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    Home » Cakes & Cupcakes » Lemon Meringue Cheesecake

    Lemon Meringue Cheesecake

    Published: Apr 5, 2020 Modified: April 7, 2021 by Nina

    Jump to Recipe
    A slice of cheesecake on a plate.

    This Lemon Meringue Cheesecake is rich and decadent. It has a buttery graham cracker crust, a lemon cheesecake, a tart lemon curd and a fluffy toasted meringue. Every bite is amazing!

    A slice of cheesecake on a plate with the whole cheesecake behind it on a cake plate.
    Jump straight to the recipe!
    • What ingredients do I need? ?
    • How to make a cheesecake
    • How to make a water bath
    • How to make lemon curd
    • How to make meringue
    • Assemble the cheesecake
    • Recipe

    I am so excited to share this recipe! I love both lemon meringue pie and cheesecake so it made total sense to put them together. This lemon meringue cheesecake is so good and makes a perfect spring dessert.

    I used a graham cracker crust for this cheesecake, as I do for most cheesecakes. The graham cracker pairs perfectly with such a light lemon taste of the cheesecake. The cheesecake gets it's lemon flavour from both lemon juice and lemon zest. Also the full one cup of sour cream adds tons of flavour. The lemon curd has the perfect tart flavour to break up the sweetness of the cheesecake. It also gets it's lemon flavour from both juice and zest. The whipped topping is perfectly fluffy. I decided not to pipe it on top and spooned it on instead. I used the back of a spoon to make the peaks in the meringue. Lastly I used a kitchen torch to lightly it.

    What ingredients do I need? ?

    • Graham cracker crumbs
    • Salted butter
    • Cream cheese - I use full fat cream cheese for my cheesecakes. Low fat cream cheese would work too, but the cheesecake would be less rich.
    • Granulated sugar
    • All purpose flour - A bit of flour in the cheesecakes helps it to not crack.
    • Sour cream - I use full fat sour cream, but a lower fat sour cream would work well too.
    • Vanilla extract
    • Lemon zest and lemon juice - You will need approximately 5 lemons for this recipe.
    • Large eggs - You will need a dozen eggs for this recipe. You will be left with 4 egg whites. Make an egg white omelet with them!
    • Cream of Tarter - This is for the meringue. It helps keep the meringue sturdier.
    A half view of a cheesecake.

    How to make a cheesecake

    Make the crust by mixing the graham cracker crumbs with the melted butter. Pour it into a 9-inch springform pan that is greased and lined. Press the crust mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the pan and then bake it.

    While the crust is cooling, make the cheesecake filling. Mix the cream cheese and sugar together until it is smooth. Add in the flour, sour cream, vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice. Mix until it is well combined and then mix in the eggs, one at a time. Pour the cheesecake batter into the springform pan.

    Then, place the cheesecake into a water bath. I know! Many of you will want to skip this step. Your cheesecake will be way better if you don't though! The water bath will ensure your cheesecake bakes evenly, and helps against cracks and browned edges.

    How to make a water bath

    Place aluminum foil around the base of the springform pan and up the sides. Place a crock pot liner bag over top of the aluminum foil. Water can seep into the little crevices of the aluminum foil, so I like to add the crock pot liner bag over it for extra caution. No one likes a soggy crust! Place the springform pan into a larger pan and pour water into the larger pan to go halfway up the sides of the springform pan.

    A slice of cheesecake on a plate.

    How to make lemon curd

    After the cheesecake is baked and cooled, make the lemon curd. Place 8 egg yolks into a medium sized bowl and set it aside. Add lemon juice, lemon zest and sugar to a medium saucepan, and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Pour the boiled mixture into the eggs, whisking the eggs quickly to temper them. Pour everything back into the saucepan and cook until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Place the curd into a fresh bowl and mix in the cold butter. Place the bowl of curd into a larger bowl filled with ice, and place plastic wrap over the surface of the curd. This is to prevent it from forming a crust.

    How to make meringue

    Combine the sugar, cream of tartar, vanilla and egg whites into a large bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water. Whisk until the sugar has dissolved and reaches a temperature between 120°F - 140°F on a thermometer. Remove it from the heat and use an electric whisk to beat the mixture to stiff peaks.

    Assemble the cheesecake

    Place the cheesecake onto a cake stand and spoon the lemon curd on top in an even layer. Spoon the meringue on top of the lemon curd. I piled it on in spoonfuls and then used the back of a spoon to make some peaks all over. Use a kitchen torch to lightly brown the meringue. Refrigerate the cheesecake until it is ready to serve. The cheesecake will last between 3-4 days.

    A partial view of a cheesecake on a plate stand.

    Other cheesecake recipes

    • BLOOD ORANGE CHEESECAKE
    • STRAWBERRY RHUBARB CHEESECAKE
    • PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE WITH CAJETA SAUCE
    • GREEN VELVET CHEESECAKE TRIFLE
    • RED VELVET CHEESECAKE TRIFLE
    Continue to Content

    Recipe

    A slice of cheesecake on a plate.

