If you are looking for a special occasion dessert with the ‘wow factor’, look no further. This Lemon Meringue Cheesecake will solve all your problems. Imagine a crunchy, buttery biscuit base, topped with a layer of creamy lemon-infused cheesecake. That’s not all. Next comes a layer of zesty lemon curd before the pièce de résistance… a stunning brown sugar meringue. Trust me, this dessert is too good to miss.
At first glance, this Lemon Meringue Cheesecake might seem complicated. However, once you break it down into stages, it is rather straight-forward. Perfect for a dinner party dessert! I would say it is even easier than my Lemon Meringue Tart as you don’t need to worry about a soggy bottom. Plus, you can prepare the biscuit base, cheesecake layer and lemon curd in advance. No need to worry about last minute panics!
If you find the idea of making Italian meringue daunting, you can keep it as a lemon curd cheesecake. Or you can make a classic French meringue using 5 egg whites and 200g light brown sugar. It won't be as stable so you won't want to pile it quite so high and you will want to do this very much at the last minute. When I was working as a private chef I would sometimes cut the lemon curd cheesecake into slices and then pipe or spoon the meringue onto each slice when it was ready and waiting on the plate. That's also quite a stress free way of doing it!
But really either way, it is still a delicious crowd-pleaser.
Why you will love this Lemon Meringue Cheesecake recipe:
- It is a show stopping dessert. The perfect crowd-pleaser for a special occasion or dinner party.
- The biscuit base, cheesecake and lemon curd layers can be made ahead.
- It is full of flavour and texture. Imagine sweet meringue, zesty lemon curd, creamy cheesecake and a buttery, crunchy biscuit base..
- It is ideal for learning new skills and mastering the perfect Italian meringue.
Let's talk about Meringue!
For this cheesecake you have options when it comes to the meringue. You can make a French meringue or an Italian meringue. French meringue is the most commonly used, super simple, meringue. You just add sugar to whisked egg whites whilst continuing to whisk into a stiff meringue. However, it isn’t the most stable and to make this cheesecake a real show stopper you want the meringue to be stable.
So I recommend making an Italian meringue. It involves making a hot sugar syrup, then slowly adding it to whisked egg whites. The result? A smooth and glossy meringue. It is popular with professional bakers and patisseries because it is shiny and the most stable. Do not be intimated! You can do it! It does require a sugar thermometer but these aren't too expensive and are a helpful thing to have.
The recipe for the Lemon Meringue Cheesecake below details how to make the Italian meringue but if you wanted to make a simple French brown sugar meringue here is what you would do. Use the same ratio explained in the recipe below (5 egg whites and 200g brown sugar) and then in a clean, dry bowl, begin whisking the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Then add the brown sugar a spoon at a time. Continue to whisk the egg whites until the meringue is glossy and forms stiff peaks.
If you want to make this but don't have a sugar thermometer, don't worry, I've got some tips!
You can use the soft ball test. When the sugar is the right temperature, the bubbles will get bigger and slower and the surface of the pan will be covered in bubbles - at this point it's fair to guess that the sugar is ready. At this point drop a little sugar into a glass of cold water. If the sugar dissolves, it's not hot enough. If it forms a hard ball, it's too hot! But if it forms a ball and then melts away when you try to squish it, it's ready. At soft ball stage the syrup will be completely clear.
You will need the following ingredients:
Digestive biscuits - I always have a packet in my cupboard. They create a deliciously crunchy, buttery biscuit base.
Granulated sugar - this adds sweetness to the buttery biscuit base and zesty lemon curd.
Butter - opt for unsalted so you can control the salt level in this Lemon Meringue Cheesecake.
Full-fat cream cheese - I recommend Philadelphia. Opt for the full-fat variety and make sure it is at room temperature before using. Low-fat options won’t set properly.
Icing sugar - this adds sweetness to the lemon cheesecake layer.
Lemons - the key ingredient in Lemon Meringue Cheesecake! I love the refreshing, zesty flavour of the lemon curd. There is a hint of lemon in the creamy cheesecake layer too.
Double cream - you must use double (heavy) cream in this Lemon Meringue Cheesecake. Single cream won’t whip up or set as well.
Yellow food colouring - this is entirely optional. I rather like adding a pop of bright yellow colour.
