Old Time Lemon Cheesecake Recipes

CLASSIC NEW YORK CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F and set an oven rack in the lower middle position. Wrap a 9- or 10-inch springform pan with one large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, covering the underside and extending all the way to the top so there are no seams on the bottom or sides of the pan. Repeat with another sheet of foil for insurance. Spray the inside of the pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• Make the crust: In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and salt. Stir until well combined. Press the crumbs into an even layer on the the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, until set. Remove the pan from the oven and set aside.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. Set a kettle of water to boil.
• Make the batter: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and flour together on medium speed until just smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to be sure the mixture is evenly combined. Add the vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt; beat on low speed until just combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed until incorporated, scraping the bowl as necessary. Mix in the sour cream. Make sure the batter is uniform but do not over-mix.
• Check to make sure your oven has cooled to 325°F, then set the cheesecake pan in a large roasting pan. Pour the batter on top of the crust. Pour the boiling water into the large roasting pan to come about 1 inch up the side of the cake pan. Bake until the cake is just set, 1 hour and 30 minutes to 1 hour and 45 minutes. (If the cheesecake starts to look too golden on top towards the end, cover it loosely with foil.) The cake should not look liquidy at all but will wobble just a bit when the pan is nudged; it will continue to cook as it cools. Carefully remove the roasting pan from the oven and set it on a wire rack. Cool the cheesecake in the water bath until the water is just warm, about 45 minutes. Remove the springform pan from the water bath and discard the foil. If necessary, run a thin-bladed knife around the edge of the cake to make sure it's not sticking to the sides (which can cause cracks as it cools), then cover with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator to cool for at least 8 hours or overnight.
• For serving: Remove the sides of the springform pan. Serve the cheesecake right from the base of the pan; or, to transfer it to a serving platter, run a long, thin spatula between the crust and the pan bottom, and then use two large spatulas to carefully transfer the cheesecake to a serving dish. Slice with a sharp knife, wiping the knife clean between slices. Serve with berry sauce, if you like.
• Make Ahead: The cheesecake can be made and stored in the springform pan in the fridge, tightly covered with plastic wrap, up to two days ahead of time.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cheesecake can be frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze, place the cake in the freezer briefly, unwrapped, to firm it up. Then double-wrap it tightly with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place it in heavy-duty freezer bag. Thaw in the refrigerator the night before you plan to eat it.
• Pro Tip: Springform pans are notorious for leaking. Since a cheesecake bakes in a water bath, the foil prevents the water from seeping in during baking. Please do not attempt to use standard 12-inch (30cm) aluminum foil - you can't have any foil seams on the bottom or sides of the pan. No matter how well (or how many times) you wrap the pan, if there are seams exposed to the water, the water will find a way in. Even when wrapped properly, you can occasionally get some condensation inside the foil. If this happens, don't worry - the crust is likely just a bit moist around the edges. Simply remove the sides of the springform pan before refrigerating and let it dry out in the refrigerator.

SIMPLY PERFECT LEMON CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325F (not fan-assisted/not convection)
• Make the Crust: Add graham cracker crumbs to a medium bowl and stir in the brown sugar. Pour the melted butter overtop, then stir until all the crumbs are moistened and have a wet sand texture. Add a pinch of salt if you used unsalted butter.
• *If using an 8-inch springform pan, remove 1/2 cup of the crumb mixture, as you won't need it all for the base. You can reserve to sprinkle on top of the finished cake, if you like (sprinkle around the outside edge in a ring).
• Press the moist crumb mixture into the bottom of your springform pan. Use the bottom of a dry measuring cup to make sure the crust is really pressed down, to make it easiest to cut later on.
• Bake the crust until it is lightly golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. Leave oven on and set at 325F.
• Make the Filling: Combine the room temperature cream cheese, sour cream and granulated sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the mixture is extremely smooth and well blended, a minute or two. Remove the lid of the food processor and scrape down the sides and bottom of the food processor and try to reach under the blades if you can, to fine and incorporate any stubborn chunks of cream cheese. Process again briefly after scraping. (Getting a perfectly smooth batter at this point is important to prevent cracks in your finished cake, so take the time here to make sure it's well blended and smooth).
• Add the eggs, lemon juice and zest and a pinch of salt and keep processing until it's super smooth and creamy, another 30 seconds or so.
• Pour the filling into the baked crust *You may have some leftover filling if you are using a regular cake pan.
• Bake in preheated 325F oven until mostly set, with a little jiggle in the centre 3-4 inches, with the outsides looking set and puffy, about 20 to 30 minutes. The filling should not brown at all. Don't over-cook, as this can cause your cheesecake to crack.
• Turn the oven off and open the door a crack (inserting a wooden spoon in the crack will help it say open). Let the cheesecake sit in the oven for about 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack on the counter to cool completely.
• Once cooled completely, over the top of the springform pan with plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil. Place the cheesecake in the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
• To serve, remove from springform pan. Topping option: citrus slices, a scattering of blueberries or blackberries, a mint leaf and a dusting of icing sugar, if you like.

LOVELY LEMON CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Place a greased 10-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Wrap foil securely around pan., In a small bowl, mix cracker crumbs, sugar and cinnamon; stir in butter. Press onto bottom of prepared pan; refrigerate while preparing filling., In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and salt until smooth. Beat in lemon juice and vanilla. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until blended. Pour over crust. Place springform pan in a larger baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan., Bake 70-80 minutes or until center is just set and top appears dull. Remove springform pan from water bath. Cool cheesecake on a wire rack 10 minutes. Loosen sides from pan with a knife; remove foil. Cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight, covering when completely cooled., Remove rim from pan. If desired, top cheesecake with lemon slices.

LEMON DREAM CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. In a small bowl, combine cracker crumbs, butter and sugar. Press onto bottom and 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., 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., 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 sides of pan.

OLD-TIME LEMON "CHEESECAKE"

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream butter; add sugar. Sift flour and baking powder together three times and add to butter alternately with milk and vanilla. Fold in egg whites. Bake in three greased 8-inch round pans for 35 minutes.
• Mix all ingredients together and cook in double boiler until thick, approximately 20 minutes. Allow cake to cool. Spread icing in between layers and on entire outside of cake.

CLASSIC LEMON CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F. Place the flour, sugar and butter in a bowl and rub with your fingertips to form a rough dough. Using the back of a spoon, press the mixture into the base of a lightly greased 8" round springform pan lined with non-stick parchment paper. Bake the crust for 30 minutes or until golden and just cooked. Set aside.
• To make the filling, place the cream cheese, ricotta, eggs, sugar, lemon juice and zest, and vanilla in a food processor and process until smooth. Place the cornstarch and water in bowl and mix until smooth. Add the cornstarch mixture to the cheese mixture and mix to combine. Pour over the crust and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until light golden and just set. Turn the oven off and allow to cool in the oven with the door closed. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until cold. Top with the whipped cream to serve.