Lemon Meringue Cheesecake

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!

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.

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.

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.

Other cheesecake recipes

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• STRAWBERRY RHUBARB CHEESECAKE
• PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE WITH CAJETA SAUCE
• GREEN VELVET CHEESECAKE TRIFLE
• RED VELVET CHEESECAKE TRIFLE