Eggs - I recommend free-range large eggs. Try to find ones stamped with the British Lion mark.
Soft light brown sugar - this gives the Italian meringue a deeper, almost caramel, flavour. Trust me, it is a revelation.
Full recipe can be found in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, just scroll down!
Substitutions and Variations:
Granulated sugar - you can use caster sugar or golden caster sugar. The latter will give your lemon curd a slightly deeper colour.
Soft light brown sugar - I love the caramel, almost treacle-y, flavour of the brown sugar meringue. However, you can use caster sugar or golden caster sugar if that is what you have.
Skip the meringue - you can serve this lemon cheesecake naked. By that I mean without the meringue. Obviously I love it with the meringue but it’s delicious either way. Decorate with grated lemon zest, whipped cream and/or fresh berries. A sprinkling of freeze dried raspberries also looks very pretty.
Berries - this Lemon Meringue Cheesecake pairs perfectly with fruity berries. Raspberries work particularly well. I often serve slices with a scatter of plump and juicy berries. Strawberries, pitted cherries, blueberries and blackberries are all lovely. Alternatively, whip up a coulis or compote to serve alongside. You can use frozen berries if they aren’t in season.
Here's how to make this showstopping Lemon Meringue Cheesecake:
Here's a step by step guide for what you need to do, but you can find the full recipe below for detailed instructions.
ONE: Tip the digestive biscuits into a food processor with the granulated sugar and blitz into fine crumbs. Add to a bowl and pour in the melted butter. Mix.
TWO: Tip the biscuit mixture into the prepared tin and, using the back of a spoon or the bottom of a glass, pat into a smooth and compact layer on the base and up the sides. Bake for 10 minutes until golden. Set aside until cool enough to touch.
THREE: Put the cream cheese into a large bowl. Sieve in the icing sugar and add the lemon juice. Whisk until smooth and combined. With the whisk still running, gradually pour in the double cream. Continue to whisk on medium-high speed until starting to thicken.
FOUR: Spoon over the cooled biscuit base and, using a spatula, palette knife or back of a spoon, spread in a smooth and even layer. Cover and chill in the fridge for at least 5 hours - ideally overnight.
FIVE: Put the lemon juice, sugar, egg and egg yolk into a small non-stick saucepan and place over a gentle heat. Whisk constantly until starting to thicken.
Remove from the heat and pour through a sieve set over a bowl to catch any cooked egg bits. Leave to sit for 2 minutes to cool slightly.
SIX: Gradually add the cold cubes of butter, stirring until it melts into the curd. Close-cover with a piece of cling film (so that it touches the surface). Leave to cool completely. If you are waiting for the cheesecake to set, place in the fridge until needed.
SEVEN: Once the cheesecake has set and the curd is cool, release cheesecake from the tin and place onto a flat plate. Spoon over the lemon curd and spread in an even layer. Place back in the fridge whilst you make meringue.
EIGHT: To prepare the Italian meringue: in a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Place over a medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the syrup reaches 118°C on a sugar thermometer. Meanwhile, in a clean, dry bowl, begin whisking the egg whites until they form soft peaks.
NINE: Once the sugar syrup has reached the correct temperature, slowly pour it into the egg whites while continuing to whisk - take care to pour the syrup down the side of the bowl (not onto the whisks) to avoid splattering. Continue to whisk the egg whites until the meringue is glossy and forms stiff peaks, and the bowl has cooled to room temperature. Spread or pipe the meringue over the lemon curd.
TEN: Use a blowtorch to lightly brown the meringue! Enjoy chilled or at room temperature.
Cooking Tips:
How to make a biscuit base without a food processor: place the biscuits into a sandwich bag and bash with a rolling pin until you have fine crumbs. Next, tip into a large mixing bowl and mix in the melted butter until you have a crumbly consistency.
Gentle heat: make sure you keep the curd over a gentle heat and whisk constantly. Otherwise, you will end up with lemon scrambled eggs!
Room temperature egg whites: using egg whites from room temperature will help your Italian meringue whisk up faster and give them a better volume.
A clean, dry bowl: It is really important to make sure your bowl is completely clean and dry before you add the egg whites. Any traces of liquid or fat will stop them whisking up.
