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Candied Lemon Cheesecake

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Here’s a decadent, cool and creamy cheesecake with the sweet pucker of lemon bars: Candied Lemon Cheesecake! I’m delighted to share this outstanding cheesecake recipe from the kitchens of Southern Living.Lemon Bar Cheesecake. Deliciously sweet and crunchy crust, creamy cheesecake and tangy homemade lemon curd. All garnished with tart candied lemons.

It combines a deliciously sweet and crunchy crust, creamy cheesecake and tangy homemade lemon curd. (Or take a short cut and use store bought!)

This dreamy cheesecake is garnished with gorgeous DIY candied lemon slices. Every baker needs at least one showstopper, gourmet dessert in their summer recipe box. This is IT!

 

Classic Lemon Curd: simultaneously sweet and mouth-puckeringly tart. Eggs, lemon juice, sugar and pure butter combine to silky smooth perfection.

Lemon curd is one of the creamiest, most delightful culinary inventions ever. Perfection as a spread, sandwiched between cake layers, spooned on ice cream. But especially cheesecake! Or just slurp it from the spoon. (Not that I’d know anything about that.)

Classic Lemon Curd: simultaneously sweet and mouth-puckeringly tart. Eggs, lemon juice, sugar and pure butter combine to silky smooth perfection.

Lemon curd is simultaneously sweet and mouth-puckeringly tart. Eggs, fresh-squeezed lemon juice, sugar and pure butter combine to silky smooth perfection. Lemon curd is fit for royalty. (Suitable for the likes of you and me.)

 

Lemon Bar Cheesecake. Deliciously sweet and crunchy crust, creamy cheesecake and tangy homemade lemon curd. All garnished with tart candied lemons.

I suggest you begin this Lemon Bar Cheesecake recipe a day or two in advance of when you’ll serve it. And plan to chill out. ‘Cause there’s lots of chillin’ involved in this recipe. The dough, lemon curd and baked cheesecake all need significant chill time.

Don’t hustle, bustle and rush making this dessert. Savor each delicious step! (Especially the eating!) First make the lemon curd and candied lemon slices and set aside.

Lemon Bar Cheesecake. Deliciously sweet and crunchy crust, creamy cheesecake and tangy homemade lemon curd. All garnished with tart candied lemons.

Then process the dough in the food processor. Chill before rolling out and fitting in a 9″ springform pan. Chill again.

Lemon Bar Cheesecake. Deliciously sweet and crunchy crust, creamy cheesecake and tangy homemade lemon curd. All garnished with tart candied lemons.

Fill with creamy cheesecake batter and swirl with homemade lemon curd. Top with remaining cheesecake batter, then bake.

Cool completely. Chill baked cheesecake, then spoon lemon curd on top.

Lemon Bar Cheesecake. Deliciously sweet and crunchy crust, creamy cheesecake and tangy homemade lemon curd. All garnished with tart candied lemons.

Optional: Garnish with gorgeous Candied Lemon Slices. (May I suggest: you’ve already come this far. Just go the whole way baby.)

I loved putting this Candied Lemon Cheesecake together and adding the final gourmet touch of candied lemon slices on top.

Candied Lemon Cheesecake. Deliciously sweet and crunchy crust, creamy cheesecake and tangy homemade lemon curd. All garnished with tart candied lemons.

 

Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Candied Lemon Cheesecake

Deliciously sweet and crunchy crust, creamy cheesecake and tangy homemade lemon curd. Garnished with tart candied lemons.
Prep Time23 hours
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 day
Course: Dessert
Servings: 1 -9
Author: Allie Taylor

Ingredients

Lemon Curd:

  • 6 lemons for 1 cup of fresh lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of lemon zest
  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 eggs

Cheesecake:

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup cold butter cubed
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 - 2 tablespoons ice cold water
  • 4 8 ounce packages Philadelphia brand cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups lemon curd divided

Optional: Candied Lemon slices for garnish

  • 2 small lemons
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 3/4 cup water

