This is the best lemon cheesecake recipe! It's a simple recipe for creamy and tart, lemon cheesecake with a graham cracker crust, topped with lemon curd. This cheesecake is the perfect dessert for all the lemon lovers in your life!
If you're looking for other lemon desserts, check out my lemon rolls, lemon cheesecake cookies, lemon curd cake, lemon curd cookies, lemon poppy seed muffins or lemon bundt cake!
Try these other cheesecake recipes: triple chocolate cheesecake, coffee cheesecake, biscoff cheesecake, no bake cheesecake, or white chocolate salted caramel cheesecake.
Why You'll Love This Lemon Cheesecake
It's full of lemon flavor- This delicious cheesecake is flavored with lemon juice and zest and topped with lemon curd after baking for the best tart lemon taste!
It's a super creamy cheesecake- The cheesecake filling is so light and has the best fluffy, creamy texture. Each bite truly melts in your mouth.
It has a graham cracker crust- The crunchy, sweet crust pairs perfectly with the all the lemon goodness.
Simple Ingredients for this Lemon Cheesecake Recipe
- Lemons– lemon zest and fresh lemon juice add the best, bright lemon flavor to the cheesecake
- Butter– used in the crust
- Granulated Sugar- used to sweeten the cheesecake
- Vanilla Extract – adds a sweet note to the cheesecake
- Cream Cheese– make sure you're using softened cream cheese
- Eggs– make sure they are at room temperature
- Sour Cream– gives the cheesecake a little extra creaminess, make sure it's at room temperature
- Cornstarch–used in the cheesecake to give it the best texture
- Graham Crackers- used for the crust
Step by Step Instructions
Please see the recipe card below for the complete measurements!
STEP ONE: Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor until they are fine crumbs. Add in the melted butter and sugar and pulse to combine together.
STEP TWO: Press the graham cracker crumbs into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan. Bake then let cool.
STEP THREE: In a large bowl of a stand mixer, mix the room temperature cream cheese, corn starch and sugar together with a paddle attachment on medium speed for two minutes until everything is smooth and there are no lumps. (You can alternatively use a hand mixer and a large mixing bowl). Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure everything has been mixed well.
STEP FOUR: Add in the lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla and sour cream to the cream cheese mixture. Mix for 1 minute on medium speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of bowl again to ensure everything is mixed together.
STEP FIVE: Next add in the eggs and egg yolks one at a time to the cheesecake batter. Mix on medium speed, ensuring that each is fully mixed in before adding the next. As soon as the final egg is fully mixed in, turn off the mixer. Do not over mix the batter.
STEP SIX: Pour the batter into the prepared cheesecake pan with the crust. Place the cheesecake in a large roasting pan in the oven. Slowly pour hot water in to the pan around the cheesecake being careful not to splash the cheesecake.
STEP SEVEN: Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. When an hour is up, turn off the oven and crack the door open. It helps to use a wooden utensil to keep the oven door slightly open. Let the cheesecake stay in the oven for 1 more hour. The cheesecake will continue to bake as it is cooling. (This is the best method I’ve used when making cheesecake and it results in a perfectly baked top with no cracks or sinking every time.)
STEP EIGHT: Once the 2 hours are up, remove the cheesecake from the oven and go around the edges of the pan with a butter knife to loosen the crust from the sides of the pan. Let the cheesecake cool completely on the counter. Cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap, and refrigerate until cold, at least 8 hours. (I usually bake the night before and let it refrigerate overnight).
STEP NINE: Transfer the cheesecake to a serving plate, then pour lemon curd over the top. Smooth it out with a mini offset spatula. Chill the cheesecake for 10 minutes to help the curd set. Pipe swirls whipped cream on top of the cheesecake and garnish with lemon slices. Then, serve!
Find a full recipe for homemade lemon curd here.
FAQs
Does the cheesecake have to be baked in a water bath? Yes, a water bath is the only way to achieve a perfectly baked cheesecake.
How do I store the cheesecake? Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. (I like to use a cake carrier.)
Can I use store bought lemon curd? Yes, of course!
Pro Tips
Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature. This will yield the best cheesecake texture.
Use a ¼ cup measuring cup to tightly pack the graham cracker crumbs into the bottom of the springform pan. This will ensure that the crust really sticks together without falling apart when cutting into the cheesecake.
For best results let the cheesecake chill in the fridge for at least 8 hours. This will give it ample time to chill and set up properly.
Don't over mix your batter. Mix just until the cream cheese isn't lumpy, and just until the other ingredients are combined. This will give you the best textured cheesecake.
If you make this cheesecake please leave a star review! Also, tag me on Instagram @inbloombakery_ so I can see your creation! Follow me on Pinterest for other dessert ideas!
