Homemade Lemon Cheesecake Recipe
This Lemon Cheesecake recipe is truly the best! It combines a buttery graham cracker crust with an ultra-creamy cheesecake bursting with zesty lemon flavor! It's the ultimate must-make dessert for all lemon dessert lovers!
Servings: 16 servings
Equipment
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 2 1/2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs about 18 full sheets
- 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter melted
Lemon Cheesecake Batter
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 tbsp Lemon Zest from 2-3 lemons
- 32 oz Cream Cheese softened and at room temperature
- 1/2 cup Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese can use Plain Greek Yogurt or Full Fat Sour Cream, room temperature
- 1/3 cup Fresh Lemon Juice from 2-3 lemons
- 1/4 tsp Lemon Oil optional
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 3 Large Eggs room temperature
Lemon Curd Topping (optional)
- 8 Egg Yolks no egg whites
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar⠀
- 4 tbsp Cornstarch⠀
- 2 tsp Lemon Zest from 1 lemon
- 8 tbsp Lemon Juice from 2 lemons
- 5 tbsp Unsalted Butter⠀
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crust
- Adjust your oven rack to the center or middle position and preheat the oven to 325ºF.
- Using a flour-based baking spray, grease a 9-inch springform pan. Cover the bottom and sides of the pan with parchment paper, then set aside.
- Using a food processor, pulverize the graham crackers into fine crumbs. Add in the granulated sugar and melted unsalted butter and pulse until the mixture has formed. It should be a similar consistency to wet sand.2 1/2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs, 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar, 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter melted
- Press the graham cracker crust mixture into the bottom of the prepared springform pan, then place it in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes at 325ºF.
- When done, remove the graham cracker crust from the oven and place it on a cooling rack to cool while you make the lemon cheesecake batter. You can leave the oven on if you wish, or turn it off and reheat it to 325ºF when you're ready to bake the cheesecake.
- When cool to the touch, wrap the bottom and up the sides of the pan with 5-6 overlapping layers of aluminum foil (or heavy-duty aluminum foil), then (optional additional step) wrap the pan in an extra-large slow cooker liner. Both measures are to prevent water from sneaking into the cheesecake while it sits in the water bath.
Lemon Cheesecake Batter
- In a small bowl, rub the lemon zest in with the granulated sugar until well blended.1 cup Granulated Sugar, 1 tbsp Lemon Zest
- Using your Ankarsrum stand mixer fitted with the balloon whisks (or paddle attachment for other mixers), beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed until it’s soft and fluffy. It should be the consistency of frosting.32 oz Cream Cheese
- Add the granulated sugar/lemon zest mixture, whole milk ricotta cheese, fresh lemon juice, lemon oil (optional), and vanilla extract, beating together until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed.1/2 cup Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese, 1/3 cup Fresh Lemon Juice, 1/4 tsp Lemon Oil, 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Switching the mixer to its lowest speed, add in the eggs one at a time until each one is just blended with the cheesecake batter. Be careful not to overbeat the batter, which can lead to cracks in your cheesecake.3 Large Eggs
- Pour the cheesecake batter into the baked graham cracker crust (make sure the springform pan is prepped with the foil and oven liner). Optionally, sprinkle some lemon zest over the top, then place the cheesecake in the roasting pan. Open the oven door, place the pan on the oven rack, then carefully fill the pan with boiling or really hot water until it reaches almost halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Close the oven door, then bake the cheesecake for 55-60 minutes at 325ºF.
- When done, turn off the oven, but keep the oven door closed. Then allow the cheesecake to cool in the water bath for 45 minutes.
- Remove the roasting pan from the oven (the cheesecake will still be a little jiggly), then carefully remove the cheesecake and place it on a kitchen towel. Carefully remove the aluminum foil layers (and slow cooker liner) from around the springform pan and, if needed, run a paring knife around the rim of the springform pan to loosen the cheesecake from the edges. Allow the cheesecake to continue cooling at room temperature on the cooling rack.
- Once the cheesecake has completely cooled (do not put it in the fridge before then), you can loosely cover the top of the springform pan with a paper towel and a sheet of aluminum foil and place it in the refrigerator to set overnight. If you are serving the cheesecake on the same day as when you baked it, allow at least 4 hours in the fridge for it to set.
Lemon Curd Topping (Optional)
- In a medium-sized saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks, granulated sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, lemon juice, and unsalted butter, whisking continually over low-medium heat until the lemon curd has thickened (about 5-6 minutes).8 Egg Yolks , 1 cup Granulated Sugar⠀, 4 tbsp Cornstarch⠀, 2 tsp Lemon Zest, 8 tbsp Lemon Juice, 5 tbsp Unsalted Butter⠀
- Remove the lemon curd from heat and, using a spatula, press it through a fine-mesh sieve into a mixing bowl. When done, add a layer of plastic wrap directly over the lemon curd (to avoid it getting a film over the top) and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour or overnight. Kept in a tightly sealed container, lemon curd will last up to a week in the refrigerator.
Notes
Lemon Curd Topping
- This optional topping can be made 2-3 days before the lemon cheesecake. If you make the lemon curd the same day as the cheesecake, it's best to make it first so it has time to chill in the fridge.
- This lemon curd recipe can be halved to make a smaller amount if desired.
- Kept in a tightly sealed container, the lemon curd will last up to a week in the refrigerator.
- Having a water bath creates a nice steam bath inside your oven, like a little sauna, and all that moisture will help keep your cheesecake from cracking. Don't skip this.
- Add the aluminum foil layers and extra large slow cooker liner around the springform pan. The liner is an extra precautionary step in case water still sneaks past the aluminum foil and into your cheesecake.
- Keep the oven door closed as your cheesecake bakes and after as it cools down inside the oven.
- Instead of whole milk ricotta cheese, you can use whole milk plain Greek yogurt or full-fat sour cream. This is a 1:1 substitution.
- You can use lemon extract or lemon extract paste in place of lemon oil. This would be a 1:1 substitution. You can also omit it entirely from the recipe, as it's there to simply enhance the lemon flavor in this cheesecake.
Nutrition
Calories: 510kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 214mg | Sodium: 289mg | Potassium: 145mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 1258IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 102mg | Iron: 1mg