Instructions

Lemon Curd:

  • Grate enough zest from lemons to get 2 tablespoons.
  • Squeeze lemons 'til you get the 1 cup you need.
  • Separately in a microwave proof bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer 'til blended.
  • Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, blending just until incorporated.
  • Slowly add lemon juice, beating at low speed until blended.
  • Stir in lemon zest.
  • (At this point, it looks curdled.)
  • Microwave at high for 5 minutes, stirring once every minute.
  • Then microwave a little longer, stirring at 30 second intervals, just for 1-2 more minutes.
  • Lemon curd will thicken, and coat the back of a spoon, and start to mound slightly.
  • Cover warm curd with plastic wrap directly on it (to prevent a film from forming) and chill a minimum of four hours or 'til firm.
  • Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Optional Candied Lemon Slices:

  • Slice 2 lemons into 1/8 " thick rounds, removing seeds.
  • Stir together sugar, lemon juice and water in large skillet.
  • Heat over medium heat 'til sugar dissolves completely.
  • Carefully a lemon slices, and simmer gently for 14-16 minutes.
  • Keep lemon slices in a single layer, turning every so often.
  • When lemons are translucent and rinds are soft, remove from the heat.
  • Using tongs, place candied lemon slices in a single layer on wax-paper or parchment lined baking sheet.
  • Cool completely for about an hour.
  • Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours and as long as two days.
  • Reserve syrup for another use.

Cheesecake:

  • Pulse first three ingredient in food processor until blended.
  • Add butter and pulse until just crumbly.
  • Separately, whisk together egg yolks and 1 tablespoon ice water in a small bowl.
  • Add to flour butter mixture and process 'til dough forms a ball.
  • Add up to 1 tablespoon more water, 1 teaspoon at a time if necessary to hold it together.
  • Shape dough ball into a flat disk and wrap tightly in plastic.
  • Chill for a minimum of four hours before rolling out.
  • Roll dough into a 14 " circle on a lightly floured surface using a rolling pin.
  • Fit dough into a lightly greased 9" dark springform pan.
  • Press dough onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
  • With a sharp knife or kitchen shears, trim away excess dough around the top edge.
  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  • In medium mixing bowl, beat softened cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth.
  • Gradually add granulated sugar, beating until just blended.
  • Add eggs, one at a time and beat until just mixed in.
  • Beat in vanilla.
  • Pour 2/3 of cheesecake batter (about 4 cups) into prepared crust.
  • Spoon 1 cup lemon curd over the cheesecake batter.
  • Gently swirl with a butter knife.
  • Spoon remaining cheesecake batter on top.
  • Bake at 325 degrees for an hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or just until center is set.
  • (Cheesecake should just be turning golden.)
  • Turn oven off.
  • Let cheesecake stay in the oven, with the door closed, an additional 15 minutes.
  • Remove cheesecake from oven.
  • Carefully run a knife around the outer edge of the cheesecake to loosen it from the sides of the pan.
  • (But don't remove the sides of pan. Yet.)
  • Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, about one hour.
  • Cover tightly and chill 8-24 hours.
  • Remove the sides of the pan and transfer cheesecake to a cake platter.
  • Spoon remaining 1 cup lemon curd over cheesecake.
  • Optional: Garnish with Candied Lemon Slices

You may also like: Blueberry Pound Cake

If you're a blueberry lover, this delicious Blueberry Pound Cake is for you. It's a moist, dense, buttery pound cake packed with plump, juicy blueberries.

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Comments

  2. Carina says

    Allie, that cheesecake looks absolutely delicious!! I am with Michelle – this wouldn’t last long in our house either!! That lemon/lime squeezer looks like a handy device to have in the kitchen, thanks for sharing. Take care. 🙂

    Reply

  6. Catherine says

    Dear Allie, your cheesecake is outstanding. I love cheesecake and I love lemons – a slice of this would be a bite of heaven for me. Inspired to make lemon curd and make this for my family. xo, Catherine

    Reply

  8. Melissa says

    Allie – I really hope you saved me a slice of this. If only I could reach through my screen. I love the lemon and cheesecake combination. Yum!

