The Best Baked Luscious Lemon Cheesecake Recipe

If you love lemons, you are going to love this cheesecake. This beautifully creamy dessert takes a bit of time but can be made in advance and is an absolute showstopper!

This lemon cheesecake recipe is full of tangy lemon flavor and melts in your mouth! This lemon cheesecake recipe is the perfect combination of sweet, tart, creamy, and smooth. The bright and sunny lemony citrus flavor is a party for your taste buds!

The Best Baked Luscious Lemon Cheesecake Recipe

This from-scratch, baked lemon cheesecake is beautiful to behold. This really is the best lemon cheesecake you can make! Your friends and family will love the delicious lemon flavor and perfect texture of this decadent dessert. Another win for lemon lovers!

Please note that this is a baked cheesecake using a type of water bath and requires extensive chill time. Make this creamy lemon cheesecake the day before you plan to serve it! It has a lovely cinnamon graham cracker crust and a smooth, velvety, and tart cheesecake topped with lemon curd and fresh whipped cream.

Tips and variations for The Best Baked Luscious Lemon Cheesecake Recipe:

● Cream cheese comes standard in an 8-ounce brick in the United States. You will need four packages of cream cheese for this recipe. Make sure the cream cheese is softened to room temperature before you use it. It is easier to beat softened cream cheese, and you will avoid lumps in your cheesecake batter. Cubing the cream cheese is a good idea.
● 1 medium lemon should produce enough zest to equal one tablespoon.
● 1 medium lemon should produce enough fresh juice to equal ¼ cup.
● I use heavy-duty aluminum foil.
● Homemade Lemon Curd Recipe – six ingredients, make it to have on hand!
● For best results, do not overbeat your eggs. Over-beating the eggs might cause the cheesecake to crack.
● The use of parchment paper is not 100% necessary, but it is recommended so that the cheesecake can be easily removed from the bottom of the springform pan.
● If you would like to make some lemon sugar to top the whipped cream, follow these how to color sugar instructions (yellow), and add a dash of lemon extract.
● The baking method used here is the same idea as a water bath without actually putting the cheesecake in water. That is the reason why the oven door must remain closed throughout the entire baking process. The steam created in the oven has to remain trapped in order for it to reach the cheesecake and bake it all the way through. This method avoids any mess or seepage that may happen in a traditional water bath. Cheesecakes are way too much work and expensive to take a chance on that… trust me, I speak from experience.
● The whisking is a VITAL step in the making of the lemon curd. Eggs can curdle so quickly so cooking the curd slowly and whisking constantly is the key.
● Store leftovers, covered, in the fridge for up to four (4) days.
● You can freeze this cheesecake. Place in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge the day before serving. If you do not have a container that big, place the finished cake on a baking sheet and lay it flat in the freezer. Once it is frozen, wrap the cake in plastic wrap twice, then wrap it in aluminum foil before putting it back in the freezer. When you are ready to thaw, unwrap the cake and place it on a serving dish before thawing in the fridge.

Tangy Lemon desserts you might enjoy:

● Light and Fluffy Lemon Chiffon Pie Recipe
● Lemon Meringue Cake Recipe
● Easy Homemade Old Fashioned Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe

Best cheesecake recipes you will love:

● Easy Caramel Cheesecake Recipe | Best + Baked
● Fresh and Easy Peach Rum Cheesecake Recipe
● Sour Cream Cheesecake Recipe – my personal favorite!

Lemon Cheesecake Recipe Ingredients:

For the Crust:

● 1½ cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
● 6 Tablespoons unsalted Butter, melted
● 3 Tablespoons Granulated White Sugar
● Pinch of Cinnamon

For the Lemon Cheesecake:

● 32 ounces Cream Cheese, softened
● 1 cup Granulated White Sugar
● 1 Tablespoon Lemon Zest
● ¼ cup Fresh Lemon Juice
● 4 large Eggs, room temperature
● 1 cup Sour Cream

For the Lemon Curd:

● 2 large Egg Yolks
● 1/3 cup Granulated White Sugar
● ½ Tablespoon Lemon Zest
● 2 Tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons Fresh Lemon Juice
● Dash of Salt
● 3 Tablespoons unsalted Butter

For Serving:

● Whipped Cream
● Fresh Lemon Slices or Curls

Lemon Cheesecake Mise en Place:

● 9″ Springform Pan
● Rubber Spatula
● Measuring Cup
● Measuring Spoons
● Stand-up Mixer (paddle attachment, whisk attachment, large bowl, etc.) or Hand Mixer (electric mixer)
● Medium Bowl
● Parchment Paper
● Medium Mixing Bowl
● Aluminum Foil
● 13″x9″ Baking Dish
● 3-5 cups Boiling Water
● Medium Saucepan
● Small Mixing Bowl
● Plastic Wrap
● Serving Dish

Lemon Cheesecake Recipe Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Move your oven racks so that one rack is in the lowest position and the other is in the middle position.
2. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper.

3. In a medium bowl, stir together the Graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon.
4. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the springform pan. Use your fingertips, a glass, the back of a spoon, or a measuring cup to push the mixture down. Place on the middle rack and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

5. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese with the paddle attachment on medium speed until smooth.

6. Add the sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice and continue beating on medium speed until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally.

7. Add the eggs very slowly, one at a time, and beat on medium until they are just mixed in. Do not overbeat your batter at this point. Too much air in the batter will create cracks in your cheesecake.

8. Add the sour cream and stir it in on low speed.
9. Pour the cheesecake filling over the slightly baked Graham cracker crust and even it out using a rubber spatula.

