Ashlee Marie - real fun with real food

Cake decorating tutorials, from scratch recipes, culinary travel and over the top parties

Lemon Meringue Cheesecake Recipe and video

By 26 Comments

This Lemon meringue cheesecake recipe is decadent and rich – a lemon cheesecake with a ribbon of homemade lemon curd running through the middle and another layer of lemon curd spread across the top. Baked in a Lemon cookie crumb crust and topped with a fluffy toasted meringue every bite is amazing.

how to make the perfect cheesecake - lemon cheesecake recipe

How I created this decadent Lemon Meringue Cheesecake recipe

In April my mom and I took a week long trip to PARIS!!!! yup – we spent one day at Disneyland Paris, and spent 6 days taking cooking classes in the morning and being tourists the rest of the day! We saw all the sites and of COURSE ate all the food!  If you follow me on Instagram you might have seen some of the food!One of the favorite things we tried was a Lemon Meringue Cheesecake from Berko.  So of COURSE it became one of the recipes I had to recreate at home.

To create this I actually used my base Dense and Creamy cheesecake recipe, my Graham cracker crust recipe (but used lemon cookies instead), my homemade lemon curd recipe and my American meringue (aka marshmallow frosting aka 7 minute frosting) and put them all together! Now my lemon curd is a little more creamy than some, so it’s also more pale and opaque – so if you want a more bright yellow, more gelatin looking curd don’t add the cream and maybe even a little less butter. Just a Personal preference!

Just take me to the Cheesecake Recipe already!

If you’d rather skip my tips and tricks for getting the perfect cheesecake, along with links to some of my other cheesecake recipes and get straight to this delicious lemon Meringue Cheesecake Recipe – simply scroll to the bottom of the page where you can find the printable recipe card.

lemon meringue pie cheesecake recipe

Tips and Tricks for baking the Perfect Cheesecake with no cracking

  • Room temperate ingredients are key for a smooth texture.
  • Beat the cream cheese and sugar as much as you want, make it smooth, but once you add the eggs, do NOT overbeat, just mix on low until they are barely incorporated, beating after you add the eggs is what often leads to cracking.
  • Make sure your oven is the correct temperature (I love my oven thermometer)
  • TRY not to open the oven door, like ever, if you can help it.
  • I used to hate water baths – the foil always leaks and I don’t like mushy crusts – but waterbaths keep cheesecakes more evenly baked and nice and flat – so now I recommend a silicone water bath pan!!!
  • If you run out of water in the water bath pan make sure to boil any water you add so it doesn’t stop the baking process.
  • Cook your cheesecake until it’s puffy and set on the outer edge but it’s still a bit jiggly in the center, like a loose jello jiggler, but not liquid, in the center 4-5 inches.  It will keep cooking afterwards a bit, and IMO better to be slightly under cooked than overcooked.
  • Turn off the oven and crack open the oven door to let it cool slowly, this will help it finish cooking but not cool TOO fast and crack
  • Do NOT eat it right away, cheesecake sets and gets BETTER with time in the fridge, at LEAST 8 hours

lemon meringue cheesecake recipe video

What equipment I use to make the perfect cheesecake recipe:

Lemon Meringue Cheesecake Recipe

If you love this Lemon Meringue Pie Cheesecake as much as I do, please write a 5 star review and be sure to share on Facebook and Pinterest! If you want to stay updated on new recipes sign up for my newsletter and join my Facebook Group! 

lemon curd cheesecake recipe

If you love this Lemon Meringue Cheesecake recipe you’ll love these other cheesecake recipes too!

Chocolate Cheesecake | Salted Caramel Cheesecake | Maple Bacon Cheesecake

Classic Cheesecake | Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake | Pistachio Cheesecake Coconut Macaroon Crust

Connect with Ashlee Marie!

