Lemon Meringue Cheesecake

Anyone who has tried my cheesecakes agrees they're the best ever, and this Lemon Meringue Cheesecake is no exception. It is the most creamy, luscious cheesecake covered with a silky, tangy lemon curd and topped off with a toasted swiss meringue. The combination of flavors and textures is absolutely divine, and the cheesecake is a complete show-stopper at any occasion!

If you feel confident with your baking, you can jump to the recipe which has detailed instructions. But since this cheesecake has a few components that can be slightly tricky to perfect, I've provided many tips in the blog post below which I highly recommend reading.

If you want a simpler cheesecake recipe, check out my popular BEST New York Cheesecake instead!

Read the full blog post below for detailed notes, tips, tricks, photos and videos.

Note: This post contains affiliate links.

COMPONENTS OF LEMON MERINGUE CHEESECAKE

This cheesecake has 4 main components:

1. Crust. A simple crust made with just graham crackers and butter (no sugar needed) and par-baked before being filled with the cheesecake batter. It is toasty, crispy and the perfect base for the cheesecake
2. Cheesecake. This is my tried and trusted cheesecake filling with some added lemon juice. Trust me when I tell you, it is the best you'll ever have. What makes it so special is its unique, ultra-creamy texture which feels like luxury in your mouth (no eggy cheesecake here, please)
3. Lemon curd. This bright, tangy and silky lemon curd is very simple to make and perfectly complements the sweet flavor of the cheesecake
4. Swiss meringue. The perfect cherry on top of this cheesecake is the sweet and toasty Swiss meringue. It is definitely more work than a French meringue, which requires no heating, but ensures that the egg whites are cooked through and safe to eat. It also stays stable for longer and does not weep or release moisture over time!

TIPS TO ACHIEVE THE PERFECT CHEESECAKE TEXTURE

There are a few tips which will help make your cheesecake creamy and dreamy instead of dry and eggy:

1. Use high quality, full fat cream cheese. Philadelphia is always a good option, and make sure to use the block form (not the tub form). Similarly, use full fat heavy cream and sour cream
2. Bring all ingredients fully to room temperature. This will ensure everything mixes properly and there aren't any lumps
3. Scrape the bowl constantly, both the sides and the bottom. Otherwise there will be unmixed bits of cream cheese in the cheesecake
4. Do not overmix!! I cannot stress this enough - cheesecake should be creamy, not airy, so we don't want to add air into the batter by whisking too much, especially after adding the eggs and heavy cream. I also recommend using the paddle attachment on a stand mixer instead of the balloon whisk attachment1
5. Bake less than normal and then chill overnight. You will bake in a water bath at 325F (instead of 350F) for only about 80 minutes. The cheesecake will be very jiggly when it comes out of the oven, and remain jiggly for a few hours. But after a full overnight chilling, it will set while still being super creamy inside

For a more detailed explanation, I highly recommend reading my Best Cheesecake blog post!

Best pan for cheesecake

You need a good quality 9" springform pan for cheesecake. The seal should be very tight to ensure the batter stays in and the water stays out! Here are 2 I love:

• USA Pan Leakproof Springform Pan
• Fat Daddio's Aluminum Springform Pan (cheaper alternate)

To be extra safe, I always recommend wrapping 2 larger sheets of aluminum foil outside the pan (covering the bottom and edges).

TIPS TO MAKE THE PERFECT LEMON CURD

The key to making the perfect lemon curd lies in the cooking process:

1. Cook low and slow (the lowest flame possible), and stir and watch continuously like a hawk. This will help ensure the ingredients cook and thicken evenly without the eggs getting scrambled or the curd getting lumpy and separated. If you use higher heat or look away for even a few seconds, the curd can catch on the pan and the texture can get ruined. If the curd gets just slightly grainy, don't worry and pass it through a strainer
2. Do not overcook. The perfect lemon curd needs to be cooked until it becomes thicker and coats the back of a spoon, but should not be so thick that it already looks like custard (the ideal temperature is around 165-170F). It thickens further as it cools and reaches a custard like consistency

How to get lemon curd to fully set for this recipe

The lemon curd I use in this recipe does not "fully" set to a firm consistency. It is more like a thick custard when cooled, and drips over the edges slowly when the cheesecake is sliced. This is technically what lemon curd should be like, and I prefer it this way! Fully set lemon curd feels more "gloopy" or gummy, and I don't enjoy that texture.

