Cakes/ Pies, tarts and buns

Lemon Vanilla Cheesecake Recipe

lemon vanilla cheesecake recipe

Lemon vanilla cheesecake is a classic cheesecake baked in the oven. It should be light in color (or almost white), without a ruddy crust, very delicate, like cream, and with a crispy shortbread base. It is the best combination that makes this cheesecake an amazing pastry. Check out the lemon vanilla cheesecake recipe right below.

Making a lemon vanilla cheesecake is both easy and difficult. The simplicity lies in the preparation of the baking mixture, and the complexity lies in the baking process itself and in achieving the desired consistency.

The cheesecake should hold its shape well, but its texture should be tender and silky, literally melting in the mouth, and its color should be milky both inside and out. There should be no lumps, humps, cracks, hollows, or other deformations.

How to make a perfect cheesecake?

We can probably talk endlessly about the nuances of making the perfect cheesecake. The key, as in many complex recipes, is to get along with the oven, to understand its character, so to speak. And learn how to get the right cheesecake consistency.

I wrote in detail about how to get along with your oven in the post at this link.

Can I replace cream cheese with cottage cheese in the lemon vanilla cheesecake recipe?

As for replacing cream cheese with cottage cheese, I will say that it can be done, but you will not get a cheesecake, but a casserole. Cottage cheese is more sour and has its own special flavor and texture. It’s better to make a Lviv Syrnyk or a Pumpkin Cottage Cheese Cake with it.

What is the base for this lemon vanilla cheesecake?

In this recipe, I chose the simplest option for the base – shortbread cookies, as I wanted to focus on the nuances of baking cheesecake. You can buy shortbread cookies or make them by yourself, if you want to.

Why cheesecake can be cracked?

If the cheesecake is cracked, strongly raised or browned, the baking temperature was too high.

If the cheesecake is very dense or dry, but the color is light, you baked it for too long.

It is better to underbake a cheesecake than to overbake it. Don’t worry if the cheesecake shakes at the end of baking, it will stabilize in the fridge and then hold its shape perfectly. If you like a denser cheesecake texture, just bake it longer.

The cheesecake ingredients list below is for a 16-18 cm (6.3-7.1 inches) baking dish; the finished cheesecake according to this recipe weighs approximately 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs).

Lemon vanilla cheesecake recipe ingredients

For the cheesecake base:

  • shortbread cookies
  • unsalted butter

For the cheesecake:

  • cream cheese
  • sugar
  • eggs
  • whipping cream (33% fat content)
  • vanilla extract
  • lemon zest
cheesecake ingredients list

Melt the butter in a microwave.

Chop the cookies (in a food processor, with a knife or rolling pin). Add the melted butter to the cookies and mix well.

shortbread based cheesecake recipe

Cover the bottom of the baking dish with parchment. Pour the cookies and butter mixture, tamp it down.

shortbread cheesecake base recipe

Turn on the oven to preheat to 130°C (270°F).

Mix the cream cheese with the sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. It is convenient to do this with a mixer at low speed, but you can also do it with a whisk.

perfect vanilla cheesecake recipe

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each one. Do not beat the mixture, as you don’t need extra air bubbles in the cheesecake.

Pour in the cream, mix with a silicone spatula, and pour the mixture into the baking dish over the cheesecake base.

lemon vanilla cheesecake recipe

Put a deep baking tray (or a deep baking dish) on the lower level of the preheated oven, pour 1 liter of boiling water into it. Put a wire rack on the middle level and place the cheesecake dish on it.

Bake the cheesecake for about 1.5 hours. Do not open the oven frequently, but make sure that there is always water in the lower baking tray, and add more boiling water if necessary.

This method of baking gives the cheesecake a soft texture and prevents it from drying out and browning on the outside.

lemon cheesecake recipe

The main and, at the same time, the only test of readiness: if you shake the baking dish, the edges of the cheesecake stay firm, while the center trembles as if it’s not ready yet.

Then leave the cheesecake to cool down in the oven.

Once the cheesecake has cooled completely, put it in the fridge for 6–10 hours to stabilize it right in the baking dish.

Take the lemon vanilla cheesecake out of the baking dish, garnish and enjoy!

If you don’t get it right the first time, try experimenting with the temperature and time the next time. 130°C (270°F) and 1.5 hours are average values. A lot depends on the oven, how much it “roasts”.

In various recipes, you can find advice to bake a cheesecake from 1 hour at 150°C (300°F) to 3 hours at 100°C (212°F), or even change the temperature during the process: 15–20 minutes at 200°C (390°F) and 1 hour at 130°C (270°F). Try different methods and, in the end, you will find one that works best in your oven.

If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out! Share your experience or any creative twists you made in the comments below. Let me know if you have any questions. Your feedback helps me create even more delicious content. Enjoy your homemade treat and happy baking!

Lemon Vanilla Cheesecake Recipe | YellowMixer.com

Print Recipe
Serves: 8 Cooking Time: 2,5 + 8 hours

Ingredients

  • For the cheesecake base:
  • 150 g (about 5.3 oz) shortbread cookies
  • 40 g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter
  • For the cheesecake:
  • 500 g (17.6 oz) cream cheese
  • 150 g (3/4 cup) sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 125 g (1/2 cup + 1 tbsp) whipping cream (33% fat content)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • zest of 1 lemon

Instructions

1

Melt the butter in a microwave.

2

Chop the cookies (in a food processor, with a knife or rolling pin). Add the melted butter to the cookies and mix well.

3

Cover the bottom of the baking dish with parchment. Pour the cookies and butter mixture, tamp it down.

4

Turn on the oven to preheat to 130°C (270°F).

5

Mix the cream cheese with the sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. It is convenient to do this with a mixer at low speed, but you can also do it with a whisk.

6

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each one. Do not beat the mixture, as you don't need extra air bubbles in the cheesecake.

7

Pour in the cream, mix with a silicone spatula, and pour the mixture into the baking dish over the cheesecake base.

8

Put a deep baking tray (or a deep baking dish) on the lower level of the preheated oven, pour 1 liter of boiling water into it. Put a wire rack on the middle level and place the cheesecake dish on it.

9

Bake the cheesecake for about 1.5 hours. Do not open the oven frequently, but make sure that there is always water in the lower baking tray, and add more boiling water if necessary.

10

The main and, at the same time, the only test of readiness: if you shake the baking dish, the edges of the cheesecake stay firm, while the center trembles as if it's not ready yet.

11

Then leave the cheesecake to cool down in the oven.

12

Once the cheesecake has cooled completely, put it in the fridge for 6–10 hours to stabilize it right in the baking dish.

13

Take the lemon vanilla cheesecake out of the baking dish, garnish and enjoy!

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