I use salted butter. Unsalted butter will work fine as well.
Filling
- Cream cheese (softened) - use full fat cream cheese that is sold in block. Spreadable version will not work for this recipe. For best results, the cheese should be softened to room temperature.
- Granulated sugar (caster sugar)
- All purpose flour + salt - mix these together before adding into the creamed cheese mixture.
- Lemon juice + lemon zest - use fresh lemons and strain the juice to remove any seeds.
- Vanilla extract - adds flavor to the cake. Use pure vanilla extract for best flavor.
- Eggs - Use large eggs.
Topping & Garnish
- Lemon curd - this sweet and tangy curd is made with egg yolks, sugar, butter and lemon juice. You will not need the whole batch. Extra can be kept refrigerated for other use.
- Meringue cookies (optional) - these can be purchased or made in advance.
*Refer to the recipe card below for exact quantities of the ingredients above. For best results, use a digital kitchen scale where applicable*
🧾Substitution and variations
- If you wish to make a larger cake, double the lemon cheesecake recipe below and use a 9 inch round tin. Add 10 minutes to the indicated baking time.
- If you do not wish to have the cheesecake crust all the way up the sides of this lemon curd cheesecake, reduce the crust ingredients by half and press it down firmly onto the bottom of your tin.
- Lemon juice and lemon zest can be replaced with one teaspoon of lemon extract.
- Meringue cookies can be replaced with piping of whipped cream like in this mascarpone chocolate mousse. Alternatively, you can also decorate the cake with mascarpone whipped cream or candied lemon slices or even candied lemon peels.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you do try, please let me know in the comments section below!
👩🏻🍳How to make
Making the cheesecake crust
- Line the bottom of a springform tin with parchment paper.
- For the lemon curd cheesecake crust, crush the cookies into fine crumbs (in a food processor or with a rolling pin). Transfer into a medium small bowl.
- Add in the sugar and mix.
- Add melted butter. Mix until the ingredients are all well combined.
- Press the wet crumbs evenly onto the sides and bottom of your tin. You can use the back of your spoon to do this or use the back of a flat glass to flatten.
- Once the crust is done, set it aside.
Making the cheesecake filling
- Beat the cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer (hand mixer or stand mixer on paddle attachment) until soft for about 30 to 60 seconds depending on the temperature of the cheese. The rule of thumb is to not overbeat it. If the cheese looks creamy with tiny specks of cheese in it, that is good enough.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl. Add sugar, flour, lemon juice and zest, and beat for approximately 20 seconds. Scrape the bowl at 10 seconds interval.
- Next, add both the eggs and vanilla essence at once and beat the batter for 10 seconds. Scrape the sides of the bowl again and beat for another 10 seconds.
- If you see that the cheesecake batter is not so smooth, beat for a few more seconds, keeping in mind to stop before the batter starts incorporating too much air.
- Pour the lemon cheesecake batter into the prepared crust and level the top with a spatula.
- Bake the cheesecake in a water bath. Fill a large baking dish with water. Place another cake pan in it and finally put the cheesecake pan in. This way, the water will not seep into the springform pan.
Baking the cheesecake
- Bake the lemon cheesecake on the lowest rack in your oven until the sides are firm and the middle is still wobbly. Let the cheesecake rest in the oven for about 10 minutes before removing it. Let the cheesecake cool at room temperature (on a wire rack / cooling rack) for another 10 to 15 minutes before loosening and removing the sides of the tin.
- Refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 4 hours (or overnight). Remove the bottom of the cake pan only after the cheesecake has been thoroughly chilled or else the crust will break. Run a butter knife underneath the parchment paper at the bottom of the tin before sliding the cheesecake onto a serving plate. Spread lemon curd on top of the cheesecake.
- Garnish with meringue cookies right before serving.
- Keep leftovers refrigerated.
🍽️Serving & storage
- This cheesecake should be kept chilled at all times. It can last well for a good 4 to 5 days. Keep it covered in an airtight container to avoid it from becoming dry in the fridge.
💡Expert tips
Bake the cheesecake at a reduced temperature
- Cheesecakes are best baked in slightly lower temperatures compared to other cakes and a general rule of thumb is to lower the temperature by 10 degrees Celsius than the temperature you use for normal cakes.
Mix ingredients until just combined, avoid overbeating the cheesecake batter
- Unlike normal cakes, there should not be too much air incorporated into the cheesecake batter. This can cause the top of your cake to have unsightly air bubbles holes.
- To avoid this, at each step of the recipe, mix the ingredients to the extent that they are just combined, and move on to the next step. Having tiny specks of cheese in the final batter as you pour it onto the crust is perfectly fine.
Place the cheesecake on the lowest rack in the oven
- Place the lemon curd cheesecake in the lowest rack in the oven. That way, the top surface of cheesecake does not get too browned and does not crack.