To watch me make this Lemon Meringue Cheesecake play this video (if on desktop, it should be autoplaying for you)

4.17 from 18 votes
lemon meringue pie cheesecake recipe
Print
Lemon Meringue Cheesecake Recipe
Prep Time
45 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 12 mins
refrigerating time
8 hrs
Total Time
9 hrs 57 mins
 
This Lemon meringue pie cheesecake is decadent and rich - a lemon cheesecake with a ribbon of homemade lemon curd running through the middle, another layer of lemon curd spread across the top. Baked in a Lemon cookie crumb crust and topped with a fluffy toasted meringue every bite is amazing.
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 495 kcal
Author: Ashlee Marie
Ingredients
Lemon Curd
  • 2 Tbsp lemon zest about 3 lemons
  • 1/2 C lemon juice about 4 lemons - zest the 4th and save for the cheesecake
  • 3 Lrg eggs
  • 3 Lrg egg yolks
  • 3/4 C granulated sugar
  • ½ C butter cold and cut into cubes
  • 2 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
  • Pinch of salt
Lemon Cookie Crust
  • 1 1/2 C lemon cookie crumbs
  • 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
  • 6 Tbsp butter melted
Lemon Cheesecake
  • 1 Tbsp lemon zest about 2 lemons
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice about 1 lemon
  • 1 C granulated sugar separated
  • 2 lbs cream cheese room temperature
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 Lrg eggs room temperature
  • 1 Lrg egg yolk room temperature
Meringue Topping
  • 4 Lrg egg whites
  • 3/4 C granulated sugar
  • 6 Tbsp light corn syrup
  • ½ tsp vanilla
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
Lemon Curd
  1. heat the lemon zest and lemon juice in small saucepan over medium heat until hot but not boiling.
  2. Whisk the eggs, yolk and sugar in a bowl
  3. Whisking constantly, slowly pour hot lemon juice into eggs, this will temper the eggs – aka bring them up to heat without scrambling them
  4. Then return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring, until mixture registers 170 degrees F (remember to adjust for altitude)
  5. Take off the heat and pour into a bowl

  6. Stir in the butter, cream and salt – note for a brighter lemon curd leave out the whipping cream

  7. Cover surface of curd directly with plastic wrap to avoid getting a “skin” on the curd - refrigerate until needed.
Lemon Cookie Crumb Crust
  1. preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a food processor process cookies until a fine crumb
  3. Add the sugar and melted butter and process again
  4. Press mixture into a 9 inch springform pan, along the bottom and up the sides
  5. Bake until fragrant 10-12 mins
  6. Set aside and let cool
Lemon Cheesecake
  1. bring oven temperature down to 300
  2. While crust is cooling, mix 1/4 cup sugar and lemon zest in food processor until sugar is yellow and zest is broken down, about 15 seconds
  3. In a mixing bowl beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth
  4. Add the lemon sugar mixture and beat until mixture is creamy and smooth, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula as needed.

  5. Add the lemon juice and mix until just incorporated

  6. Reduce speed to medium-low and add eggs and yolk 1 at a time; beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds, scraping sides and bottom of bowl well after each addition.
  7. Pour half the batter into the crust, then spoon on 1/3 of the lemon curd and swirl it slightly
  8. Spoon the rest of the cheesecake batter over the top
  9. Place in the silicone water bath pan – and place in a 12 inch round cake pan, adding water ½ way up
  10. Bake about 1 hour until the sides start to puff, the surface is no longer shiny and the center 4-5 inches jiggles slightly – like a jello jiggler
  11. Turn off oven and prop open oven door with potholder or wooden spoon handle; allow cake to cool in water bath in oven for 30 min to 1 hour.
  12. When the cheesecake has mostly cooled, spread the rest of the curd evenly over the top of cheesecake.
  13. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or 8 to 24 hours.
Meringue topping
  1. Put eggs whites, sugar and corn syrup in a bowl over boiling water and beat with a hand mixer until the mixture turns white, thickens and ribbons form- about 4 mins.
  2. Transfer the mixture to a cool mixing bowl, add the vanilla and beat with electric mixer on Med high until soft peaks form- about 3 mins
  3. Pipe or Spread onto the cheesecake
  4. Use a culinary torch to toast the outside of the meringue
  5. Refrigerate until ready to serve

Recipe Video

lemon curd cheesecake with meringue

And today happens to be national Cheesecake day!!! What’s your all time favorite cheesecake flavor??? I have 22 more cheesecake recipes to share with you that I just know your going to love!
twenty three cheesecake recipes

National Cheesecake Day!

