Baked lemon cheesecake is a beloved dessert with various recipes, but all share a lemony taste. Lighter versions use low-fat cream cheese, lemon Greek yogurt, and ginger cookie crust. Cheesecake baking requires a crunchy crust and removing it from the oven while still wobbly. An underbaked version with ricotta cheese, sugar, and lemon jelly is also an option.
Saying the words baked lemon cheesecake to most dessert lovers is all it takes to make them drool. There’s something about the crisp, high citrus note of lemon tangled in the creamy heart of the cheesecake that sends most people to the moon. There are many variations on the baked lemon cheesecake theme – some created with ricotta, some with yogurt, and still some with heavy cream – but they all share one thing in common besides lemon; everyone tastes a bit like they’ve managed to catch the sunlight and laughter.
In the past, it was a given that cheesecakes of all kinds would pack on fat and calories, and it was a sinful sacrifice that cheesecake lovers were happy to make. Grandma’s cheesecake generally contained cream, cream cheese, and sour cream—in short, every variation of cream that could be invented. Add eggs, butter, and sugar, and the resulting cheesecake could literally become the kind of dessert diners have died for.
Baked Lemon Cheesecake offers the wise cook the option to lighten it up in a number of ways. One version does away with the heavy cream and sour cream as the presence of lemon zest offers a pleasantly acidic taste. The cream cheese in this pie can be the low-fat variety, and the lemon Greek yogurt adds a smooth, tart taste. Beaten eggs give the pie a boost, and a ginger cookie crust with some chopped hazelnuts balances out the taste of the lemon tart.
Another version uses ricotta, cream cheese, and eggs as the base, along with just enough sugar to balance out the lemon. The lemony hinge in this cheesecake is courtesy of a little zest combined with a few squeezes of lemon. A pink grapefruit curd glaze made from egg yolk, sugar, and pink grapefruit juice adds another citrus note and makes this version of baked lemon cheesecake even prettier.
Cheesecake baking is something of an art, but a few tips will set the curious cook on the right track. Most cheesecake batters are poured into a crust made of crushed biscuits such as crackers or shortbread cookies. This type of crust adds a little crunch to highlight the smooth, velvety crema. It’s important to take the cheesecake out of the oven when its belly is still a little wobbly. As it cooks, it will firm up.
Cooks in a hurry can also create an underbaked lemon cheesecake. This saves a lot of time, both in the kitchen and in cleaning. The filling is a simple combination of ricotta cheese, sugar, and lemon jelly made into a batter with boiling water. It uses the same crushed cookie-like crust and pops into the fridge within an hour or two.
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