Lemon Cheese Cake

This Lemon Cheese Cake is a decadent and sumptuous treat. A blend of silky cream cheese with a sweet lemony zing. A creamy smooth interior texture is accentuated by the crumbly crunchy graham cracker crust. This is truly a luxurious dessert perfect for your next special occasion.

So what do you do when you turn 14 years old and you want something really delicious but also very sophisticated? This mouth watering Lemon Cheese Cake is obviously the answer. Everyone was very full and happy by the end of the day but it’s hard to believe that my kids are a year older now!

This is not a hard recipe to make but it will take some time, it is completely worth it though. Make sure to allow enough time for the cheese cake to cool in the refrigerator. Don’t rush this step because it allows the cheese cake to set up properly. So be patient, the best things in life are worth waiting for.

You can simplify this recipe by making the cheese cake without adding the lemon curd topping and homemade whipped cream. This cheese cake is fantastic without the extra toppings but is also delicious with them.

The lemon curd is optional. My kids said they preferred the cheese cake with the lemon curd. I found that I liked it better without. I did love the sweet intense flavor of the lemon curd, it was really fantastic, but I liked the complex sweet and sour blend of the cheese cake without any other distractions.

Ingredients

Here is a quick run down of the ingredients that you'll need to make this recipe. I recommend using fresh lemons for the juice and zest but you could use bottled juice as well. Make sure to set your cream cheese out of the refrigerator for severals hours to soften it.

For the Crust

• Graham crackers
• Butter
• Sugar

For the Cheese Cake

• Sugar
• 2 Packages cream cheese softened
• Sour cream
• 2 Eggs
• Lemon juice
• Lemon zest

For the Lemon Curd (optional)

• Lemon juice
• 2 Eggs
• Sugar
• Lemon zest
• Butter

For the Whipped Cream (optional)

• Whipping cream heavy
• Sugar

Directions 

To make this decadent Lemon Cheese Cake start by preheating your oven to 300°. 

Position a broiler tray filled with about an inch of water below the main cooking rack. This will prevent the cheese cake from drying out and cracking while it is cooking.

Crush the Graham crackers in a zip top plastic bag with a rolling pin. Mix the sugar into the crumbs. Melt butter over medium heat then add to the crumbs and mix in. Press mixture into the bottom of a spring form pan or into the bottom and sides of a regular pie pan. Bake for 10 minutes then allow to cool slightly before filling.

Mix the cream cheese with the sugar until it is smooth. Add the sour cream and stir until it is incorporated. Crack the eggs into the bowl and mix well. Then add the lemon juice and grated lemon zest.

Pour into crust and bake for about 50 minutes. Then turn off oven and let rest inside the hot over for about 1 hour. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours to cool down before serving.

To make the Lemon Curd mix lemon juice, eggs, sugar and lemon zest in a medium glass or enamel pan. Heat slowly over medium-low, stirring constantly until thickened, about 10 minutes. If it does not begin to thicken then turn up the heat a little bit and continue to stir. Avoid getting it too hot because the eggs might begin to curdle.

Remove from heat. Cut butter into 8 pieces and add to curd. Allow it to melt then stir until it is well mixed. It will continue to thicken as it cools. Place plastic wrap directly on top of the curd to prevent a film from forming as it cools. Place in refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours.

For the Whipped Cream whip the sugar and whipped cream together with an electric hand mixer or egg beater until light and fluffy and soft peaks begin to form. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Tips

If using a spring form pan you might want to line it with foil before adding the graham cracker crumbs and pressing them down. This will help prevent leaks.

Notes: For the lemon curd use a glass or enamel pan if possible, using a metal pan may give your lemon curd a slight metallic taste.

Recipe

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Lemon Cheese Cake

This Lemon Cheese Cake is a decadent and sumptuous treat. A blend of silky cream cheese with a sweet lemony zing. A creamy smooth interior texture is accentuated by the crumbly crunchy graham cracker crust. This is truly a luxurious dessert perfect for your next special occasion.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Italian

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Servings 12 servings

Ingredients

For the Crust

• 7 Graham crackers
• ¼ Cup Butter
• 2 Tb. Sugar

For the Cheese Cake

• ½ Cup Sugar
• 2 8 Oz Packages cream cheese softened
• ½ Cup Sour cream
• 2 Eggs
• ⅓ Cup Lemon juice
• 2 Tb Lemon zest

For the Lemon Curd

• ⅓ Cup Lemon juice
• 2 Eggs
• ⅔ Cup Sugar
• 1 Tb. Lemon zest
• 6 Tb. Butter

For the Whipped Cream

• 1 Cup Whipping cream heavy
• 2 Tbs. Sugar

Instructions

• To make this decadent Lemon Cheese Cake just preheat your oven to 300°.
• Crush the Graham crackers in a zip top plastic bag with a rolling pin. Mix the sugar into the crumbs. Melt butter over medium heat then add to the crumbs and mix in.
• Press mixture into the bottom of a spring form pan or into the bottom and sides of a regular pie pan. Bake for 10 minutes then allow to cool slightly before filling.
• Position a broiler tray filled with about an inch of water below the main cooking rack. This will prevent the cheese cake from drying out and cracking while it is cooking.
• Mix the cream cheese with the sugar until it is smooth. Add the sour cream and stir until it is incorporated.
• Crack the eggs into the bowl and mix well. Then, add the lemon juice and grated lemon zest.
• Pour into crust and bake for about 50 minutes. Then turn off oven and let rest inside the hot oven for about 1 hour.
• Refrigerate cheese cake for 3 to 4 hours to cool down before serving. Top with lemon curd and homemade whipped cream if desired.
• To make the Lemon Curd mix lemon juice, eggs, sugar and lemon zest in a medium glass or enamel pan.
• Heat slowly over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until thickened, about 10 minutes. If it does not begin to thicken then turn up the heat a little bit and continue to stir. Avoid getting it too hot because the eggs might begin to curdle.
• Remove from heat. Cut butter into 8 pieces and add to curd. Allow it to melt then stir until it is well mixed.
• It will continue to thicken as it cools. Place plastic wrap directly on top of the curd to prevent a film from forming as it cools. Place in refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours.
• For the whipped cream whip the sugar and whipping cream together with an electric hand mixer or egg beater until light and fluffy and soft peaks begin to form. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Notes

If using a spring form pan, line it with foil before adding the graham cracker crumbs and pressing them down. This will help prevent leaks and make the cake easy to remove.

For the lemon curd use a glass or enamel pan if possible, using a metal pan may give your lemon curd a slight metallic taste.

You also might like my mouth watering lemon cake or blueberry crumble bars.

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