Lemon Cheesecake

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 tbsp (140 g) unsalted butter, melted, 2 tbsp (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 tbsp (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 tbsp (30 g) lemon zest (about 3 lemons zested), 1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon juiced), 1/3 cup (82 g) sour cream, at room temperature, 1 tbsp (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.
1/2 cup (120 ml) fresh lemon juice (about 2 large lemons), 4 egg yolks, at room temperature, 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated white sugar, 1/8 tsp salt, 1 tbsp (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.
1/2 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!

Ingredients

For the Crust

For the Lemon Cheesecake

For the Lemon Curd

Instructions

For the Crust

For the Lemon Cheesecake

For the Lemon Curd

Assembling the Cheesecake