Food and Recipes Desserts Cakes Cheesecake Lemon Meringue Cheesecake 5.0 (1) 1 Review This unforgettable dessert is a cross between tangy lemon meringue pie and an ultra-silky cheesecake. By Laura Kanya Laura Kanya Laura Kanya served as a recipe tester and developer in the Vermont test kitchen of Dotdash Meredith. She has been active in the food industry for more than two decades, including as a pastry chef, chef instructor, executive chef, and director of operations in restaurants, resorts, and food production companies. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on March 3, 2023 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox Active Time: 1 hrs Chill Time: 4 hrs Total Time: 6 hrs 30 mins Servings: 10 If you need encouragement to make this Lemon Meringue Cheesecake, consider this praise from the Southern Living Test Kitchen Professional who tested this recipe: "Every element tastes like it’s made with love, so zesty and sugary and pillowy and good." That's high praise indeed, and it's the only excuse we need to make this decadent dessert, which is a cross between a silky, creamy cheesecake and a tart, pillowy lemon meringue pie. Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox What's in a Lemon Meringue Cheesecake? Thick, silky lemon curd is rich, acidic, and subtly sweet. The meringue is pillowy, sugary, and soft. The cheesecake is bright, creamy, and the crust is aromatic, buttery, and subtly lemony thanks to a brilliant ingredient: lemon cream-filled sandwich cookies (we mean Lemon Oreos). It’s wonderful to behold, and the drama of the layers and height is undeniable. In short, we didn't shy away from lemon in this recipe. We used those lemon sandwich cookies in the crust. There's lemon zest and juice in the cheesecake filling, and there's lemon more lemon zest and juice in the lemon curd. If you wanted, you could skip making the lemon curd and use store-bought curd, but we purposely designed this recipe to use egg whites in the meringue and the yolks in the curd so you won't have any waste. Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox How To Store Lemons So They Stay Fresh Longer How To Make Lemon Meringue Cheesecake This recipe takes a little bit of time, which is why it's a good make-ahead option—up to a point, which we discuss below. First, you'll make a crust out of almonds and lemon sandwich cookies. You could also use a graham cracker crust if you wanted; that's fairly traditional for this recipe. We just wanted more lemon flavor, which is why we went with the cookie crust. The cheesecake filling itself is made super creamy by whipping on low. This won't allow much air to get in there. Sour cream adds richness, too. The topping is a creamy, billowy-soft Swiss meringue. Warming the egg whites and sugar stabilizes the mixture and makes it less grainy and more creamy. It also makes the meringue more stable and prevents the sugar from weeping out of the meringue while it sits. The lemon curd provides the surprise swirl of flavor and tang. Again, you could use store-bought, but we think it's truly worth the work to make a homemade curd. Just know the ice bath is critical on the curd so you don’t overcook it. You want to stop the cooking quickly. If you bring it to 170°F as instructed in the recipe, that is the point just before the egg white will cook to solid. Make-Ahead Cheesecake Tips This Lemon Meringue Cheesecake is best when served immediately. But you can refrigerate overnight if needed. However, the meringue may become slightly weepy. Instead, if you need to get a head start on this cheesecake, make all the layers up to the lemon curd, then pop it in the fridge for several hours or overnight. When you're nearly ready to serve the cheesecake, make the meringue, spread it, and torch it just before serving. Egg Separation Tip You don't want any yolk in the whites. Separate egg yolks and whites with your hands, or use an egg separator, to keep them from getting mixed up. Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox Tips From the Southern Living Test Kitchens We like the curd nestled between the cheesecake and meringue, but you could also swirl the curd into the cheesecake before baking if you want to save a step. If you do mix the curd into the cheesecake filling, you can toast the meringue in the oven. The curd won't hold up well in the oven if it's its own layer, but swirled into the cheesecake, it will be just fine. Pressing the crust up the sides of the pan adds some character and dimension to the cheesecake slices. It also helps contain the curd. Be careful not to walk away from the curd before it's cooking. If you combine your sugar and eggs too early, the sugar can cook the yolks. So it's important to combine and cook immediately. Again, it's important that no fat from the egg yolk end up in the meringue. If they do, the meringue won't fully whip to peak. More Lemon Recipes Lemon Pound Cake Lemon Lush No-Bake Lemon Icebox Pie Lemon Tiramisu Meyer Lemon Cheesecake Bars Ingredients Crust Cooking spray 25 cream-filled lemon sandwich cookies (such as Lemon Oreos) 1/2 cup slivered raw almonds 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom 1/8 tsp. table salt 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted Filling 3 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 cup sour cream, at room temperature 3 large eggs, at room temperature 2 tsp. vanilla extract 1 tsp. grated lemon zest plus 2 tsp. fresh juice (from 1 lemon) 1/8 tsp. table salt Lemon Curd 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1 Tbsp. grated lemon zest plus 6 Tbsp. fresh juice (from 2 lemons) 6 egg yolks, at room temperature 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cubed 1/8 tsp. table salt Meringue 4 large egg whites, at room temperature 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract Directions Prepare the pan: Preheat oven to 375°F. Line bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with a round of parchment paper; coat parchment paper and sides of springform pan with cooking spray. Set springform pan inside a 12-inch round cake pan. (Alternatively, wrap outside of pan with 2 layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil.) Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox Prepare the Crust: Place cookies, almonds, cardamom, and salt in food processor bowl; process until finely ground into crumbs, about 30 seconds. With processor running, pour melted butter through food chute, and process until crumbs are moistened, about 30 seconds. Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox Press crumb mixture evenly into bottom and up about 1 1/2 inches of sides of prepared springform pan. Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox Bake the Crust: Bake, uncovered, in preheated oven until slightly puffed, golden, set, and firm, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool completely, about 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F. Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox Prepare the Filling: While Crust cools, beat cream cheese and sugar with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-low speed until creamy and smooth, about 3 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides and bottom of bowl as needed. Add sour cream, and beat on low speed until combined, about 1 minute. Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just incorporated, about 1 minute. Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox Add vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt, and beat until combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl, and beat on low speed until batter is smooth, about 1 minute. Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox Pour into cooled Crust. Gently smooth top, as needed, with an offset spatula. Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox Put pan in water bath: Place springform pan set inside cake pan in a large roasting pan. Place roasting pan in oven. Carefully pour hot water into roasting pan filling to a depth halfway up sides of springform pan (about 6 to 8 cups). Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox Bake cheesecake layer: Bake at 300°F until center is almost set (but still slightly wobbly), 50 to 55 minutes. Turn off oven. Let cheesecake stand in oven until water in roasting pan has cooled to just warm, about 30 minutes. Remove springform pan from cake pan (or alternatively remove foil). Place in refrigerator until set, at least 4 hours or up to 12 hours. Prepare the Lemon Curd: While cheesecake is baking, stir together sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and egg yolks in a double boiler. (Alternatively, stir together in a metal bowl set over a pot of simmering water). Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens and a thermometer registers 170°F. Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox Remove from heat, and quickly stir in butter and salt until melted and incorporated. Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox Set top of double boiler (or bowl, if using) in a larger bowl filled with ice water; let stand, stirring occasionally, until cool, about 10 minutes. Store, covered, in refrigerator until ready to use. Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox Take cheesecake out of pan: Run a knife or small offset spatula around outer edge of chilled cheesecake to loosen from sides of springform pan. Remove springform pan ring from cheesecake; remove bottom of springform pan and parchment paper. Transfer to a plate. Add Lemon Curd: Using an offset spatula or spoon, spread Lemon Curd to edges of cheesecake. Store in refrigerator until Meringue is ready. Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox Prepare the Meringue: Place egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and vanilla extract in bowl of a stand mixer. Place bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure bottom of bowl doesn’t touch water. Whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved, egg whites are foamy and very warm to the touch, and a thermometer registers 160°F, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove bowl from simmering water. Beat egg white mixture with a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on low speed 2 minutes. Increase to medium speed, and beat 2 minutes. Increase to high speed, and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 3 minutes. Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox Add and torch the Meringue: Remove cheesecake from refrigerator, and gently spread Meringue over Lemon Curd, using a small offset spatula, swirling peaks with spatula. (Alternatively, use back of a spoon.) Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox Toast Meringue with a kitchen torch until lightly browned. Slice and serve chilled. Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox Rate it Print