10. Wrap the outside of the pan in aluminum foil.
11. Pour boiling water into a 13″x9″ baking dish and place that dish in the oven on the lowest rack.
12. Place the aluminum foil-lined cheesecake on the middle rack directly above the baking dish. Bake in the preheated 325°F for 1 hour. Resist the urge to open the oven. Leave the oven closed to keep that steam in there. The sides of the cheesecake will appear baked and set, but the middle will still jiggle.
13. Turn off the oven, but DO NOT open the oven door. Leave the cheesecake in there to cool very slowly for 1 hour.
14. After the hour has passed, crack the door to the oven open. Just use a wooden spoon to prop it open an inch or two. Let the cheesecake cool like this for another 35-40 minutes.
15. After that time, it is safe to remove it from the oven to a cooling rack. Do not remove the aluminum foil until the cake is at room temperature. Once it reaches room temperature, you can remove the foil and place the cake in the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours.

16. Whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt for the lemon curd in a medium saucepan. Heat on low, whisking constantly, until the mixture starts to become thick, about 10-12 minutes. Whisking keeps the eggs from “scrambling” and curdling so it is vital for this step.

17. Remove from heat and whisk the butter in immediately.

18. Pour into a small mixing bowl and cover immediately with plastic wrap. The plastic will keep a skin from developing on the curd. Set aside to cool completely. The curd will continue to thicken, and the plastic will peel off when cooled.

19. Once the cheesecake and curd have fully cooled, remove the cheesecake from the springform pan on a serving dish. Spoon the lemon curd over the top of the cheesecake and smooth it out. Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes to completely set the curd in place.

20. Top with fresh whipped cream and lemon slices and serve!

21. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.

Yield: 1

The Best Baked Luscious Lemon Cheesecake Recipe

Print

The Best Baked Luscious Lemon Cheesecake Recipe. If you love lemons, you are going to love this cheesecake. This beautifully creamy dessert takes a bit of time but can be made in advance and is an absolute showstopper!

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Additional Time 8 hours

Total Time 9 hours 40 minutes

Ingredients

For the Crust:

• 1½ cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
• 6 Tablespoons unsalted Butter, melted
• 3 Tablespoons Granulated White Sugar
• Pinch of Cinnamon

For the Lemon Cheesecake:

• 32 ounces Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 cup Granulated White Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Lemon Zest
• ¼ cup Fresh Lemon Juice
• 4 large Eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup Sour Cream

For the Lemon Curd:

• 2 large Egg Yolks
• 1/3 cup Granulated White Sugar
• ½ Tablespoon Lemon Zest
• 2 Tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons Fresh Lemon Juice
• Dash of Salt
• 3 Tablespoons unsalted Butter

For Serving:

• Whipped Cream
• Fresh Lemon Slices or Curls

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Move your oven racks so that one rack is in the lowest position and the other is in the middle position.
2. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper.
3. In a medium bowl, stir together the Graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon.
4. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the springform pan. Use your fingertips, a glass, the back of a spoon, or a measuring cup to push the mixture down. Place on the middle rack and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese with the paddle attachment on medium speed until smooth.
6. Add the sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice and continue beating on medium speed until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally.
7. Add the eggs very slowly, one at a time, and beat on medium until they are just mixed in. Do not overbeat your batter at this point. Too much air in the batter will create cracks in your cheesecake.
8. Add the sour cream and stir it in on low speed.
9. Pour the cheesecake filling over the slightly baked Graham cracker crust and even it out using a rubber spatula.
10. Wrap the outside of the pan in aluminum foil.
11. Pour boiling water into a 13"x9" baking dish and place that dish in the oven on the lowest rack.
12. Place the aluminum foil-lined cheesecake on the middle rack directly above the baking dish. Bake in the preheated 325°F for 1 hour. Resist the urge to open the oven. Leave the oven closed to keep that steam in there. The sides of the cheesecake will appear baked and set, but the middle will still jiggle.
13. Turn off the oven, but DO NOT open the oven door. Leave the cheesecake in there to cool very slowly for 1 hour.
14. After the hour has passed, crack the door to the oven open. Just use a wooden spoon to prop it open an inch or two. Let the cheesecake cool like this for another 35-40 minutes.
15. After that time, it is safe to remove it from the oven and put it on a cooling rack. Do not remove the aluminum foil until the cake is at room temperature. Once it reaches room temperature, you can remove the foil and place the cake in the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours.
16. Whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt for the lemon curd in a medium saucepan. Heat on low, whisking constantly, until the mixture starts to become thick, about 10-12 minutes. Whisking keeps the eggs from "scrambling" and curdling, so it is vital for this step.
17. Remove from heat and whisk the butter in immediately.
18. Pour into a small mixing bowl and cover immediately with plastic wrap. The plastic will keep a skin from developing on the curd. Set aside to cool completely. The curd will continue to thicken, and the plastic will peel off when cooled.
19. Once the cheesecake and curd have fully cooled, remove the cheesecake from the springform pan on a serving dish. Spoon the lemon curd over the top of the cheesecake and smooth it out. Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes to completely set the curd in place.
20. Top with fresh whipped cream and lemon slices, and serve!
21. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.

Notes

•  4- 8 oz (32oz,907g) bricks of cream cheese, softened

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 499Total Fat: 36gSaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 200mgSodium: 283mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 0gSugar: 31gProtein: 8g

Note: for exact nutritional information, consult your dietitian. All nutritional information provided is simply a guideline.

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