Lemon Meringue Cheesecake

Lemon meringue is another one of my favorite flavors (if you can’t tell I’m sticking to a bit of a theme this year).

For a long time I struggled with getting my lemon curd to not be metallic and my meringue to be stable but now that we’re good to go on those aspects, you can expect a ton more lemon meringue flavored recipes from me! I already have these springy lemon meringue baked donuts and mini lemon pies!

How To Make Lemon Meringue Cheesecake, Step-by-Step Photos

Lemon Curd

1. Combine the sugar, eggs, lemon juice & zest, butter and salt in a small nonstick or enameled (NOT metal) saucepan over medium-low heat.
2. Whisk continuously until it thickens and reaches about 170F (77C), about 5 minutes. The curd should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. 
3. While it’s still hot, press the curd through a sieve into another bowl/jar, cover it and allow it to cool completely to room temperature. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator. 

Graham Cracker Crust

1. Prepare a 9” pan by removing the edge of the springform pan. Place a sheet of parchment paper onto the bottom of the pan so that it hangs off the edge. Then attach the side of the springform pan back to the bottom, so the parchment paper should be secure between the two pieces. Lightly spray the sides of the pan with baking spray.
2. Make the crust by placing the graham crackers cookies in a food processor and pulsing until you have fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse until it’s evenly distributed. Spread the crust into the prepared pan, coming all the way up the sides. Use a ½ cup measuring cup to make the bottom smooth and the corners sharp. 

Lemon Cheesecake

1. Place the sugar in the bowl of the stand mixer and zest the lemons on top. Use your fingers to rub the lemon zest into the sugar until they’re well combined. 
2. Add the cream cheese to the sugar and cream together until it’s smooth, creamy and glossy. Make sure there are no chunks of cream cheese left.
3. Add the lemon juice, sour cream and vanilla and mix until it’s completely smooth. Then add the eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed, just until each one is combined. 
4. Pour into the prepared pan and swirl with the lemon curd and bake at 300F (148C) for 75 minutes. Then turn the oven off and use a knife to release the cheesecake from the edge of the pan. Let the cheesecake rest for 20 minutes in the oven with the door halfway open. 
5. Cheesecake should still have jiggle in the center, let it cool on the counter for a few hours before transferring to the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight.
   1. It is normal for it to crack because of the lemon curd swirls. 
   2. If you want a sharper lemon flavor, feel free to spread a layer of lemon curd on top of the cooled cheesecake and before the meringue. 

Toasted Meringue

1. Whisk sugar, cream of tartar and egg whites over a double boiler. 
2. Sugar has to be fully dissolved in the egg whites before whipping & reaches 170F (77C). 
3. Egg whites and sugar fully whipped into a fluffy meringue, about 10 minutes. 
4. Use meringue to frost the top of the cheesecake and toast it using a culinary torch. 

Expert tips to get the perfect bake

• Weighing your ingredients with a digital scale is always recommended.
• Bake the cheesecake at a lower temperature than normal for a longer period of time. Bake until the edges are set and the center is still jiggly. 
• Allow it to rest in the oven for another 20ish minutes so that it can cool slowly to prevent sinking – cracking will be normal for this one because of the lemon curd swirls. 
• Allow the cheesecake to chill in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours (preferably overnight) so that it sets fully. 

How to bake this cheesecake in different size pans

I tested my base cheesecake recipe in 4 different sizes. It’s pretty straightforward to adjust to whatever pan size you need. My traditional vanilla cheesecake uses 2 bricks of cream cheese and is baked in an 8 inch pan but the featured photos for this lemon meringue cheesecake use 4 bricks of cream cheese and is baked in a 9 inch pan so it’s taller. This exact amount can also be baked in a 10 inch pan but it will be slightly shorter in size (more average looking, not as tall). 

You can adjust the quantity needed by what size pan you have and how tall you want your cheesecake. 

I’ll list out the amount of cream cheese needed and you can just adjust the rest of the ingredients accordingly. 

The amount of cheesecake batter you’ll need for each size pan:

• 10 inch pan: 4 bricks of cream cheese – bake for 65 minutes, rest in the oven for 25 minutes.
• 9 inch pan: 3 bricks of cream cheese for shorter cheesecake or 4 bricks for a taller cheesecake – bake for 55-70 minutes, rest in the oven for 20 minutes.
• 8 inch pan: 2 bricks of cheesecake for a shorter cheesecake or 3 bricks for a taller cheesecake – bake for 45-60 minutes, rest in the oven for 15 minutes.
• 7 inch pan: 2 bricks of cheesecake – bake for 55-65 minutes, rest in the oven for 15 minutes.
• 6 inch pan: 1 brick of cream cheese – bake for 30 minutes, rest in the oven for 15 minutes.