Meyer Lemon Cheesecake with Biscoff Crust Recipe

Welcome to my most popular original recipe ~ Meyer Lemon Cheesecake with Biscoff Crust.

In February 2012, I dreamed up this cheesecake recipe and posted it on a brand-spanking new site called Food52. The editors tested the recipe and said good things. Food52 co-founder Amanda Hesser even wrote that she packed slices in her kids’ lunchboxes. The photographer James Ransom made a beautiful image of the cheesecake. And every winter or so in Meyer lemon season, the cheesecake gets a spotlight.

Still, I was surprised by the response last month when Food52 posted the recipe on its socials. The buzz generated nearly 10k likes on Food52’s Instagram plus 2.6k likes and 510 shares on its FacebookA Cheesecake for the Ages

I think the recipe’s success is due to the magic combination of mellow Meyer lemons and the buttery, almost molasses-y Biscoff cookies. You could use shortbread or vanilla wafers for the crust and the dessert would be all about lemons. Changing up the crust with Biscoff made it entirely new.

The beauty of having this recipe in the wild for 11 years is the feedback I get from folks who’ve given it a try. It must be pretty good ~ it ranks 4.6 out of 5 stars on Food52. It’s generated 140 reviews so far. Many are glowing, which is quite nice, and a handful noted problems in the recipe. In particular, the measurement for “juice of two lemons” was not specified. Other bakers noted that the cookie crust was excessively buttery and the baking time was off.

I decided it was time to revisit the Meyer lemon cheesecake recipe.

Another wonderful thing happened in the past decade. The extraordinarily talented photographer and writer Debbie Wolfe came into my world. She’s a gardener and blogger, too ~ check out The Prudent Garden. Over the past couple years, we’ve talked about collaborating, sharing our love of good food and good gardening. This project seemed a good place to start. Debbie brought lights and cameras to my kitchen and we worked through the recipe. Her pictures make the story.

Debbie is a home grown citrus expert ~ she harvested a dozen Meyers from the tree in her greenhouse this winter. Read her tips for growing citrus indoors on her blog.

Recipe Testing

In the decade since I first baked this cheesecake, I’ve learned a few things about cooking and baking.

What I’m about to say is the most true thing I know about spending five decades in a kitchen:

Recipes change. Cooks change.

The way I cook today is different from the way I cooked a dozen years ago. I substitute ingredients. I streamline processes. Without the distraction of little ones underfoot, I pay attention to the little things.

I’ve learned that good recipe writing is all about containing variables and communicating with all your senses.

With that in mind, let’s get into what I learned about baking the Meyer lemon cheesecake in 2023.

Recipe Notes: Meyer Lemon Cheesecake 2023

Meyer lemons are native to China. They’re a cross of mandarin and lemon. Meyers are named for the USDA employee Frank Nicholas Meyer who brought the plant and fruit to this country in the early 20th century.

1. Meyers lemons taste like a mellow orange-y lemon. The skin is thinner than you’ll see on the Eureka-type lemons at the grocery store. After I baked the Meyer version, I made this recipe with grocery store Eureka lemons, and it baked up the same. The flavor was brighter and tarter than with Meyer lemons. I liked it because I love lemon. If you can’t find Meyers try regular lemons instead.

2. A juicy note:

-Two Meyer lemons typically yield ¼ cup juice.
-Two regular grocery store lemons typically yield ¼ cup juice.

I’d guess you’re ok using less juice if you happen to have less juicy fruit. Using more juice may change the texture and baking time.

A Note on Butter

3. Commenters noted a very buttery crust, with melted butter leaks from the springform pan. (This is why I always place the springform pan on a parchment lined baking sheet). I reduced the butter this time around, from 5 tablespoons to 4 tablespoons. If you’re concerned (and given the price of butter these days, that’s prudent), I think you’re safe taking the butter down to 3 tablespoons. Let me know if you experiment with the butter to cookie ratio.

4. I bumped the baking time range on this version 10 additional minutes. I baked it at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 55 minutes in my convection oven and it wasn’t quite done. After 65 minutes (1 hour, 5 minutes), the top was lightly browned. The center was dry to the touch and held firm when I gently jiggled the pan. Further, a bamboo skewer inserted in the middle came out clean. If you’re not using convection, your bake time will likely be longer.

Water Bath for Cheesecake

5. Couple readers swear by a bain-marie, or water bath for their cheesecakes. This is a pan of heated water into which the springform is placed while baking. The gentle heat alleviates cracking in the cheesecake top. I’ve baked variations of this cheesecake formula about a dozen times sans bain-marie and I’ve never known it to crack. And even if it does, the sour cream topping is a nifty trick to cover any flaws in the cheesecake top. My one piece of advice for using a bain-marie is to wrap the springform pan in foil so that water can’t seep into the pan while it’s taking.

6. Pan size. I baked the cheesecake in an 8.5-inch springform pan for the beauty shot above. It turned out gorgeous and thick. I tested it in a 9.5-inch pan, too, and it was just as delicious, but slightly thinner. No matter the pan size you use, pay attention to visual clues that the cheesecake is done. (see below for cake baked in 9.5-inch pan)

Let’s Get Started

Meyer Lemon Cheesecake with Biscoff Crust Recipe

Equipment: 8.5-inch to 9.5-inch springform pan, parchment lined baking sheet, electric mixer

Ingredients for Biscoff Crust:
Cooking spray
16 Biscoff cookies
1/3 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Ingredients for Filling & Topping:
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese (low-fat is okay, no-fat is not), softened
4 large eggs
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, separate
2 Meyer lemons, zested and juiced
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla paste
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1 (16-ounce) carton sour cream (low-fat is okay, no-fat is not)

Directions

Biscoff Crust:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Grease bottom and sides of springform pan. Optional: adding a parchment circle to bottom of pan.
3. In food processor, blitz the cookies until finely ground. Add sugar and salt and process until combined. Slowly pour in the butter and process again until the mixture comes together. Texture will be like wet sand.
4. Press cookie mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pan.
5. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. (This can be done up to a day ahead. If you’re in a hurry, you can cool crust in the fridge while you make the filling.)

Filling & Assembly:
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, in a large bowl beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
3. Add 1 cup sugar and mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
4. Add lemon juice and zest, vanilla and lemon extracts. Continue mixing until mixture is smooth. You’ll need to scrape down the bowl several times. A few lumps in the batter are ok.
5. Pour filling into the prepared, cooled crumb crust. Place the pan on a baking sheet lined with parchment.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 to 65 minutes. The cake is done when the top is lightly browned and the center no longer jiggles when you gently wiggle the baking sheet. A toothpick or bamboo skewer inserted in the center of the cake should come out clean. (Remember ~ the cake gets another 10 minutes in the oven for the sour cream topping.) Remove cake from the oven but do not turn the oven off.
7. In a medium bowl, whisk sour cream and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Spoon sour cream mixture onto cheesecake and make pretty swirls. Return cake to the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the cream is lightly browned on top.
Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. Run a knife around the edge of the cheesecake to separate it from the edge of the pan, if needed. Gently release the springform pan. You can present the cheesecake on the base of the pan. Serve at room temperature or refrigerate overnight. Store the cheesecake well wrapped in the refrigerator for three to four days. Freeze cheesecake for up to 2 months.

The Beauty Shot

A Note on Photography

Debbie Wolfe of The Prudent Garden is the photographer and stylist for all photos on this page.

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