Use water bath baking technique
- If you do not have enough larger baking trays to place your springform pan in for the water bath, you can wrap the bottom of your springform pan with aluminum foil and place it in your oven baking tray. That way, you do not need extra round tins and can at the same time avoid water from seeping into your cake pan.
Disable the 'fan' function in your oven
- If your oven comes with a fan function, turn it off. This helps in avoiding cracks as well.
Avoid overbaking the cheesecake
- To avoid over-baking, check that the cake is done by pressing the top sides lightly. It should be firm to the touch but the center should still be wobbly.
- Switch the oven off and let the cake rest in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes. The cake will continue to cook as it cools down. Cooking the lemon curd cake too long can turn its texture rubbery.
- Also, letting it cool down slowly in the oven helps avoid sudden temperature change that could also cause your cheesecake to crack.
💭FAQs
What is water bath?
One way to keep the air in the oven moist is by baking the lemon curd cheesecake in a water bath. Also known as bain-marie, a water bath literally means baking your cheesecake by placing the tin in a larger dish filled with water in the oven. Steam from the water helps keep the air in the oven moist and prevent your cheesecakes from cracking.
If you are using a springform pan, simply wrap the bottom of the pan with foil before placing it in the water-filled baking dish. The other option is to place your tin in a slightly larger cake tin and then placing both the tins into the baking dish filled with water. Both ways will ensure water does not seep into the pan.
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📖Recipe
Lemon Curd Cheesecake
Absolutely mouthwatering lemon curd cheesecake with lemon curd topping that is so creamy and tangy, you will want to eat this every day!
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Yield: 1 seven inches round cake
For best results, use the metrics measurements. US customary measurements have not been tested and are only meant for guide.
Ingredients
Crust
- 200 g Digestive cookies or Graham Crackers
- 30 g granulated sugar
- 100 g butter melted
Filling
- 450 g cream cheese softened
- 120 g granulated sugar
- 10 g all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
Topping and Garnish
- 50 ml lemon curd
- Meringue cookies
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 150°Celsius. Line the bottom of a 7 inches round springform tin with parchment paper.
- Break the cookies into crumbs by processing them in a food processor or by putting them in a zip lock bag and pressing them with a rolling pin. Place the crumbs in a bowl, add the castor sugar and butter and mix until all the ingredients are well combined.
- Transfer the crust mix into the springform pan and press it firmly around the sides and bottom of the cake tin. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth for approximately 30 to 60 seconds, scraping the bowl often.
- Add the sugar, flour, lemon zest, and lemon juice and beat again for 20 seconds.
- Scrape the bowl. Add both eggs at once and the vanilla extract. Beat for about 10 seconds until the eggs are well combined. Scrape the bowl and continue beating for another 10 seconds until the batter is all smooth and creamy. Do not overbeat to avoid the batter from incorporating too much air.
- Pour the batter into the prepared crust and bake in a water bath for 45 minutes at 160°Celsius. When done, the sides should be firm and the center of the cake still wobbly. Turn the oven off and leave the cake in the oven for another 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let the cake cool for another 20 minutes before loosening the cake tin and removing the cake out.
- Let the cake rest in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight. Add the lemon curd topping and smooth it with a jam knife or spatula. Add the meringue kisses right before serving to avoid them from becoming soft.
- Keep leftovers refrigerated.
Notes
Mix ingredients until just combined, avoid overbeating the cheesecake batter
- Unlike normal cakes, there should not be too much air incorporated into the cheesecake batter. This can cause the top of your cake to have unsightly air bubbles holes.
- To avoid this, at each step of the recipe, mix the ingredients to the extent that they are just combined, and move on to the next step. Having tiny specks of cheese in the final batter as you pour it onto the crust is perfectly fine.
Place the cheesecake on the lowest rack in the oven
- Place the lemon curd cheesecake in the lowest rack in the oven. That way, the top surface of cheesecake does not get too browned and does not crack and use a water bath.
Disable the 'fan' function in your oven
- If your oven comes with a fan function, disable it. This helps in avoiding cracks as well.
Avoid overbaking the cheesecake
- To avoid over-baking, check that the cake is done by pressing the top sides lightly. It should be firm to the touch but the center should still be wobbly.
- Switch the oven off and let the cake rest in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes. The cake will continue to cook as it cools down. Cooking the lemon curd cake too long can turn its texture rubbery.
- Also, letting it cool down slowly in the oven helps avoid sudden temperature change that could also cause your cheesecake to crack.
Nutrition
Calories: 4102kcal | Carbohydrates: 355g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 283g | Saturated Fat: 155g | Cholesterol: 1039mg | Sodium: 3240mg | Potassium: 910mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 259g | Vitamin A: 9018IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 514mg | Iron: 4mg
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