Other Desserts to Try Next Time
📖 Recipe
Lemon Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 16 (240 g) graham crackers, full sheets
- 10 tablespoon (140 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoon (25 g) granulated white sugar
For the Lemon Cheesecake
- 32 oz (907 g) cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated white sugar
- 1 tablespoon (8 g) cornstarch
- 3 tablespoon (30 g) lemon zest (about 3 lemons zested)
- ¼ cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon juiced)
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup (82 g) sour cream, at room temperature
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 3 egg yolks, at room temperature
For the Lemon Curd
- ½ cup (120 ml) fresh lemon juice (about 2 large lemons)
- 4 egg yolks, at room temperature
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated white sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon (10 g) lemon zest (about 1 large lemon)
- ½ cup (112 g) unsalted butter, cold and cut in cubes
Instructions
For the Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor until finely ground.16 (240 g) graham crackers, full sheets
- Add in the melted butter and sugar and pulse until combined.10 tablespoon (140 g) unsalted butter, melted, 2 tablespoon (25 g) granulated white sugar
- Prepare your 9 inch springform pan for its later water bath by wrapping the bottom and sides of it with a decent amount of tinfoil. You want to make sure the tinfoil goes up about two inches on the sides of the pan so no water seeps into the pan as it bakes. I always use too much (around 8 layers) just so I know it’ll be okay.
- When your pan is prepared, press the graham cracker crumbs onto the bottom and about an inch up the sides.
- Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then let it cool completely.
For the Lemon Cheesecake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees if not still preheated from the crust.
- In a stand mixer, mix the softened cream cheese, corn starch and granulated sugar together with a paddle attachment for two minutes until everything is smooth and there are no lumps. (You can alternatively use a hand mixer). Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure everything has been mixed well. This is a crucial step, if the cream cheese is not smooth here, the cheesecake will have lumps of cream cheese in it when it bakes, so really be sure to mix the cream cheese well.32 oz (907 g) cream cheese, softened, 1 cup (200 g) granulated white sugar, 1 tablespoon (8 g) cornstarch
- Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla and sour cream to the cream cheese mixture. Mix for 1 minute. Scrape the sides and bottom of bowl again to ensure everything is mixed together.3 tablespoon (30 g) lemon zest (about 3 lemons zested), ¼ cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon juiced), ⅓ cup (82 g) sour cream, at room temperature, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vanilla extract
- At this point, stop and put a pot of water on the stove to start boiling for the water bath. You will want enough water to go up about 1 ½ inches on the sides of the springform pan.
- Next add in the eggs and egg yolks one at a time to the cheesecake batter, ensuring that each is fully mixed in before adding the next. As soon as the last one is fully mixed in turn off the mixer. Do not over mix the batter.3 eggs, at room temperature, 3 egg yolks, at room temperature
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan with the crust. Place the cheesecake in a large roasting pan in the oven. Slowly pour the boiling water into the roasting pan around the cheesecake being careful not to splash the cheesecake.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. When 1 hour is up, turn off the oven and crack the oven door open using a wooden utensil. Let the cheesecake stay in the oven for 1 more hour. The cheesecake will continue to bake as it is cooling.
- Once the 2 hours are up, remove the cheesecake from the oven and go around the edges of the pan with a butter knife to loosen the crust from the sides of the pan. Let the cheesecake cool completely on the counter, and then refrigerate until cold, at least 8 hours. (I usually bake the night before and let it refrigerate overnight).
For the Lemon Curd
- To make the lemon curd, add the lemon juice, large egg yolks, granulated white sugar, salt and lemon zest to a medium saucepan or pot. Whisk everything together.½ cup (120 ml) fresh lemon juice (about 2 large lemons), 4 egg yolks, at room temperature, ¾ cup (150 g) granulated white sugar, ⅛ teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon (10 g) lemon zest (about 1 large lemon)
- Heat the lemon mixture over medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes, whisking frequently, until thick. It should coat the back of a spoon once thick enough.
- Remove it from the heat and slowly whisk in the cold, cubbed butter.½ cup (112 g) unsalted butter, cold and cut in cubes
- Once all of the butter is melted in, transfer the curd to a heatproof, small bowl. Place plastic wrap on top of the curd, so it doesn't form a skin, and allow it to cool completely in the fridge.
Assembling the Cheesecake
- Once the cheesecake has chilled, carefully remove it from the springform pan and transfer it to a serving plate.
- Pour some of the lemon curd on top of the cheesecake. Use a mini offset spatula to smooth it out. Return the cheesecake to the fridge for about 10 minutes to help the curd set.
- Pipe swirls of whipped cream around the edges of the cheesecake and decorate with lemon slices. Then, serve!
if I need to bake the cake 2 days before- is that too long?
I made this for my sisters birthday it was amazing!! I used to not like cheesecake and this past two years it’s really grown on me. This was so incredibly good. Only thing I missed up a bit on was the water bath. I did like 5 layers of tinfoil on the spring foam pan and a little bit of water came in but it didn’t ruin the cheesecake. A few little spots on the crust were not crunchy. So I’ll do more next time. Guys I highly recommend this cheesecake!!
I forgot the sour cream, is this going to be edible??😭😭
Hi Sterling! Yes, it should be fine, just not as creamy probably!