Pouring in the sugar syrup: take care when pouring the sugar syrup into the meringue. Trickle down the side of the bowl, avoiding the beaters. This should prevent the hot syrup from splashing everywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Most people think of meringues as those dainty kisses or swirled nests that look like mini pavlovas. However, that isn’t the only type of meringue. There are several different kinds, all with slightly different techniques. The 3 main ones are:
French meringue - this is the most commonly used, super simple, meringue. You just add sugar to whisked egg whites whilst continuing to whisk into a stiff meringue. However, it isn’t the most stable.
Italian meringue - I use this in my Lemon Meringue Cheesecake. It involves making a hot sugar syrup, then slowly adding it to whisked egg whites. The result? A smooth and glossy meringue. It is popular with professional bakers and patisseries because it is shiny and the most stable.
Swiss meringue - here the egg whites and sugar are whisked over a pan of gently simmering water until they reach 60C. Next, they are whisked until they reach stiff peaks. It has a deliciously smooth, silky texture and is often used in buttercream.
This Lemon Meringue Cheesecake is one of those desserts that can hold its own without any accompaniments. However, it is also lovely with whipped cream and some seasonal berries. Raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries and/or cherries are all good options. Alternatively, whip up a berry coulis or compote with frozen berries. A scoop of good-quality ice cream also works very well.
There are so many sweet and savoury recipes to make with leftover egg yolks. One of the most obvious things to make is custard. That gives you the perfect excuse to make a crumble or my Peach Cobbler with Cake Mix. Alternatively, why not make a soft and sweet loaf of brioche? Or a beautifully buttery Gâteau Breton or custard tart?
On the savoury front… egg yolks are ideal for creating creamy pastas like my Buttery Lemon Pasta and Carbonara with Guanciale (not forgetting my Udon Carbonara). Or you can make classics like homemade mayonnaise or hollandaise sauce. You can also freeze them. They can go a little weird if you freeze them just as they are, so I tend to mix them with a pinch of sugar before freezing. I find this helps them keep their texture after defrosting.
Other recipes you might enjoy:
If you liked the sound of this Lemon Meringue Cheesecake, I have lots of other delicious desserts for you to try. My Lemon Posset is a super simple dessert recipe which needs just 3 ingredients. Or take a look at my show stopping White Chocolate and Passion Fruit Cheesecake. It is the most incredible combination of sweet white chocolate and tangy passion fruit in one creamy cheesecake. Or don’t miss my Lemon Meringue Tart. It is one of those desserts that looks complicated, but is actually rather easy.
For something totally different to lemon, chocolate is always a safe bet. This 3-Ingredient Chocolate Mousse is such a great recipe and makes the lightest mousse ever. Or this is a melt-in-the-middle cake, called a Moelleux au Chocolat. You won't be disappointed by it at all! Or for a mix of chocolate and coffee, try my Tiramisu Cake, made with Panettone.
Made this recipe and loved it?
I would love love LOVE if you could leave a review in the comments… I love hearing what you thought, any changes you made, the stories behind what made you try my recipes. Also, if you share a photo on Instagram, please tag me @desertislanddishes, it makes my day to see you making my creations!
PrintLemon Meringue Cheesecake
This Lemon Meringue Cheesecake is the perfect show stopping dessert for a special occasion. Imagine a crunchy biscuit base topped with creamy cheesecake, zesty lemon curd and a sweet brown sugar meringue with hints of caramel. It is one very special dessert.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes + chill time
- Chill Time: 5 hours to overnight
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes + chilling
- Yield: Serves 10-12 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Fridge Chill
- Cuisine: Global
Ingredients
For the biscuit base
- 300 g digestive biscuits
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 150 g unsalted butter, melted
For the lemon cheesecake filling:
- 500 g full-fat soft cream cheese, at room temperature
- 100 g icing sugar
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 300 ml double cream
- Couple of drops of yellow food colouring (optional)
For the lemon curd:
- 80 g lemon juice
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
- 50 g cold unsalted butter, diced
For the brown sugar meringue:
- 5 large egg whites
- 200g soft light brown sugar
- 120ml water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven at 160ºC. Line the base of a 23cm (9-inch) springform tin with non-stick baking paper. Set aside.
