Meyer Lemon Cheesecake

Why have I never posted a lemon cheesecake! Lemon is just about our favorite flavor anything, and it just occurred to me I'd never posted a lemon cheesecake. This one is made with Meyer lemon when it's available or with a reduced amount of regular lemon at other times and baked in the oven, but easily adapted to Instant Pot or slow cooker. 

If you have an Instant Pot and would like to make this cheesecake in it, just follow the Instant Pot directions for my Cherry Swirl Cheesecake recipe.  Or if you have a slow cooker, follow the slow cooker directions for my Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake recipe. 

The crust is prebaked, then the cheesecake is baked in a water bath. Since it’s a 7-inch springform, it fits beautifully in an 8x8x2-inch baking dish or pan. You could also use a deep skillet or a 13x9x2-inch baking dish or pan for your water bath. A dishcloth in the bottom keeps the springform from moving. If making two cakes, I'd use my roasting pan. 

I've always made 7-inch cheesecakes rather than the more usual 9-inch because I think they make a more attractive serving. A skinny slice of the big cheesecake is difficult to cut and doesn't look good on the plate, and a bigger wedge is enough for two or more people, which is all well and good when sharing a dessert in a restaurant, but not at home. If I need to serve more people, I just double the recipe and make two 7-inch cheesecakes.

Be sure all the filling ingredients are at room temperature, especially the cream cheese. Put it in the mixing bowl and leave it at room temperature for about an hour and a half, even a bit longer; it needs to be very soft.

What is your favorite cheesecake flavor?

Meyer Lemon or Lemon Cheesecake

(Makes one 7-inch/18 cm cheesecake, 8 servings)

The Crust

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature (for pan)

1 cup graham cracker crumbs (6 whole crackers, 3.25 ounces/92 grams)
1 tablespoon sugar
Optional: 1/2 teaspoon ginger

3 tablespoons (1.5 ounces/43 grams) unsalted butter, melted

The Filling

2 8-ounce packages (454 grams total) cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (3.5 ounces/99 grams) sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup (4 ounces/113 grams) sour cream, room temperature
3 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice or 2 tablespoons other lemon juice

1 tablespoon finely grated Meyer lemon zest or 2 teaspoons other lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Note: Meyer lemons are milder than other lemons, so measurements for both types of lemons are specified.

1 Preheat oven to 375F/190C/Gas5. Wrap the outside of a 7-inch springform pan in a double layer (some people even do a triple layer) of foil extending all the way to the top. Butter the inside of the pan with the softened butter. Cut a circle of parchment paper to fit the buttered bottom of the pan, then butter the top of the paper as well. Combine crumbs, sugar, ginger (optional) and melted butter until the mixture comes together. If you used a food processor to make the crumbs, you can mix the crust in it as well. If you used the rolling pin/plastic bag method to make the crumbs, you can mix the crust with a fork in a small bowl. Press the crumb mixture over the bottom and one inch up the sides of the springform pan.

Note: I have two of the Progressive International 3-Inch-Deep 7-Inch Nonstick Springform Pans, which I didn't find on Amazon except in a set. If I were in the market for a cheesecake pan today, I would try the Fat Daddio's Cheesecake Pan, a push-pan rather than a springform. 

2 Bake the crust for 8 minutes; set on wire rack to cool completely. Decrease oven temperature to 300F/150C/Gas2. Boil some water for the water bath, and keep it warm until needed. I use an 8x8x2-inch baking dish for my water bath, and for that I need about 3 cups of water; so I boil 3 1/2 cups.

3 In 2- to 2.5-quart mixing bowl, with electric mixer on medium speed, mix cream cheese and sugar until perfectly smooth, about 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl and beaters/paddle. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well on low for 20 seconds after each addition. On low speed, mix in sour cream, lemon juice, zest and vanilla extract just until well combined, about 20 seconds.

Note: If you've somehow come this far without wrapping the springform pan in foil, do it now. Do NOT skip that step. No pan, whatever its claims, is leakproof.

4 Pour the cheesecake filling into the prepared pan. Put a dishcloth in the bottom of your chosen water bath pan, set the filled springform pan on it and pour in the hot water to a depth of at least halfway up the sides of your springform pan, being careful not to splash water into your cheesecake.

5 Check that you remembered to reduce the oven temperature to 300F/150C/Gas2. Carefully place the cheesecake in its water bath in the oven. Bake for about 60 to 70 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 150F/66C. The cheesecake should be set at the edges and a bit wobbly in the center. 

* I have the ThermoWorks Thermapen Mk-4.

6 Cool on wire rack for 1 hour. Carefully run a knife around the edge of the cheesecake. Release the spring and remove the sides of the pan. Cover and chill for at least 8 hours before serving.

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Jean