Lemon Cheesecake with Shortbread Crust and Raspberry Coulis
I forgot how much I love this lemon cheesecake. I’ve made it on and off – obviously mostly off recently – for the better part of my baking life. The first time I made it was for a boss’s birthday many moons ago and then for quite a while it was my go-to party dessert. Somewhere along the way, much like mood rings and shoulder pads in ladies suits, it fell out of favor or I got bored with it. In either case, my loss. But no more!
Don’t let dinner parties go the way of the dodo
Last week, I was working on a dinner party menu for dear friends we were very excited to have coming over. I made sure that there was beef for Yousif and a fruit dessert since for Michelle since I remember (also from a work birthday) that her preference leans toward the fruity end of the spectrum. Since my brain generally goes toward chocolate, I dug through my recipe binder and happily came across this oldie but goodie. I added a raspberry sauce, called it a coulis to make it sound spankier for dinner party purposes, served it on a footed pedestal cake plate, and am happy to report its delicious reputation has stood the test of time.
As an aside, please don’t let dinner parties go the way of the dinosaur. Have friends over. Don’t fret; they aren’t food critics. Make as much ahead as possible, have lots of wine, light candles and enjoy each other’s company. There is something soul-satisfying about offering your hospitality and slowing down to enjoy and deepen friendships. And, well, the leftovers are awesome, too!
Eat well and share…
Before you even think about making this lemon cheesecake, be sure all the ingredients are at room temperature. My non-scientific, non-professional opinion is that room temp ingredients are the secret to having a cheesecake that doesn’t crack. Also, the ingredients combine so much more nicely when they are at room temperature. That does not mean to use the microwave to speed up the process. Melty hot spots are bad joo-joo. And it makes things oily, especially butter. Haven’t tried it with eggs though would give big bucks if you were to do it and videotape the resulting, I am guessing, debacle of a mess. I shouldn’t need to say it but I will. Use real cream cheese. That lite stuff has an odd, gelatinous texture that seems like it would be nothing but trouble. Anyway, this is not exactly a diet dish to begin with. Own that tasty fact.
The whatfors and howtos of lemon cheesecake
Now everything is room-temperature and we’re ready to go. First put the crust ingredients into the mixer – though I guess you could do this by hand in a pinch. Mix until everything is the texture of wet sand, like the pic above. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure there are no wayward butter clumps which will make oily spots in your baked crust.
she’s a crusty one
I have a non-stick springform pan that I’ve used forever which I know won’t have a sticking issue. If you do not have non-stick or are not sure, the theory of belt and suspenders dictates you butter the bottom and sides. Better safe than sorry. Put the crust mixture into the springform pan and tamp down evenly over the bottom of the pan. I use a measuring cup because it ensures an even surface. You do not need to push it up the sides.
Bake the crust and then cool on a rack until the bottom of the pan is cool to the touch. Next, because this lemon cheesecake will bake in a water bath, you will need to wrap the pan in a single piece of aluminum foil. You may be more MacGyvery than I, but I cannot cobble two pieces together without a water breach. Water is wiley; you have been warned.
Soapboxin’
Much like my pet peeve regarding that sprinkly stuff in a green can erroneously called Parmesan cheese, I am equally opposed to using artificial, dried, or “from concentrate” lemon products for this cake. As the star flavor, you need the oils that the rind provides and the freshness of the juice. Make sure to use the finest grater option you have (or a rasp as pictured) so that the zest melts into the cake. You want only flavor, no texture.
And a little bonus info: a lemon-zesting game changer. Hold the lemon steady in your non-grating hand and move the grater over it. I had always held the grater still and moved the lemon which was not only occasionally wickedly painful to my knuckles but also not very efficient. This way, you see every bit of zest and can capture it while leaving the pith alone.
Using room-temperature ingredients not only gives you a nice final lemon cheesecake, it will make mixing the ingredients easier since you’re putting quite a heavy load of cheese in. Make sure to stop and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with each addition and then a final scrape and swirl before pouring the batter into the pan.
I use a deep dish pizza pan for my water bath though you could just as easily use a lasagna pan or roasting pan. A pan big enough to hold the springform pan and deep enough that you can safely have at least an inch of water, understanding that at the end of the bake, it will be scalding hot.
