Description
A bright and elegant baked lemon cheesecake with a buttery biscuit crust, creamy citrus filling, silky lemon curd topping, and crisp meringue decorations for a delicate crunch.
Ingredients
250 g dry biscuits (petit beurre or similar)
125 g unsalted butter, melted
450 g cream cheese
250 g ricotta cheese
150 g granulated sugar
30 g all-purpose flour
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 5 lemons (2 for filling, 3 for curd)
3 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
160 g heavy cream
60 g unsalted butter (for lemon curd)
100 g granulated sugar (for lemon curd)
3 eggs (for lemon curd)
2 egg whites
1 pinch salt
60 g granulated sugar (for meringues)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F) and line a 22 cm springform pan with parchment paper.
- Crush the dry biscuits into fine crumbs and mix with the melted butter until evenly combined. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom and slightly up the sides of the prepared pan. Chill while preparing the filling.
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and ricotta until smooth and creamy. Add the sugar, flour, lemon zest, and lemon juice and mix until fully combined.
- Lightly beat the eggs and egg yolks in a small bowl, then add them to the cheesecake mixture along with the heavy cream. Mix until the filling is smooth.
- Pour the filling over the chilled crust and bake for about 60 minutes, until the edges are set and the center still slightly wobbles.
- Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake cool slowly with the oven door slightly open. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- To make the lemon curd, combine the butter, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and eggs in a saucepan over low heat. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and cool completely.
- For the meringues, whisk the egg whites with the salt until foamy. Gradually add the sugar and continue beating until glossy stiff peaks form.
- Pipe small meringue domes onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 100–110°C (210–230°F) for about 1 hour, until dry and crisp.
- Spread the cooled lemon curd evenly over the chilled cheesecake and decorate with the crunchy meringues just before serving.
Notes
Graham crackers or digestive biscuits can be used instead of petit beurre biscuits for the crust.
For deeper citrus flavor, add a little lime zest along with the lemon zest.
The cheesecake can be made a day in advance and chilled overnight for the best texture.
Store the cheesecake covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Keep meringues in an airtight container and add them just before serving to maintain their crunch.
Let slices sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes before serving for a softer texture.
- Prep Time: 60 minutes
- Cook Time: 130 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: European
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 320 mg
- Fat: 26 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 9 g
- Cholesterol: 145 mg