- For the biscuit base: tip the digestive biscuits into a food processor with the granulated sugar and blitz into fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and whizz again until you have the desired crumbly consistency.
- Tip the biscuit mixture into the prepared tin and, using the back of a spoon or the bottom of a glass, pat into a smooth and compact layer on the base and up the sides. Bake for 10 minutes until golden. Set aside until cool enough to touch.
- For the cheesecake filling: put the cream cheese into a large bowl. Sieve in the icing sugar and add the lemon juice. Using an electric whisk, whisk until smooth and combined.
- With the whisk still running, gradually pour in the double cream. Continue to whisk on medium-high speed until starting to thicken. Alternatively, you can whip the cream separately until you have soft peaks, then gently fold through until combined.
- Add a couple of drops of yellow food colouring, if using, and fold through until you have a yellow-coloured mixture.
- Spoon over the cooled biscuit base and, using a spatula, palette knife or back of a spoon, spread in a smooth and even layer. Cover and chill in the fridge for at least 5 hours - ideally overnight.
- Meanwhile, for the lemon curd: put the lemon juice, sugar, egg and egg yolk into a small non-stick saucepan and place over a gentle heat. Whisk constantly until starting to thicken.
- Remove from the heat and pour through a sieve set over a bowl to catch any cooked egg bits.. Leave to sit for 2 minutes to cool slightly.
- Gradually add the cold cubes of butter, stirring until it melts into the curd. Close-cover with a piece of cling film (so that it touches the surface). Leave to cool completely. If you are waiting for the cheesecake to set, place in the fridge until needed.
- Once the cheesecake has set and the curd is cool, release cheesecake from the tin and place onto a flat plate. Spoon over the lemon curd and spread in an even layer. Place back in the fridge whilst you make meringue.
- Next, make the Italian meringue: in a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Place over a medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the syrup reaches 118°C on a sugar thermometer.
- Meanwhile, in a clean, dry bowl, begin whisking the egg whites until they form soft peaks.
- Once the sugar syrup has reached the correct temperature, slowly pour it into the egg whites while continuing to whisk - take care to pour the syrup down the side of the bowl (not onto the whisks) to avoid splattering.
- Continue to whisk the egg whites until the meringue is glossy and forms stiff peaks, and the bowl has cooled to room temperature.
- Spread or pipe the Italian meringue over the lemon curd. Use a blowtorch to lightly brown the meringue, or place under a grill for a few seconds - watch closely to prevent burning.
- Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Notes
Biscuits: if you don’t have digestive biscuits, you can swap for others like lotus or gingernuts. Just be aware you will have to adjust the butter (see ‘Substitutions and Variations’).
Room temperature: it is really important that your cream cheese is at room temperature so that it combines properly with the cream.
Gentle heat: make sure you keep the curd over a gentle heat and whisk constantly. Otherwise, you will end up with lemon scrambled eggs!
If you find the idea of making Italian meringue daunting, you can keep it as a lemon curd cheesecake which is still very delicious.
If you want to make Italian meringue but don't have a sugar thermometer, it is still possible! You can use the soft ball test. When the sugar is the right temperature, the bubbles will get bigger and slower and the surface of the pan will be covered in bubbles - at this point it's fair to guess that the sugar is ready. At this point drop a little sugar into a glass of cold water. If the sugar dissolves, it's not hot enough. If it forms a hard ball, it's too hot! But if it forms a ball and then melts away when you try to squish it, it's ready. At soft ball stage the syrup will be completely clear.
If you don't want to make an Italian meringue, you can go for a simpler French meringue - using 5 egg whites and 200g light brown sugar and omit the water. It won't be as stable so you won't want to pile it quite so high and you will want to do this very much at the last minute. When I was working as a private chef I would sometimes cut the lemon curd cheesecake into slices and then pipe or spoon the meringue onto each slice when it was ready and waiting on the plate. That's also quite a stress free way of doing it and a good middle ground if you feel nervous of the meringue.
If you do feel more comfortable making the French brown sugar meringue here's what to do: in a clean, dry bowl, begin whisking the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Then add the brown sugar a spoon at a time. Continue to whisk the egg whites until the meringue is glossy and forms stiff peaks.
Serving suggestions: this Lemon Meringue Cheesecake is delicious with seasonal berries, berry coulis and/or whipped cream.
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