Celebrating Food Blogger thirteen new Cheesecake Recipes

  1. Lemon meringue cheesecake – HERE
  2. Cheesecake Brownies – Creations by Kara
  3. Mini Raspberry Cheesecakes – Pretty Providence
  4. Cherry Cheesecake Popsicles – Crumb
  5. Instant Pot Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake – Savory Experiments
  6. target=”_blank”Coconut Key Lime Cheesecake Bars – Real Mom Kitchen
  7. No Bake Berry Cheesecake Parfait – An Italian in my Kitchen
  8. Dairy Free Cheesecake – Namely Marly
  9. Cappuccino Cheesecake – Simply Stacie
  10. Chocolate Almond Cheesecake in Jars – Premeditated Leftovers
  11. No Bake Vanilla Cheesecake Mousse – The Baker Upstairs
  12. No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake – Super Golden Bakes
  13. Instant Pot Cheesecake – My Mommy Style

Ten More Chocolate Cheesecake recipes from me

  1. Perfect Dense and Creamy Cheesecake
  2. Salted Caramel Cheesecake
  3. Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake
  4. Chocolate Cheesecake
  5. Pistachio Cheesecake with coconut macaroon crust
  6. Maple Bacon Cheesecake
  7. Mini cheesecakes
  8. Cheesecake Chimichangas
  9. Cheesecake Ice Cream
  10. No-bake cheesecake

Lemon Meringue Pie Cheesecake recipe

Do not miss a single post. Subscribe to weekly recaps for Ashlee Marie by Email
Ashlee Marie

Ashlee Marie

CEO at Ashlee Marie Cakes
Ashlee Prisbrey is a self taught cake decorator and home chef turned blogger turned youtuber. On her blog and youtube channel she shares cake decorating tutorials, from scratch recipes, and themed party food (cause for her parties are all about the food). In addition to blogging and videos she travels around the country speaking at blog conferences. Last year she competed on Food Network, the Halloween Baking championship, a dream come true! Ashlee loves empowering women and moms, in the kitchen, in blogging or in life. Her motto is nothing is too hard with the right tips and tricks.
Ashlee Marie

@ashleemariecake

Ashlee Marie
Ashlee Marie
Ashlee Marie
Follow Me on Pinterest

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. I am going to make Salted Carmel cappuccino cheesecake for Xmas & this Lemon Cheedecake for Thanksgiving

    Reply

  5. This looks like perfection! Do you think it would hold up to a quick blast under broiler to toast the meringue? Thank You🙃

    Reply

  6. This cheesecake was absolutely incredible!! The one change I made was toasting the meringue in the oven because I didn’t have a kitchen torch, but it worked great! Thank you for sharing 🙂

    Reply

  8. I hated water baths too – seemed like this cruel game we played, wrapping the pan in foil so the water wouldn’t get in – and it always did. Then I read a suggestion to put your pan in a slow cooker bag. It has been a godsend!!

    Reply

  9. Dear Ashlee ,
    So love making cheesecakes, was wondering as every time I use my I pad it tends to crash , not happy 😬😢 … Thus was wondering if you have a Chessecake book I can buy …. I ended up getting my partner to take a photo on his phone for your lemon meringue Chessecake but not the same , so hoping you can help , as a bit of a blonde when it comes to technology ..
    Thanking you Suzanne

    Reply

    • you can print the recipes – they have a print button right on them. not sure why your ipad is crashing in the kitchen. And I don’t currently have a cheesecake book, but I should create a cheesecake ecookbook! thanks for the idea!

      Reply

  11. How much salt in the cheesecake part? Directions say to add lemon juice and salt but salt isn’t listed in the ingredients. Making this now….argh.

    Reply

  13. This is one of the best things I’ve ever laid my lips on. I made one for a trial run and am making a 2nd today for a co-worker. Amazingly good is an understatement.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.