The Easiest Lemon Cheesecake Recipe

Set the rack in the oven to the lower middle position and heat the oven to 350°F (177°C).

Get the crust ready: If you have whole graham crackers, you can use a food mixer or blender to break them up into small pieces. Put it in a medium-sized bowl and mix in the sugar.

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Next, add the melted butter and mix again. The mix will be sandy. Press firmly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan that has not been coated.

Press down on the mixture until it stops being crumbly. If you need to, you can use the flat bottom of a small measuring cup to help smooth it out. Allow to bake for 10 minutes.

Take the hot pan out of the oven and put it on a big piece of aluminium foil. In step 6, the paper will go around the pan for the water bath. While you make the filling, let the bread cool a bit.

To make the lemon sugar,Add sugar to your mixer or food processor. Add lemon juice. Ten to twelve beats should be enough to mix the two together and break up the lemon zest a bit.

Keep going with the filling: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and lemon sugar together on medium-high speed in a large bowl until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.

After you add the sour cream, vanilla extract, and lemon juice, beat on medium-high speed until everything is well mixed. Slow down and add the eggs one at a time, beating after each one until the mixture is just combined.

Stop mixing when the last egg is fully mixed into the batter. Don’t mix the batter too much, or the cheesecake might fall flat and crack as it cools.

Fill the shell with warm cheesecake batter. A plastic spatula or spoon can be used to make it flat.

Prepare the simple water bath (see Note for alternative method): If needed for extra visuals, see my How to Make a Cheesecake Water Bath; the visual guide will assist you in this step. Bring a pot or kettle of water to a boil.

You need 1 inch of water in your roasting pan for the water bath, so make sure you boil enough. I drink a whole kettle of hot water. Place the pan inside of a large roasting pan.

Carefully pour the hot water inside of the pan and place in the oven. (Or you can place the roasting pan in the oven first, then pour the hot water in. Whichever is easier for you.)

Time-saving tip: If topping with lemon curd, which I highly recommend, make the curd on the stove as the cheesecake bakes, so it has time to cool before using in step 10.

Bake cheesecake for 55–70 minutes or until the center is almost set. (Note: if you notice the cheesecake browning too quickly on top, tent it with aluminum foil halfway through baking.)

When it’s done, the center of the cheesecake will slightly wobble if you gently tap the pan. Turn the oven off and open the oven door slightly. Let the cheesecake sit in the oven in the water bath as it cools down for 1 hour.

Remove from the oven, lift out of the water bath, then cool uncovered cheesecake completely at room temperature.

Top with lemon curd: After cheesecake has cooled completely at room temperature, spread about 3/4 cup of lemon curd (around 1/2 of the curd recipe) on top, nearing the edge of the cheesecake without spilling over. I use an offset spatula to spread.

Refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Use a knife to loosen the chilled cheesecake from the rim of the springform pan, then remove the rim. Add more garnishes like whipped cream, lemon slices, and berries, if desired. I used Wilton 1M piping tip for the pictured whipped cream.

Using a clean sharp knife, cut into slices for serving. For neat slices, wipe the knife clean and dip into warm water between each slice.

Cover and store leftover cheesecake in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.