    Reply

  9. Aunt Pinkie says

    Looks heavenly! Am definitely a lemon lover! And the lemon squeezer looks marvelous – mine is similar BUT without the two cup sizes!

    Reply

  10. Sissy Flynn says

    I love anything lemon, and this cheesecake looks and sounds so refreshing and tasty! Thanks for all your delicious recipes!

    Reply

  11. Shashi at RunninSrilankan says

    Oh dear gawsh!!! Allie – you’ve killing me with this level of decadence!!! This trifecta of Cheesecake + lemon curd + candied lemons is making me wanna climb through my screen into your kitchen …ahhhh if only THAT was a possibility!

    Reply

  13. Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says

    Wowza, Allie! This truly is one show stopping dessert! You had me at “candied” and the first picture! So GORGEOUS! I am totally swooning over here, I love lemon curd (I used to hate it, like you… I was just thinking of that dang rhyme), but paired with rich creamy cheese cake, that fabulous crust and those candied lemon slices?! HEAVEN on EARTH! Perfection! Pinned! Cheers, my dear! xo

    Reply

  18. Christy Smith says

    Might just have to give this a whirl for my mom’s belated birthday celebration! Looks fit for royalty and she is that to me….such a queen!! ?

    Reply

  22. Jessica Wood says

    I’ve never tried lemon curd! I think you’re right – I’ve always been tripped up by “curd” even though I know what it is 🙂 This cheesecake looks so, so good and worth the two days it takes to make it!

    Reply

  24. Tracy says

    This looks unbelievable! I love cheesecake and lemon curd! I do not, nore have I ever made cheesecake. Now I have a show stopping recipe! Thank you Allie!

    Reply

  31. Deborah Wellenstein says

    That cheesecake looks incredible! Thanks for the opportunity to win a lemon/lime squeezer-I need one!

    Reply

  34. Annamarie V says

    What a fantastic recipe, it’s always fun to try something new instead of making the same old desserts.

    Reply

  35. Sheryl says

    Don’t hate me everyone, but I was one of the very lucky taste testers of this beautiful, magazine-cover-worthy cheesecake. WOW!! So delicious! Some sweet, some tart, some fabulous–a win, win, win in my book! Keep cooking, baking and treating us to beautiful bites to remember! 🙂

    Reply

  50. Kat Bills says

    I <3 all things lemon!
    This is gonna be what I make the hubs!!
    The hubs loves a lemon cake on his birthday, this would make it even easier to make!!

    Reply

  56. Julie says

    I’d love to try this and I would hoard it all to myself since my hubs is not a fan of lemon anything. That and mint are where he draws the line.

    Reply

  63. Patrycja Chudziak says

    I LOVE lemon desserts and cheesecake..I MUST TRY THIS!! It looks sooooo good I sadly can admit I probably could eat the whole thing by myself! I would love to make this for family for Thanksgiving.

    Reply

    • Susie Mandel says

      Me neither, Pinkie–probably because I’m too lazy to go through all these steps…horrible, aren’t I! But lemon and lemon curd are at the top of my list for pure yummy-ness, so, Allie, I will just have to get out my apron and roll up my sleeves. 😉

      Reply

  79. Shashi at Savory Spin says

    Every time I see this, I get weak in the knees! What a stunner this is! I hope you guys have settled in some what to your new home and are enjoying this summer! Happy Monday – hope your week is wonderful, sweet friend! XOXO

    Reply

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    Reply

    • Allie says

      Thank you, this will definitely keep for a few days in the refrigerator Kashanna, or freeze it for longer. I make it and cool, then refrigerate, then wait to put the lemon curd and candied lemons on until the day of, or right before serving. (I wouldn’t freeze with the lemon curd or candied lemons on top either, I would add the lemon curd and candied lemons on top after it has thawed.) Hope you enjoy it!

      Reply

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