Lemon Cheesecake
Perfectly Smooth and Creamy
Crust;
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
6 tablespoons butter, melted
Cheesecake:
2 pounds (16 oz) cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sour cream- full fat
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon zest
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Pinch salt
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Add graham cracker crumbs and butter, stir to combine.
In an 8" springform pan, remove 1/2 cup of crumb mixture for the top. Press the remaining crumbs into the bottom of the pan, press down firmly using the bottom of a measuring cup. Bake the crust until lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Remove form oven and set aside to cool.
Leave oven at 325 degrees.
Make the filling: Combine the room temperature cream cheese, sour cream and sugar using an electric mixer or food processor. Process until the mixture is extremely smooth and well blended, scraping down sides/bottom as you go. Once well blended, add eggs, lemon juice and zest and pinch of salt and keep processing until it is super smooth and creamy, another 30 seconds. Pour the filling into the baked crust.
Bake 325 degrees until mostly set, with a little jiggle in the center and outsides set and puffy, about 20-30 minutes. Overcooking will cause the cheesecake to crack.
Turn off oven and open the door a crack, inserting a wooden spoon to help it stay open. Leave the cheesecake in the oven for 10 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Place the cheesecake in the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours, cover with plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil
Once chilled, remove from springform pan, sprinkle top with leftover graham cracker crumbs and serve
Yield: 12 Servings
