Description
A stunning lemon meringue cheesecake with a buttery graham cracker crust, creamy lemon-zested cheesecake filling, a layer of vibrant lemon curd, and a fluffy, toasted meringue crown. It’s the ultimate showstopper dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 ¼ cups honey graham cracker crumbs
- ⅓ cup melted butter
- 2 tablespoons sugar (for crust)
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 16 oz cream cheese
- 2 large eggs (for cheesecake)
- ¾ cup sugar (for cheesecake)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 lemon (approx. 1 tablespoon)
- 1 ½ cups sugar (for lemon curd)
- Zest of 2 lemons
- ¾ cup fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup melted butter (for curd)
- 1 large egg (for curd)
- 3 egg yolks (for curd)
- 3 egg whites (for meringue)
- ¼ cup sugar (for meringue)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Line the bottom of a springform pan with parchment paper.
- Mix graham crumbs, melted butter, 2 tbsp sugar, and salt until evenly moistened. Press into pan and bake for 10 minutes. Cool.
- In a bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add ¾ cup sugar, eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest. Beat until creamy. Pour over crust and smooth the top.
- Bake for 40–45 minutes until center is set. Cool completely, then refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
- For lemon curd, whisk sugar, zest, lemon juice, melted butter, egg, and yolks in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened (7–10 minutes). Strain and cool.
- Spread cooled curd over chilled cheesecake. Whip egg whites until foamy, add sugar gradually, and beat to stiff, glossy peaks. Spread or pipe meringue on top.
- Toast meringue with a kitchen torch or under broiler until golden. Chill 30 more minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Use room-temperature ingredients for smoother blending.
- Strain lemon curd for a silky texture.
- Chill cheesecake fully before layering curd and meringue.
- Use fresh lemon juice for best flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 35g
- Sodium: 190mg
- Fat: 26g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 41g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 115mg