Lemon New York Cheesecake
A decadently smooth sweet yet tart cheesecake with lemon zest dispersed in the base, filling AND topping. When life gives you lemons, make this cheesecake.
This recipe will make a tall 20cm cheesecake (with a cup or so of batter left over) or a 23cm cheesecake.
Ingredients
Base
300g digestive biscuits
180g melted butter
12g lemon zest, or 2 tbsp
1 tbsp raw/golden caster sugar
Pinch of salt
Filling
4 x 250g Philadelphia Cream Cheese blocks
250g raw/golden caster sugar
30g plain flour
12g lemon zest, or 2 tbsp
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp lemon juice
Punch of salt
3 large eggs + 1 yolk
155g Greek yoghurt
130g mascarpone cheese
Topping
1 cup homemade lemon curd
Method
Preheat fan-forced oven to 160°C. Grease and line the base and sides of a 20cm springform cake tin.
First, make the base by blitzing the biscuits in a food processor. Pour into a large bowl, along with the melted butter, lemon zest, sugar and salt. Mix to combine.
Pour into the prepared cake tin and evenly press into the bottom of the pan.
Bake for 18-20 minutes.
Increase the oven to 200°C. Add the cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on low medium for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides halfway. Reduce speed to low and add the caster sugar 1 tbsp at a time. Change to the whisk attachment. Now add the flour, lemon zest, juice, vanilla and salt. Now add the eggs, one at a time, followed by the yolk, scraping down the sides 1-2 times.
Add the yoghurt and mascarpone cheese and mix until just combined. The batter should be smooth, light and somewhat airy.
Pour in the filling - if there are any lumps, sink them using a knife - the top should be as smooth as possible. Bake for 10 minutes, then drop the temperature to 90C and bake for 45 minutes. If you gently shake the tin, the filling should have a slight wobble.
Turn off the oven and open the oven door for a cheesecake that's creamy in the centre, or leave it closed if you prefer a drier texture. Let cool in the oven for 2 hours. The cheesecake may get a slight crack on top as it cools.
Place in the fridge for an hour, then top with lemon curd and evenly spread across the surface. Loosely cover with foil and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.