However, having a custard-y lemon curd does make it just a tad bit tricky to dollop on the meringue neatly, as the meringue sticks to the curd. So I understand if you want a fully set lemon curd and neat layers in your cheesecake slices. For this, there are 2 tweaks you can make to my recipe:

1. Add 1-2 more egg yolks or 1 tablespoon more cornstarch. Both of these are thickening agents, but remember that also means the curd is more susceptible to getting scrambled! So keep the heat on the lowest setting and stir constantly
2. Cook for slightly longer. The longer you cook, the thicker the curd will get, but you need to make sure you keep the heat on the lowest setting and keep stirring. Get the curd to a custard-like consistency before adding the butter and chilling, which should be an additional ~2 minutes

Keep in mind that if you make a thicker curd, it will be harder to spread after chilling. So you may want to directly spread it on top of the cheesecake while it is cooling down in the fridge, and let it set on top of the cheesecake (don't add curd to cheesecake when the cheesecake is hot or warm, though).

TIPS TO ACHIEVE THE PERFECT SWISS MERINGUE

Meringue, although just 2 key ingredients, can be quite tricky to perfect. So here are a few tips to get it just right:

1. Make sure to use clean bowls and whisks with no fat residue on them. You can dab a little vinegar on a paper towel and wipe the bowls and whisks with it to be on the safe side
2. Make sure there is no yolk in the egg whites. Any trace amount of fat will prevent the egg whites from whisking properly
3. Add cream of tartar (included in the recipe). This is an acid which helps stabilize the egg whites
4. Be patient! A Swiss meringue requires a lot of whisking, first over a double boiler until the mixture reaches 150F, then off the heat until the meringue reaches stiff peaks. You know it's done when it looks very glossy, and when you pull the whisk out you can see a peak / spike which stands upright

Swiss meringue is harder to over-whisk than a French meringue, but it is still recommended to keep the whisk at medium or medium-high speed to lower the risk of over-whisking.

How to toast meringue without a blowtorch

To finish off the meringue on top of the cheesecake, it is blowtorched to get a toasty golden color (this is the blowtorch I use and love). But what should you do if you don't have a blowtorch?

Instead of telling you different methods you can try, I actually have a controversial answer to this question: if you don't have a blowtorch and don't absolutely love meringue and its flavor and texture, just don't make a meringue. Instead, replace it with whipped cream (made by whisking heavy cream, sugar and vanilla).

The reason I say this is because meringue is a lot of work, and trying to toast it without a torch will make it even more complicated for less than ideal results. If you just absolutely love meringue and want it anyway, then you can serve it without toasting it (it is cooked already).

VIDEO TUTORIAL

Here is a quick video tutorial for this recipe:

PROCESS WITH PHOTOS

The detailed recipe is in the recipe card below, but let's quickly go over the steps with photos to help you visualize everything.

Make the crust with graham crackers and sugar. Pack it tightly in a springform pan and bake:

Whisk the cream cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla until creamy:

Break and lightly whisk the eggs separately, then slowly add them to the cheesecake batter while slowly whisking:

Add all the remaining ingredients and mix until just combined:

Pour the batter into the baked crust. Tap the pan to remove any bubbles and bake, then chill overnight:

For the lemon curd, cook and stir all ingredients except the butter over low heat until they thicken up. Then mix in the butter and chill overnight:

The next day, spread the chilled curd on top of the chilled cheesecake:

For the meringue, whisk the ingredients over a double boiler until the mixture reaches 150F. Then remove from heat and continue whisking until a stiff and shiny meringue forms:

Slather the meringue onto the cheesecake, and use a blowtorch to lightly toast until golden:

Slice up, serve and enjoy!

OTHER FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Detailed tips on the cheesecake, lemon curd and meringue are provided in the sections above, as well as some FAQs.

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