Hello everyone, I hope you are all well.
Scandinavians are really longing for the sun this time of year, and now – finally – the days are getting brighter.
I’m so looking forward to seeing blue skies and sunshine more often!
Lemon and lemon desserts are getting more and more popular as we approach spring and summer. Today I wanted to share the recipe for my absolute favorite cheesecake – baked lemon cheesecake. It’s so delicious, and it’s easy to make, too.
The base:
- 5 tablespoons (70 grams) butter, melted
- 4 oz. (115 grams) Vanilla Wafers, finely crushed
- 3 teaspoons regular sugar
Cheesecake filling:
- 32 oz. (900 g) Philadelphia cream cheese
- 1 1/3 cup (285 g) regular sugar
- Finely grated zest from 2 lemons
- 4 eggs
- Juice from 2 lemons
- 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoons (200 ml) low-fat sour cream (fat content approx. 18%)
- seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean (optional)
Topping:
Preheat the oven to 350˚F/180˚C.
Start by making the base.
Finely crush the vanilla wafers, use a food processor or put them into a plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin.
Stir the sugar and melted butter into the crushed vanilla wafers. You can of course use any cookies, but I used vanilla wafers here.
Grease a round springform pan with non-stick baking spray. The pan can be any size from 8 to 11 inches (20 to 28 cm) in diameter, just remember that the smaller the pan, the taller the cake.
Tip in the crushed cookie mixture and press it down and up the sides of the pan, about 1/2 inch (1 cm) up the sides.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, then leave to cool completely. Turn the oven down to 212˚F/100˚C.
Make the cheesecake filling:
All the ingredients should be at room temperature.
Put the cream cheese, sugar and finely grated lemon zest into a mixing bowl and mix until fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
I like to add the seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean, but this can be omitted.
Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing between each addition. It’s important not to overmix here, mix until just incorporated.
When all the eggs are mixed in, add the lemon juice and sour cream and stir them into the mixture using a rubber spatula.
Pour the cheesecake mixture into the baking pan on top of the cooled base and bake in the 212 F/100 C oven for 3 hours.
The combination of the low temperature and the 3 hour baking time makes all the difference, the cake will keep its shape and the surface won’t crack during baking.
Leave to cool for 15 minutes, then slide a sharp knife along the inside of the pan to release the cake.
Now you’ll need some lemon curd, you can find my recipe here. Spread over the cooled cheesecake and chill for at least 8 hours.
When you’re ready to serve the cake, make marshmallow fluff. You can find the recipe here.
Spread out a decent layer of fluff and use a palette knife or the back of a spoon to create some waves or peaks.
I use a blow torch to slightly scorch the top.
Voilà – Baked lemon cheesecake, my absolute favorite cheesecake ever.
You should try it, maybe it will be your favorite, too?
33 Comments
hi Manuela
Is that possible to use cream instead of sour cream?
Hi Zeinab, you can use crème fraîche instead of sour cream. The consistency of regular (heavy) cream is quite different.
Good luck!
-Team Passion4Baking
this cheesecake looks so amazing! I just can’t wait to bake it <3 Thanks for all your awesome recipes!
Hi Charlotte, thank you! Hope you’ll like this cake as much as we do.. 😀
-Team Passion4Baking
Dear Manuela!
I really love this recipe. I want to make it for my Moms birthday (she really loves lemon cakes), but I have a question about the fluff. I read that I need corn syrup.
Can you tell some alternatives instead of this? I’m from Hungary and I’m not sure I can get corn syrup. Maybe I can, but what if not? I really appriciate some advice.
Thank you! 🙂
Hi Flo, you can use liquid glucose instead of light corn syrup.
Hope your mum will love this cake as much as we do! 🙂
-Team Passion4Baking
It Looks delicious. Maybe I’ll bake it for my sisters birthday next week…
Do I have to bake it again after I put the marshmallow fluff on it?
