Categories: GREAT, cheesecake, dessert, lemon
Ingredients
- For lemon curd:
- • 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
- • 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- • 1/2 cup sugar
- • 3 large eggs
- • 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- For crust:
- • 1 1/3 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs (5 oz)
- • 1/3 cup sugar
- • 3/4 teaspoon salt
- • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- For filling:
- • 3 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, softened
- • 1 cup sugar
- • 3 large eggs
- • 3/4 cup sour cream
- • 1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
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Make lemon curd:
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Whisk together zest, juice, sugar, and eggs in a 2-quart heavy saucepan.
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Add butter and cook over moderately low heat, whisking frequently, until curd is thick enough to hold marks of whisk and first bubbles appear on surface, about 6 minutes.
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Force lemon curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a wide shallow dish, scraping bottom of sieve, then cover surface with wax paper.
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Cool completely, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.
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Make and bake crust:
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Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
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Invert bottom of springform pan (to make it easier to slide cake off bottom), then lock on side.
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Stir together crust ingredients in a bowl, then press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of springform pan.
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Place springform pan in a shallow baking pan and bake 10 minutes, then cool crust completely in springform pan on a rack.
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Make filling and bake cheesecake:
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Reduce oven temperature to 300°F.
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Beat together cream cheese and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.
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Reduce speed to low and add eggs 1 at a time, beating until incorporated.
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Beat in sour cream and vanilla until combined.
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Pour two thirds of cream cheese filling into crust, then spoon half of lemon curd over filling and swirl curd into filling with a small knife. (Avoid touching crust with knife to prevent crumbs getting into filling.) Repeat with remaining filling and curd.
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Bake cheesecake until set 1 1/2 inches from edge but center trembles when pan is gently shaken, about 45 minutes. (Center of cake will appear very loose but will continue to set as it cools.)
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Transfer springform pan to a rack and immediately run a knife around top edge of cake to loosen.
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Cool completely, about 2 hours, then chill, uncovered, at least 4 hours.
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Remove side of springform pan before serving.
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Cooks’ Notes:
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• Lemon curd can be made 1 week ahead and chilled, covered.
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• Crust (without filling) can be made 1 day ahead and kept, covered, at room temperature.
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• Cheesecake can be chilled, loosely covered, up to 2 days. Cheesecake must be completely chilled before covering to prevent condensation on its surface.