    Lemon Meringue Cheesecake

    Yield: 14 servings
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
    Total Time: 2 hours

    This Lemon Meringue Cheesecake is rich and decadent. It has a buttery graham cracker crust, a lemon cheesecake, a tart lemon curd and a fluffy toasted meringue. Every bite is amazing!

    Ingredients

    Crust

    • 2 ¼ cups (302g) graham cracker crumbs
    • 10 tablespoons (140g) salted butter, melted

    Cheesecake Filling

    • 24 ounces (678g) cream cheese, room temperature
    • 1 cup (207g) sugar
    • 3 tablespoons (24g) all purpose flour
    • 1 cup (230g) sour cream, room temperature
    • 2 teaspoons (6g) vanilla extract
    • 1 tbsp grated lemon zest (2–3 medium lemons)
    • 2 tablespoons (29g) lemon juice
    • 4 large eggs, room temperature

    Lemon Curd

    • 8 large egg yolks
    • ⅓ cup (77g) lemon juice (3–4 medium lemons)
    • 2 tablespoons (12g) grated lemon zest
    • ½ cup (104g) sugar
    • ¼ cup (56g) salted butter

    Meringue Topping

    • ½cup (103g) sugar
    • ½ teaspoon (1.7g) cream of tarter
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 4 large egg whites

    Instructions

    Crust

    1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease and line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and set aside. Mix the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter together in a small bowl. Press the crust mixture evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the springform pan.
    2. Bake for 10 minutes and then let it cool on a wire rack while you make the filling.

    Cheesecake filling

    1. Turn the oven down to 300°F. Beat the cream cheese and sugar together until well combined. Add flour, sour cream, vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice and beat until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mixing well after each one.
    2. Pour the cheesecake into the springform pan. Wrap aluminum foil around the base and up the sides of the sprinform pan. Make sure it goes more then half way up the sides because the water bath will be halfway up the pan. Wrap a crockpot liner around the springform pan and tie it. Place the springform pan into a larger pan and fill t he larger pan with water until it is halfway up the sprinform pan.
    3. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes at 300°F. Do not open the oven door while the cheesecake is baking as the cheesecake could crack. After 1 hour and 15 minutes, check the cheesecake. It should be slightly jiggly in the center. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven with the oven door closed for 30 minutes. Crack the oven door open and let the cheesecake sit in the oven for another 30 minutes. This allows the cheesecake to cool slowly. Again, this is to avoid cracks.
    4. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and store it in the refrigerator while you make the lemon curd and meringue topping.

    Lemon curd

    1. Place 8 egg yolks into a medium sized bowl and set it aside. Add lemon juice, lemon zest and sugar to a medium saucepan, and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Pour the boiled mixture into the eggs, whisking the eggs quickly to temper them. Pour everything back into the saucepan and cook until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
    2. Pour the curd into a fresh bowl and mix in the cold butter. Place the bowl of curd into a larger bowl filled with ice, and place plastic wrap over the surface of the curd. This is to prevent it from forming a crust. Let it cool while you make the meringue topping.

    Meringue topping

    1. Combine the sugar, cream of tartar, vanilla and egg whites into a large bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water. Whisk until the sugar has dissolved and reaches a temperature between 120°F - 140°F on a thermometer.
    2. Remove it from the heat and use an electric whisk to beat the mixture to stiff peaks.

    Assemble the cheesecake

    1. Place the cheesecake onto a cake stand and spoon the lemon curd on top of it in an even layer.
    2. Spoon the meringue on top of the lemon curd. I piled it on in spoonfuls and then used the back of a spoon to make some peaks all over. Use a kitchen torch to lightly brown the meringue.
    3. Refrigerate the cheesecake until it is ready to serve. The cheesecake will last between 3-4 days.





    Notes

    1. You will need a dozen eggs for this recipe. You will have 4 left over egg whites. Make an omelet with them!
    2. A water bath is a must if you want your cheesecake to bake evenly with no cracks or brown edges.
    3. You could make the cheesecake the day before you make everything else and assemble. You can make the lemon curd a day before as well.
    4. Keep the cheesecake refrigerated and it will last between 3-4 days.

    Nutrition Information:
    Yield: 14 Serving Size: 1
    Amount Per Serving: Calories: 466Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 245mgSodium: 484mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 1gSugar: 5gProtein: 21g

    All nutritional information provided on ninakneadstobake.com are intended for informational purposes only.

    © Nina
    Cuisine: North American / Category: Cakes & Cupcakes
    Previous Post: « Lemon Lovers Trifle
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    Hi, I'm Nina,

    I am a self-taught baker and have a love for baking and trying new techniques.  Here you will find easy step-by-step recipes that are kitchen (and husband) tested! Read More…

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