Lemon Cheesecake Recipe

Total Time Prep: 30 min. Bake: 55 min. + chilling
Yield 16 servings
Test Kitchen Approved
Fit for a crowd and beloved by all ages, this lemon cheesecake recipe bakes up a dessert so sunshiny it tastes as though you’re eating spring itself.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 6 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • FILLING:
  • 4 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
  • 2-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon lemon extract
  • 10 drops yellow food coloring, optional
  • 5 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 325°. In a small bowl, combine cracker crumbs, butter and sugar. Press onto bottom and 1 to 2 in. up the inside of a greased 10-in. springform pan. Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
  2. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in cream, lemon juice, flour, lemon zest, extracts and, if desired, food coloring. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour into crust. Return pan to baking sheet.
  3. Bake 55-65 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour. Refrigerate overnight. Remove side of pan.

Nutrition Facts

1 piece: 396 calories, 29g fat (18g saturated fat), 150mg cholesterol, 286mg sodium, 27g carbohydrate (19g sugars, 0 fiber), 7g protein.

Light and creamy, this lemon cheesecake recipe is just the thing for a spring or summer day. —Bonnie Jost, Manitowoc, Wisconsin
Recipe Creator

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