Using any form of citrus in desserts can take them from being sweet and decadent to lip-puckering and refreshing. Lemon is the most versatile citrus and one I use a lot in baking. Here I have taken lemon meringue pie and turned it into a cheesecake. I am indeed a fan of a hybrid dessert.
Baked cheesecake wins over its wobbly gelatinous counterpart for me. It slightly coats the mouth and is beautiful and fluffy in texture. Lemon cheesecake is perfect in its simplicity; it is creamy and luscious with a crumbly biscuit base and zesty flavour. I add sour cream to mine, which gives a wonderful tang and enhances the sharpness and brightness of the lemon.
I’ve used ginger biscuits as the base in this recipe, which work well with lemon and add a subtle spiciness, but if you’re not a fan of ginger, you can substitute with a plainer biscuit.
There are a few tricks here to get a perfect smooth set on your cheesecake, without any cracks. I bake mine in a water bath in the oven, which allows the cheesecake to cook evenly and gives it a soft creamy texture.
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Once it is completely cool, a fluffy soft Swiss meringue is piped on top and torched with a blow torch or popped under the grill, to give a lovely toasty char. This type of meringue is smooth and marshmallowy, with good hold. It is made by heating and cooking the egg whites and sugar in a bowl over a pan of simmering water to 80 degrees, then removing from the heat and whipping until stiff and glossy. Use a clean glass or metal bowl for your meringue, as plastic tends to retain grease that can inhibit your egg whites from whipping up beautifully.
Swiss meringue is softer yet denser in texture than the French meringue you would use for Pavlova, and it is perfect on top of this cheesecake.
The baked cheesecake will keep for a few days in the fridge, and although the meringue will also keep for a day or so in the fridge, it is best eaten the day it is made.
