Easy Lemon Cheesecake
A fail-proof recipe that is delicious and easy to make!
Ingredients
Base Ingredients
- 1 + ½ cup cookie crumbs e.g. 250g Digestive/Super Wine biscuits, 130g Graham crackers, etc.*
- 70 g about ⅓ cup butter, melted**
Filling Ingredients
- 280 g (1 + ¼ cup) castor sugar
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 750 g (26 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs room temperature
- Juice from 2 lemons (about ¼ cup)
- 190 g (¾ cup) sour cream, room temperature
Topping Ingredients
- 190 g (¾ cup) sour cream
- 30 g (¼ cup) icing sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons lemon curd optional
Instructions
- Line the bottom of a 9 inch (23cm) spring-form cake tin with baking paper and grease the sides with butter or oil. Preheat the oven to 160C (325F) (fan bake).
- Combine cookie crumbs and butter. Mix with your hands until combined then press into prepared tin.
- Using your finger tips, rub the lemon zest and sugar together in a large bowl until fragrant. Add cream cheese and mix with a large spoon until smooth. Add vanilla and salt. Beat in 1 egg at a time (by hand), making sure each egg is well incorporated (be careful not to over-mix). Add lemon juice and sour cream and continue to mix until everything is well combined.
- Pour cream cheese mixture over the cookie crumb base and place in oven along with two oven-proof ramekins of water. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the edges of the cheesecake come away from the cake-tin and the center is ‘jiggly’. Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake in the oven for at least an hour with the oven door ajar. Once the cheesecake has completely cooled, remove from the oven and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight).
- Prepare topping: Combine all topping ingredients in a small bowl and mix until combined. Spoon over cooled cheesecake. Decorate with lemon slices and lemon zest if desired.
Notes
* To get cookie crumbs, either blend them in a food processor or place them in a bag and bash them with a rolling pin.
** Depending on what cookies/crackers you use, you may need more or less butter. Add enough butter until you reach ‘wet sand’ consistency. For a heavier biscuit like Digestives, I use 90g of butter.
*** The cheesecake will be very jiggly in the middle after 25-30 minutes and will look as if it isn’t baked properly – don’t be fooled though! This is the time to turn the oven off as the cheesecake will continue cooking and setting as it cools.
**** Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature to allow for easier mixing and to ensure all ingredients combine well.