And if yes, for how long?
Hi Ina, you don’t gave to bake it again after putting on the marshmallow fluff, but it looks nice if you scorch the top with a blow torch. 🙂
-Team Passion4Baking
Hi Manuela
It looks so delicious. But i have a question to ask.
what baking method are you using? Do we have to pour hot water inside the baking pan? I mean au ban marie method.
Thank you for sharing
Hi Sylvia, because of the low oven temperature and the long cooking time it’s not necessary to use the bain marie method here.
Happy baking!
-Team Passion4Baking
Kan man lage kaken dagen før og oppbevare den i kjøleskap?
Hei Juliet, det går fint, men smaken er best om den er romtemperert så ta den gjerne ut av kjøleskapet en time før servering.
-Team Passion4Baking
Hi Manuela,
I’m from Brazil and the weather here is usually pretty hot. Should I place the cheesecake (after ready) in the refrigerator?
Thanks a lot! I love your recipes!
Hi Clarissa! Yes, if you live in a hot climate cheesecakes should be stored in the refrigerator.
Happy baking!
-Team Passion4Baking
Do i have to bake the cookies first? or can i just take the dough and mix it with the melted butter, and bake it in the cake pan, without baking and crushing cookies?
Hi Hannah, that is possible, but the base will be crunchier if you bake it first. 🙂
-Team Passion4Baking
Can I bake the cake for 1,5 hours at 200°C?
Hi Hannah, if baking for a long time (3 hours) in a 100 C oven the cake won’t crack, and the consistency will be very smooth and velvety. 🙂
-Team Passion4Baking
Hva kan jeg bruke hvis jeg ikke har hverken glukose eller light corn syrup? Bor på en liten plass uten mye utvalg.. Kan jeg lage noe alternativt oppå?
Hei Frlntot, det bruker å fungere helt greit med vanlig lys sirup også. 🙂
-Team Passion4Baking
Dear Manuela,
Previously, I wrote you here. I made this cake for my moms birthday. Unfortunately, it looked awful…I didn’t bake it enough. BUT! It was really-really-really delicious!!!! 🙂 Everyone loved it (despite its look) and told me, I should do this more often. 🙂
So really thank you for the recipe! 🙂
Hi Flo, looks isn’t everything 🙂 The flavor is more important, if you ask me. But practice makes perfect, so maybe next time both the flavor and the appearance will be great!
Good luck!
-Team Passion4Baking
Hi,
It looks very yummie! 🙂
Do you use large eggs or medium size?
Greetings
Hi Bente, usually the eggs used are large. 🙂
-Team Passion4Baking
hey i’m from indonesian,i want bought your book. Can shipping to indonesia?
Hi Athira, none of the books are published in English yet.
-Team Passion4Baking
Hei.
Jeg har prøvd å lage kaken en gang tidligere og syntes den var kjempegod 🙂 Det eneste er at det ble litt mye kake. Er det mulig å fryse den ned hvis en ikke har på marens/fluff på toppen av kaken?
Går det greit å halvere oppskriften?
Hei Elin, så bra at du likte kaken! Ostekaker er ikke så veldig egnet til frysing, så jeg ville heller da ha laget halv porsjon i en mindre form.
Happy baking!
-Team Passion4Baking
Hi Manuela, this recipe looks great & I’ll be making it soon. I had two questions, first do I need to bake it in a water?
Second is my oven is a fan assisted one so as I can’t reduce the temperature (100 is the lowest in mine) do I need to reduce the baking time as fan ovens tend to be hotter or bake quicker. Thanks a lot for always inspiring us with such recipes ?
hi,thanks for the love, if you don’t want to bake it in a water bath, bake it on 100 degree for 3 hours , good luck dear
Thanks so much for your reply, I’ll do just that (water method always ended in a disaster ?)xx
You are so welcome, yes i agree with the water!
For how many people is this I have to bake for 30person 🙂