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Lemon Curd Cheesecake
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This dreamy lemon curd cheesecake recipe is the perfect bright and tangy cheesecake to whip up as a little treat! With a buttery graham cracker crust, luscious and creamy cheesecake and tart lemon curd topping, this lemon cheesecake is the best!
Lemon Cheesecake
You might have seen this lemon curd cheesecake on the gram. I mean how could you not notice that luscious, creamy lemon cheesecake topped with zesty lemon curd? Full disclosure, Philadelphia cream cheese sponsored that Instagram, but we thought it was simply too good to not share the recipe on the blog too!
Ingredients for Lemon Curd Cheesecake
Can I let you in on a little secret? This lemon curd cheesecake is ridiculously easy to make. AND it’s made from less than 10 ingredients. A huge score in my book. So consider this your grocery list:
- Cream cheese: We always use Philadelphia cream cheese because it really is the cream cheese of the crop 🙂 It always produces a foolproof creamy, clump free cheesecake!
- Sour cream: We find that a mixture of sour cream and cream cheese makes for the creamiest, dreamiest, perfectly tangy cheesecake. Make sure your sour cream is also at room temperature to make sure it beats right into the cream cheese without any problems.
- Granulated Sugar: Some people make cheesecake with powdered sugar, but we have no problems using granulated sugar. It beats a little more air into your cheesecake without creating too many air bubbles.
- Eggs: Make sure your eggs are true room temperature to ensure they seamlessly incorporate into the cream cheese and sour cream mixture!
- Vanilla extract: Vanilla extract is life. It really takes this lemon curd cheesecake recipe from good to great. We suggest splurging on a high quality pure vanilla extract. You won’t regret it.
- Lemon curd: The real star of this lemon curd cheesecake is the tart lemon curd topping. It complements the sweet, creamy cheesecake with the perfect, bright, and lemony note! You can find lemon curd by the jams and jellies at most grocery stores!
- Graham cracker crumbs: Any brand of graham crackers will do! Simply pulse them in a food processor or buy a box of premade graham cracker crumbs!
- Butter: Melted butter will hold together the graham cracker crust for the perfect buttery base to this lemon curd cheesecake!
Tips for lemon cheesecake
- Make sure ALL ingredients are at true room temperature: I cannot stress how important this is. The cream cheese, eggs, and sour cream must all be at room temperature in order to beat together into a creamy, clump-free cheesecake.
Do not over beat the cheesecake: Over beating the cheesecake causes air bubbles. And air bubbles mean one thing: cracks. Only beat the cheesecake mixture until it’s creamy! - Splurge on good lemon curd: The lemon curd is a thin layer you’ll spread on top of the cheesecake once cooked and cooled, but it really finishes it off with a bright, tart flavor that cuts the creamy sweetness of cheesecake beautifully.
- Don’t over bake the cheesecake: The last thing you want is an over baked cheesecake. It turns out to be rubbery and sad. Only bake the cheesecake until it is just set in the middle–about 55 minutes!
How to prevent cheesecake from cracking
Is there anything worse than a cracked cheesecake? I mean yes, probably. Most definitely. But in the context of lemon curd cheesecake making…no, no there’s not.
- Don’t overbeat the eggs: If you beat air into the eggs they can cause bubbles and cracks in your cheesecake. Our advice? Beat the cream cheese, sour cream, and sugar until it’s super creamy, but not anymore– about 2 minutes. And absolutely DO NOT overbeat the eggs. Beat them in one at time until just combined and then turn the mixer off forever.
- Bake the cheesecake at a low temperature with added water: Fill a 9 x 13 inch pan with water and place it on the bottom rack of the oven while the cheesecake bakes. This will create a steamy, humid environment for the cheesecake, which prevents any cracking!
- Leave the cheesecake in the oven after baking: Big changes in temperature = cracks. After the cheesecake is done baking, turn off the oven and open the door. Leave the cheesecake in the oven for an hour to come to room temperature slowly
Now it’s your turn to whip up this lemon curd cheesecake recipe. I promise you won’t regret it.
Print- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hours
- Total Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes
- Yield: 16 servings
- Category: dessert
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: american
Lemon Curd Cheesecake
This dreamy lemon curd cheesecake recipe is the perfect bright and tangy cheesecake to whip up as a little treat!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hours
- Total Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes
- Yield: 16 servings
- Category: dessert
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: american
Ingredients
For the graham cracker crust
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 12 full sheets)
- 1/2 cup salted butter, melted
- 5 tablespoons granulated sugar
- Pinch salt
For the lemon cheesecake
- 3 packages (8 ounces each) Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese, room temperature
- 8 ounces sour cream, room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup lemon curd
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and line a 9 or 10 inch springform pan with parchment paper on the bottom and grease the sides of the pan well.
- Combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and salt, stirring together until combined. The mixture will be dry and sandy. Press the graham cracker crust into the prepared pan, pressing it firmly into an even layer. Set aside.
- Fill a 9 x 13 inch pan with water and place in the oven to create a water bath for the cheesecake. This will help to prevent any cracks.
- While the oven preheats, make the cheesecake. Whip the softened cream cheese, room temperature sour cream, and granulated sugar together in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment for 2 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add the vanilla extract and then the eggs one at a time, beating until just combined.
- Pour the cheesecake batter over the graham cracker crust in the springform pan. Drop the pan on the counter a few times to get rid of any air bubbles. Carefully place in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 55 minutes, rotating the cheesecake halfway. Do not over bake! The cheesecake will still be wobbly in the center, but this is correct!
- At the 55 minutes mark, turn off the oven and open the door to the oven slightly. Leave the cheesecake in the turned off oven for an hour to allow the cheesecake to cool down gradually.
- After an hour, take it out of the oven, run a knife along the edges to release from the pan and set on a cooling rack for 1 hour to come to room temperature. Pour the lemon curd over the cheesecake to form an even lemon layer on top of the cheesecake. Cover the cheesecake with tinfoil and place it in the fridge to set overnight.
- When ready to serve, release the springform pan and remove the rim of the pan carefully. Top with whipped cream and lemon zest. Slice into 16 servings and enjoy!
This post is sponsored by Philadelphia Cream Cheese. As always, all opinions are mine.
Hi Sara! How did you do those cute little white flowers on your cheesecake? thank you so much. xoxo
Hi Andrea! We made a meringue and piped them on with a star tip!
unfortunately when i followed the recipe the cheesecake didnt set. i probably didnt bake it long enough but the liquified remains were tasty
Oh no! Ovens can run SO different–it is truly wild!! Next time try baking it for an extra 15 to 20 minutes or until the cheesecake is just slightly jiggly in the middle!
Can I use mascarpone cheese instead of cream cheese? 🙂
I’ve never tried that! It might work, but I cannot personally vouch for it! Cream cheese is the base for the recipe so I do think it would alter the texture and taste a great deal, but if you’re up for an experiment, let us know how it goes!