I put the pan into the oven and then add tap water – as hot as I can get it – quickly to the big pan and then close the oven door. While it would be best to have a deeper pan so that you can add more water, if you safely have the depth to add at least 1 inch (which is what I have done here), your cake will bake fine.
Jiggle that lemon cheesecake
When the hour is up, gently shake the springform pan. If the cake doesn’t wiggle in the middle, it is done. If you aren’t sure you saw wiggling, take it out. Over-baking will dry out the cake and give it an unpleasant texture like dry ricotta cheese (ask me how I know ….). Using oven mitts or hot pads, gently lift the springform pan from the water bath and then move to a cooling rack. Slip the aluminum foil off of the pan. Let the cake cool on the rack for about an hour. Wrap it – springform pan and all – in plastic wrap. Chill at least 8 hours or overnight. Overnight is best because the flavors and textures only get better.
About half-an-hour before you are ready to serve (or even up to an hour), carefully run a thin knife around the inside of the cake ring and remove the sides of the pan from the cake on a serving dish. The bottom of the springform pan stays with the cheesecake.
Though delicious no matter what you serve it on, this crowd-pleasing lemon cheesecake looks especially pretty served on a footed cake plate. Its squat, rather unassuming presence belies its Kabam! deliciousness. Think of the footed serving dish as the push-up bra of the culinary world. Sometimes you just need a little oomph to set the tone.
Cake as is… without the raspberry sauce … is a delight. Adding the sauce sends it over the moon. I was so excited to try the sauce that I didn’t take pics but it really is too easy to skip.
Let me know what you think! Comment below and/or give me a howdy on Instagram @piecrustandpasta #piecrustandpasta
Lemon Cheesecake with Shortbread Cookie Crust and Raspberry Coulis
Ingredients
CRUST:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup shortbread cookie crumbs, finely ground I use Lorna Doone's
FILLING:
- 32 oz. cream cheese 4 blocks, at room temperature
- 8 oz. mascarpone cheese room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs large, room temperature
- zest of one lemon
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice from the zested lemon
RASPBERRY COULIS (OPTIONAL):
- 16 oz. package frozen raspberries not sweetened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp Grand Marnier or to taste
Instructions
CRUST:
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Cream the butter and sugar together on medium high speed for 3-4 minutes. Add flour and ground shortbread cookies to the mixture and blend for 3-4 seconds just until incorporated. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake the crust at 350° F for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow the crust to cool completely on a wire rack. Once the crust has cooled, wrap in a single sheet of aluminum foil that goes at least halfway up the sides of the pan. This prevents water leakage during the bake.
FILLING:
- In a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese until light and smooth, about 4 minutes. Add the mascarpone cheese and sugar and continue to beat on medium speed until combined.Scrape down sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, stopping to scrape down the sides until you don't see yolk. Add the lemon zest and juice. Mix to combine. Pour mixture into the cooled crust.
- Set the cheesecake pan into a roasting pan. Add enough water to the roasting pan to reach at least one inch up sides of the cheesecake pan. Place in the 350° F preheated oven for approximately one hour or until the cake is set (a bit of jiggle in the center is fine) and the top is golden brown.Remove the cake from the roasting pan, remove the foil and place on a wire rack to cool. Allow cake to cool 45 minutes to 1 hour. When room temp, wrap the cake (in the pan) in plastic wrap, and place the cake in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.
RASPBERRY COULIS (OPTIONAL BUT NICE):
- Put the frozen raspberries and sugar into a heavy bottomed sauce pan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the berries come to a boil. Cook for an additional 3 minutes, continuing to stir. Carefully pour the berries into a blender (you can wait ten minutes or so if your blender is small or can’t take the heat). Whir for a minute or two. Press the blended berries through a strainer into a bowl. Stir in the Grand Marinier. Cover and refrigerate. Drizzle over slices of the lemon cheesecake.
Looks amazing!!! My question to you is that if you leave the bottom of the pan attached… do you cut on it??
Hi Kathryn. Yep, I cut right on the pan bottom. I use a cake knife so it doesn’t leave marks. You can slide the cake off the bottom but should wait until it’s chilled so it’s firmer. Or, come to think of it, baking on a parchment round would make sliding it off easier. I’ll try that for my next cheesecake and report back. Thanks for reading and commenting!