How is Italian meringue different from other meringues?

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.

What can I serve with Lemon Meringue Cheesecake?

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.

What can I make with the leftover egg yolks from the Italian meringue?

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.

Lemon Meringue Cheesecake

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

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.

Author: Margie Nomura
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

Scale

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

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

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.

Find it online: https://desertislanddishes.co/lemon-meringue-cheesecake/