John Cheesecake and Lemon Meringue pie/tart are two of my favourite desserts. This dessert combines the two for an amazing result.
The lemon citrus flavour of the cheesecake blends beautifully with the lemon curd layer, topped by a pillowy meringue.
This is a baked cheesecake dessert that is best made over 2 days, to allow the cheesecake to chill overnight before being topped, the next day, by the lemon curd and finishing the meringue layer in the oven for a few minutes.
| Prep Time | 45 minutes |
| Cook Time | 1 40 minutes |
| Passive Time | 40 minutes |
| Servings |
slices
|
- 200 g Anzac Biscuits if you can't get these, simply use a sweetened shortbread biscuit
- 100 g Butter melted
- 500 g Cream Cheese softened
- 300 g Sour Cream
- 3/4 cup Caster Sugar
- 1 Lemon Zest
- 1/3 cup Lemon Juice
- 3 Eggs
- 2 Egg Yolks retain egg whites for meringue below
- 2 Eggs
- 1/3 cup Caster Sugar
- 1 Lemon Zest
- 1/3 cup Lemon Juice
- 75 g Butter
- 3 Egg Whites
- 3/4 cup Caster Sugar
Ingredients
Cheesecake
Lemon Curd
Meringue
|
|
- Grease and line a 20cm (8 inch) round springform baking pan. See notes below regarding waterproofing your springform pan.
- Add anzac biscuits to a food processor and process until crumbs are formed.
- While continuing to process, pour melted butter over biscuit crumbs and continue processing until well combined and mixed through.
- Transfer biscuit crumbs to the baking pan. Spread evenly and press into the base of the pan. Place in refrigerator to chill.
- Pre-heat oven to 160ºC C (320º F)
- Add cream cheese & caster sugar to a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat until mixture is well combined, smooth and creamy.
- Add sour cream, lemon zest & lemon juice to bowl and continue beating until well combined.
- Add eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each addition.
- Remove baking pan from refrigerator and pour the cheesecake mixture into the baking pan.
- Place 'waterproofed' pan into a large deep baking dish and fill baking dish with boiling water, half way up the side of the baking pan.
- Place in oven and bake for about 1 hour 40 minutes or until the cheesecake is set with a small wobble in the centre. Regularly check the cake and if you feel the top is browning more than you would like, then place some foil loosely over the top of the cake for the remainder of the cooking period.
- Turn oven off and leave baking pan in the oven, with door closed for a further 40 minutes while the oven cools down.
- Remove from oven, then remove cheesecake pan from it's water bath and allow to cool to room temperature. Do not remove cheesecake from pan.
- Place cheesecake pan in refrigerator to chill for 4 hours (preferably over night). I place mine in a large plastic cake tin.
- In a small saucepan, add egg yolks, eggs & caster sugar and whisk together.
- Place saucepan over low heat & add lemon zest, lemon juice & butter. Whisk continuously. for about 5 minutes or until curd thickens. NB: do not let mixture get too hot & curdle. Use low heat simmer.
- Remove saucepan from heat & pour contents into a steel bowl.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool before spreading over cake.
- Add egg whites into a mixing bowl. Beat until soft peaks form.
- Continue mixing while gradually adding caster sugar. Beat until firm peaks form.
- Pre-heat oven to 180ºC C (350º F)
- Remove cheesecake from refrigerator, then carefully remove from springform pan.
- Spread lemon curd over the top of the cake. Spread as evenly as possible.
- Spoon meringue over the top of the lemon curd. Alternately place meringue into a piping bag and pipe meringue over the top of the lemon curd.
- Place cake in oven and bake for a few minutes until meringue is lightly browned.
Waterproofing your Springform Pan: This cheesecake is baked in a water bath. You can use a non-springform pan to make this cheesecake, however I find it extremely difficult to get the cheesecake out of the pan without some damage and ruining your cake. So my preference is to use a springform pan and waterproof it before placing it in the water bath to bake. There are two main options - one is to wrap the pan in foil. The second option (and my preferred option) is to simply place the springform pan into a larger (non-springform) baking pan, then placing this into the water bath.
