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This Lemon Meringue Cheesecake is a truly special dessert. It brings together the amazing flavors of lemon meringue pie and cheesecake into one unique treat. Bursting with lemon flavor, this cheesecake is going to be the star of your next get together.
Lemon Meringue Cheesecake
This Lemon Meringue cheesecake has a wonderful light lemon flavor, and the meringue just really sets this apart from other lemon desserts. If you love lemon meringue pie, you will absolutely love this cheesecake. It’s really simple to make, and its absolutely stunning to serve after dinner, on a buffet or dessert table, or for a lemon lovers special day. Trust me, put this one in your favorites file!
Ingredients
- Graham cracker crumbs- You can make your own or buy them already made.
- Sugar- You need the sugar for the crust and the cheesecake batter.
- Butter- The melted butter holds the crust together.
- Cream cheese- Always use room temperature cream cheese
- Sour cream- Use room temperature sour cream when making cheesecake
- Eggs- To help prevent cracking, use room temperature eggs.
- Lemon juice– You will need about 3 lemons.
- GOODMAN’s lemon extract- This is my favorite lemon extract for this recipe.
- Vanilla- Use pure vanilla for the best flavor.
- Lemon curd- I use store bought but you can use homemade as well. Find the best homemade lemon curd recipe here.
- Cream of tartar- Cream of tartar helps to stabilize the meringue on top of the cheesecake.
How to Make a Lemon Meringue Cheesecake
Mix the graham cracker crumbs with the sugar and melted butter until it is well combined. Line the bottom of a prepared springform pan.
Beat together the cream cheese, sour cream and lemon juice until it is smooth.
Add one egg at a time until it is well combined and then mix in the vanilla.
Pour the cheesecake batter into the crust and place it in the oven on the center rack. Make sure to have a small dish of water on the bottom rack of the oven.
Bake the cheesecake for 1 hour. Then turn the oven off and let the cheesecake stand for 20 minutes.
When the cheesecake is cooled completely, spread the lemon curd over top and place it in the refrigerator overnight.
A few hours before serving, make the meringue by whipping the egg whites and the cream of tartar together until soft peaks form.
Add the sugar slowly, in a steady steam while beating the eggs on high for about 1 minute. The egg whites will be stiff and have a glossy looks.
Spread the meringue over the cheesecake and bake it in a 400 degree oven for a few minutes. You need to watch the meringue because it cooks fast and will easily burn.
Let it cool for 5 minutes and then place it back into the refrigerator until it is time to serve.
Do I Need to use Meringue Powder?
No. To make make this lemon meringue cheesecake you will use cream of tartar to stabilize the meringue on top of the cheesecake but you do not need to use meringue powder.
Do You Have to Cook Meringue?
Yes. Meringue needs to be cooked. Meringue is whipped egg whites that are combined with sugar to make a delicious mixture once it is baked. It is light, airy and silky on top of desserts.
More Cheesecake Recipes
- Instant Pot Raspberry Cheesecake
- Cotton Candy Cheesecake
- Instant Pot Tiramisu Cheesecake
- New York Fudge Instant Pot Chocolate Cheesecake
- Brownie Bottom Cheesecake
Lemon Meringue Cheesecake
Wow, talk about a fabulous dessert, this is it! This cheesecake has a wonderful light lemon flavor, and the meringue just really sets this apart from other lemon desserts. If you love lemon meringue pie, you will absolutely love this cheesecake. It's really simple to make, and its absolutely stunning to serve after dinner, on a buffet or dessert table, or for a lemon lovers special day. Trust me, put this one in your favorites file!
Servings: 14
Ingredients
FOR THE CRUST:
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 1 stick of butter melted
FOR THE CHEESECAKE:
- 3 - 8 ounce packages of cream cheese softened
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 eggs room temperature
- 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice about 3 lemons
- 1 Tablespoon GOODMAN's lemon extract
- 1 Tablespoon Vanilla
FILLING ON TOP OF CHEESECAKE:
- 2 cups lemon curd store bought jar
For the meringue:
- 4 egg whites
- 1/3 cup of sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar
Instructions
- Place graham crackers in a blender, and blend until fine crumbs form - 2 sleeves should be enough for 2 cups of crumbs - (you can also used boxed crumbs if you prefer). Add sugar to crumbs and stir well. Add butter to crumbs, and mix until thoroughly blended. Line the bottom of the Spring-form pan with parchment paper, and pour the crumbs into the pan, and press evenly to form the crust. Set aside.
- Turn oven on to 350 degrees.
- In the mixing bowl of your stand mixer, mix together the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, and lemon juice. Scrape down sides of mixing bowl, and blend until smooth. Add eggs, and mix until blended. Add lemon juice, and Vanilla, and mix until smooth and creamy, scraping the sides of the mixing bowl, and blending until all ingredients are well blended. Pour cheesecake filling over crust, and place pan in the oven, on the center rack. (Place a small dish of water on the bottom rack of the oven).
- Bake cheesecake for 1 hour. Cheesecake may be a little wiggly in the center; turn off oven, and let stand in oven for 20 minutes. If cheesecake top is getting too brown during baking, make a tent from aluminum foil and place over cheesecake to prevent burning on top - see photo, and note below.
- Remove cheesecake from oven to a wire rack, and let cool completely. When cool, spread Lemon Curd over top of cheesecake, and wrap Spring-form pan in foil, and place in the refrigerator overnight to set.
- A couple of hours before serving, whip the egg whites, and the cream of tartar in the mixing bowl, with the mixer on medium low, until soft peaks form. Add the sugar in a stead stream, but not all at once, and whip the egg whites on medium high until stiff peaks form, then turn the mixer on high and whip about 1 minute, until the egg whites are stiff and glossy (might only take 45 seconds, so just look at the gloss and stiff peaks) turn mixer off. Remove cheesecake from refrigerator, and spoon the egg whites onto the top of the cheesecake, mounding the whipped egg whites up on the cheesecake. Form small peaks/curls on top of the egg whites with the back of a spoon, gently pulling the top of the egg whites into peaks - see photo. Seal the edges of the cheesecake with the egg whites.
- Turn the oven on to 400 degrees, and place the cheesecake in the oven on the center rack. YOU MUST WATCH THE CHEESECAKE CLOSELY, OR THE EGG WHITES/MERINGUE WILL BURN!
- It only takes a few minutes for the Meringue to turn golden brown, so just watch the Meringue until it begins to turn golden brown on top, and when you have the desired browned Meringue, remove the cheesecake to a wire rack, and allow Meringue to cool for about 5 minutes. Place the Cheesecake back in the refrigerator, and keep chilled until time to serve.
- Cut the cheesecake in 2 inch pieces, and serve chilled, with a sugared lemon slice on the side. Enjoy!
- Makes approximately 12 - 16 servings (depending on size cut)
- NOTE: This cheesecake should be made the day before, as it really needs hours in the refrigerator to make sure it sets. If you can leave it for 24 hours, before putting the Meringue on, that's even better, as this just gets better the longer it chills. DO NOT cover the Meringue when you put the cheesecake back in the refrigerator to chill, because you will cause it to fall. Make sure you have a designated space in the fridge to allow this to chill before serving.
- To make a foil tent: You simply fold a large piece of foil in half, and then place it over the pan in the oven. This will allow the cheesecake to bake, but will keep the foil from touching the cheesecake.
- GOODMAN'S LEMON EXTRACT: You can find Goodman's lemon extract in most grocery stores on the baking isle. They have lot's of flavors, and are an excellent addition to cakes, pies, or other baked goods.
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