Luscious Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake

Luscious Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake - rich and creamy lemon cheesecake with a sweet shortbread crust, topped with lemon curd and a vibrant blueberry sauce.

this recipe!

Everyone raves about this Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake! It's one of my most requested recipes.

Let's start with the cheesecake. There's a good reason I call it luscious. Melt-in-your-mouth creaminess and silky smooth. It has a soft, light lemon flavor - nothing too tangy or overpowering. Just pure deliciousness!

The crust is buttery and crunchy with a sweet, delicious flavor. Shortbread is my go-to for the most delicious cookie crust. It has the perfect texture and flavor to complement this Luscious Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake. Shortbread cookie crumbs are mixed with melted butter and pressed into the bottom of a springform pan. It's then baked until golden brown.

This Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake is baked in a water bath to give it incredible creaminess and smoothness. It also helps prevent cracks. The pan is wrapped carefully in heavy duty aluminum foil so that no water can leak in. The springform pan is placed in a bigger roasting pan with high sides. The filling is poured onto the cooled crust. I find it easiest to put the baking pan with the springform pan into the oven with a corner sticking out a bit, then pouring the hot water in the baking pan half-way up the sides of the springform pan. This prevents the need to move the pan filled with hot water very far.

A bright, tangy lemon curd tops this Luscious Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake, giving a burst of sunny citrus.

The cheesecake is baked at 325 degrees F for about an hour, until the internal temperature reaches 150 degrees F. Then the heat is turned off and the oven door is cracked open so that it slowly cools. This slow cooling helps prevent cracks.

Gilding the lily is a sweet blueberry sauce made with a blueberry coulis and fresh blueberries. I've kept the blueberries on top of the cheesecake instead of swirled inside so that nothing interferes with its ultimate creamy smoothness.

 Tips for success:

• Bring the cream cheese and eggs to room temperature before beginning. This will make your cheesecake velvety smooth with no lumps.
• Scrape down the bowl frequently. This will prevent any lumps in the cheesecake batter.
• The cheesecake bakes in a water bath for the ultimate creaminess. Wrap your pan very well in two layers of heavy duty aluminum foil, being careful that it goes all the way up to the top on all sides so no water can leak in.
• Baking the cheesecake in a 325 degree F oven until it reaches 150 degrees, then turning off the heat and cracking the oven door open for another hour lets the cheesecake cool off slowly so cracks don't form. It also gives the cheesecake it's perfect creamy smoothness.
• After removing the cheesecake from the oven, run a knife around the edge of the cake, between the cake and the pan. The cheesecake sticking to the sides of the pan, while its interior shrinks as it cools, causes cracks.

Recipe

Luscious Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake

Kelly

Luscious Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake - rich and creamy lemon cheesecake with a sweet shortbread crust, topped with lemon curd and a vibrant blueberry sauce.

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

4 hours hrs

Total Time 5 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12 slices

Calories 426 kcal

Ingredients

  

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For the crust:

• 1½ cups shortbread cookie crumbs finely ground (6.75oz, 191g)
• 3 tablespoons butter melted (1.5oz, 43g)

For the filling:

• 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar 8.75oz, 248g
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• ¼ cup lemon juice 2oz, 57g
• 1 ½ pounds cream cheese 680g, (3 8-ounce packages), room temperature
• 4 large eggs room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon table salt
• ½ cup heavy cream 4oz, 113g

For the toppings:

• 1 recipe Lemon Curd

For theBlueberry Sauce:

• Easy Blueberry Sauce
• Fresh blueberries

Instructions

 

For the crust:

• Adjust oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Mix the cookie crumbs and the melted butter until well combined and moistened.
• Press the crumbs into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Using a flat bottomed measuring cup, press the crust firmly and evenly into the bottom of the pan,
• Bake on a lower-middle rack until golden brown around the edges and fragrant, about 13 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Wrap the bottom of the pan with two sheets of heavy duty aluminum foil, coming all the way up the sides and not leaving any spaces where water can penetrate.

For the filling:

• Process ¼ cup sugar and the lemon zest in a food processor until the zest is very fine.
• In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until it is softened, about 5 seconds.
• With the machine still running, slowly pour in the remaining 1 cup of sugar and the lemon sugar. Beat on medium for 3 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed.
• Add the eggs, two at a time, beating on medium-low for 30 seconds and scraping down the bowl after each addition.
• Add lemon juice, vanilla, and salt and mix until just incorporated, about 5 seconds; add heavy cream and mix until just incorporated, about 5 seconds longer.
• Stir with a rubber spatula, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl.
• Put the cooled springform pan with crust into a larger baking pan with high sides. Pour the filling into the springform pan. Working quickly so as to not lose heat, put into the oven and pour in enough hot water to come half-way up the sides of the springform pan.
• Bake at 325 degrees F until the center jiggles slightly and the internal temperature is 150 degrees F, approximately 55-60 minutes.
• Turn off the oven and prop the door open with a wooden spoon for 1 hour.
• Remove from the oven. Take the springform pan out of the baking pan and remove the aluminum foil. Run a small paring knife around the inside edge of the pan to loosen the sides of the cheesecake. Cool cheesecake on a wire rack until room temperature, about 2 hours.
• Pour Lemon Curd on top of cooled cheesecake and smooth.
• Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
• To serve, remove sides of springform pan, cut into wedges, and top with Blueberry Sauce and fresh blueberries.

Notes

• I find it easiest to put the baking pan with the springform pan into the oven with a corner sticking out a bit, then pouring the hot water in the baking pan half-way up the sides of the springform pan. This prevents the need to move the pan filled with hot water very far.

Nutrition

Calories: 426kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 6gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 17gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 131mgSodium: 317mgPotassium: 124mgFiber: 0.2gSugar: 26gVitamin A: 1085IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 74mgIron: 1mg

Keyword lemon blueberry cheesecake

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