Lemon Cheesecake

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a food processor, add graham cracker crumbs, butter and sugar. Pulse to combine all ingredients.

Add graham cracker crumb mixture to 9-inch springform pan. Use the bottom of a glass to smooth out the graham cracker crumbs along the bottom and sides of the pan. Bake in preheated oven 8 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 325F.

Make the cheesecake filling. In a large bowl add the sugar and lemon zest. Using your hands, massage the lemon zest into the sugar until the sugar is a pale yellow color. This helps to release the lemon oils and brings out more of the lemon flavor.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a handheld mixer, add softened cream cheese and lemon sugar mixture until smooth and creamy. Add in the lemon juice, vanilla and salt and beat until combined.
Mixing with a whisk by hand, add all eggs into the batter and whisk just until incorporated.

Get the cheesecake ready to bake. Wrap the bottom and sides of the springform pan with aluminum foil. Place in a large roasting pan and add boiling hot water to bottom of pan so that it is 2 inches up the sides of the springform pan. You want to make sure the water is not higher than the aluminum foil covering.

Bake the cheesecake. In the preheated 325F oven, add the cheesecake/roasting pan and bake for 50 minutes. The center should jiggle slightly and the edges should be set. Prop the oven door open and allow the cheesecake to sit in the warm oven for 1 hour to cool.

Allow the cheesecake to sit in fridge for 4 hours or overnight, covered.

After cooling, run a butterknife gently along the edges of the pan, then release the springform pan and remove. To remove the cheesecake from the bottom pan, place a plate on top of the cheesecake. Flip the cheesecake over, then use a butterknife to gently separate the crust from the pan. You may also grab the edges of the bottom of the springform pan and lift up, jiggling the pan very gently to loosen the cheesecake from the bottom pan. Once the cheesecake starts to loosen, you can use a butterknife to help release the rest of the crust from the pan. It’s okay if some of the crust sticks to the pan. Just scrape it off and add it to the cheesecake crust. Alternatively, you can just serve it on the bottom of the springform pan. Once the bottom pan is removed, get your serving plate and place on the bottom of the cheesecake. Flip the cheesecake over so that it is upright.

p id=”instruction-step-9″ class=”MsoNormal” style=”margin: 0in;font-size: 12pt;font-family: ‘Times New Roman’, serif;color: #000000″>9. Top with lemon curd. Spread lemon curd over cheesecake. Allow to set up in fridge for a few hours. Garnish with whipped cream. I used a Wilton 1M piping tip. For clean, slices, wipe your knife between each slice and dip in warm water.

p id=”instruction-step-10″ class=”MsoNormal” style=”margin: 0in;font-size: 12pt;font-family: ‘Times New Roman’, serif;color: #000000″>10. Cover leftover cheesecake and store in refrigerator up to 5 days.

lemon curd:
In a small bowl, add lemon zest and sugar. Using your hands rub the zest into the sugars. This helps release the lemon oils and gives the utmost lemon flavor.

2. Add the lemon sugar and yolks to a small saucepan. Whisk to combine.

3. Whisk in the lemon juice, gradually until combined.

4. Over medium-low heat, heat the mixture for roughly 10 minutes, whisking constantly until thickened. The mixture should coat the back of a wooden spoon. The texture should be like pourable pudding.

5. remove from the heat and stir in the cold, cubed butter until completely melted and combined.

6. This step is optional, but you can strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to give a really nice, smooth consistency.

7. Pour the mixture into a resealable jar. Place in fridge to cool for 4 hours. The mixture should be like spreadable pudding once completely chilled.