Lemon Meringue Pie Cheesecake

Graham cracker crust, fluffy lemon cheesecake, lemon curd, and torched meringue – this Lemon Meringue Pie Cheesecake is perfect for summer!

What does Lemon juice do to cheesecake?

Lemon juice adds delicious flavor to this baked cheesecake, it also creates and even creamier texture! Lemon juice won’t cause the filling to curdle due to the reaction it has with the fatty filling.

Which is better, baked or no bake cheesecake?

This one is 1000% personal preference. I love the German style cheesecake which is baked because it has such a fluffy, creamy texture and doesn’t need to be ice cold. Unlike a New York style cheesecake, this one is not baked in Bain Marie which can cause cracking but also makes a delicious fluffy texture.

Store bought or homemade Lemon Curd?

I will ALWAYS recommend using homemade lemon curd because it has better ingredients, flavor and texture. Also this recipe uses the egg yolks for the lemon curd and the egg whites for the meringue.

What if I don’t have a 7″ springform pan?

If you don’t have a 7″ pan, I recommend sizing up to an 8″ pan and checking the cheesecake 10 minutes early for doneness. If you scale down to a 6″ pan, you will have too much filling.

Additional Recipes to try:

• Käsekuchen
• Feta Cheesecake
• Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake

Tips for making Lemon Meringue Pie Cheesecake

• In this recipe the graham cracker crust is only a base layer but if you want it to go up the sides of the pan you can double the crust amount.
• I recommend blending the graham crackers in a blender or food processor to create a fine texture. It’s hard to get the graham crackers smooth enough with a rolling pin which makes it hard for the crust to hold together.
• I always make this cheesecake in advance but I recommend waiting til day of to top it with the meringue. The egg whites can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge overnight.
• Always zest your lemons before squeezing the juice out.
• Don’t over bake it this lemon cheesecake, it should still have a wobble kind of like jello but not slosh. It’s ok if your cheesecake isn’t as golden as this, it can depend on your oven. It’s also ok if it cracks as it cools!
• Allow the cheesecake to come to room temperature before putting it in the fridge to set fully.
• Don’t worry if you don’t have a blow torch for the meringue – the meringue is fully cooked so it doesn’t need to be torched. It’s just extra delicious if you do decide to torch it.

Ingredients

• Butter: Room temperature, salted butter is used in the graham cracker crust to hold the crumbs together.
• Graham Crackers: Standard graham crackers are best for the crust of this. Other versions may need more or less butter to hold together.
• Corn Starch: Corn starch helps stabilize and thicken the filling of this cheesecake. I haven’t tested it with other starches but I think arrowroot starch or tapioca starch would work.
• Granulated Sugar: Granulated sugar is white standard sugar and is used to sweeten the cheesecake, lemon curd, and meringue.
• Greek Yogurt: Full fat greek yogurt such as Fage 5% is best for this cheesecake, you don’t want a sweetened soft yogurt.
• Egg: This recipe uses two standard large eggs in the filling and 3 eggs for the lemon curd and meringue.
• Vanilla Extract: Vanilla adds flavor and enhances the sweetness of both the crust and the filling.
• Lemons: Lemon juice and lemon zest are added into the filling for optimal lemon flavor!
• Salt: A bit of salt is used in the crust, filling, and meringue!
• Mascarpone: Mascarpone is used instead of butter to thicken the lemon curd and make it extra creamy.

How to make Lemon Meringue Pie Cheesecake

Make the crust

• Preheat the oven to 350º F and place a rack in the center of the oven.
• Crumple a large square of parchment paper and then press it into a 7″ springform pan.
• Add the graham crackers into a blender or food processor to blend until they become a fine powder.
• Add the soft butter, sugar, salt and vanilla into a medium mixing bowl and stir to combine.
• Pour in the ground graham crackers and use a fork to combine. If the mixture is too warm and squishy, simply put it in the fridge for a few minutes to allow the butter to firm up.
• Press the graham cracker mixture into the bottom of the lined pan and press down into an even layer. If you want it to go up the sides, you’ll need to double the crust and press it up the sides.
• Chill the pan and crust in the fridge while you make the filling.

Make the filling & bake

• In a large mixing bowl, add in the cornstarch, salt, and sugar. Whisk to combine and then pour in the greek yogurt and vanilla extract and whisk again. Finally add in the eggs, lemon zest and lemon juice and whisk once more.
• Carefully pour the filling into the pressed crust.
• Bake the cheesecake for 30 minutes, then rotate the pan 180º and bake for another 30-35 minutes until just slightly wobbly.
• Once baked, remove the cheesecake from the oven and leave to cool on a rack until it is room temperature. Then, move it to the fridge and allow it to set fully before removing the springform pan.
• Leave to set in the fridge for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.

Lemon Curd & Meringue

• The curd and meringue use the same three eggs, the egg yolks are for the curd and the whites are for the meringue.
• That being said the curd can be made the same time as the cheesecake but I would wait to make the meringue until day of or just before serving. The egg whites can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use.

For the Lemon Curd

• In a large metal bowl or the top portion of a double boiler, add in the egg yolks, sugar, salt, lemon zest and lemon juice. Whisk to combine.
• Add about 2″ of water into a sauce pan or the bottom of the double boiler. Bring to a simmer and then reduce the heat to low so that it maintains a simmer.
• Place the bowl with the egg and lemon mixture over the pot of simmering water. Whisk constantly, cooking the mixture until it thickens. It’s done when the mixture is thick like mayo, essentially when you stop whisking the mixture should stop moving, it will sort of just firm up.
• Once thick, immediately remove the bowl from the pot of water and turn off the heat.
• Add the cold mascarpone into the hot curd, one spoonful at a time. Whisk one spoonful of mascarpone into the lemon curd until completely dissolved before adding in the next spoonful.
• Continue adding the mascarpone in until it is all used up.
• Pour the mixture through a sieve into a large shallow bowl and place a piece of plastic onto the surface. Place the bowl in the fridge until cold and thick.

For the Meringue

• In a large metal mixing bowl (or the bowl portion of a double boiler) add in the egg whites, a pinch of salt, and white granulated sugar.
• In a separate pot (or the bottom of a double boiler) add in two inches of water. Bring the water to a gentle simmer and then turn the heat to low to keep it simmering. *this can be the same pot as the one you used for the curd!
• Place the mixing bowl over the simmering water and whisk constantly until the sugar has dissolved into the egg whites. Check to make sure that the mixture is done cooking by rubbing some of it between your fingers and feeling if the sugar has fully dissolved. If it is fully dissolved, turn off the heat and remove the bowl from the pot.
• Allow the mixture to cool for 5-10 minutes. Use an electric mixer to whip the meringue on high speed until almost stiff peaks form. We’re going for a s’mores marshmallowy kind of texture.
• Ideally use it immediately but it can also be stored in a bowl in the fridge for a couple hours.

Assemble

• Top the chilled cheesecake with a thick layer of lemon curd – you will have extra but you can put it on literally anything!
• Then scoop the fluffy meringue over the lemon curd. If you have a torch, torch the meringue until nice and toasty.
• Slice into 8 and serve immediately after torching.

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