Lemon meringue cheesecake is a classic sweet dish, but there are plenty of ways you can get creative with the recipe. These iterations of the classic cater to many different kinds of dessert lovers and occasions – whether you are planning a brunch with your best friends or hosting a children’s birthday party.
Below are five creative and unique lemon meringue cheesecake recipes that you can try at home this season depending on your guests’ dietary choices and preferences.
Ingredients:
For the crust:
- 135 g digestive biscuits (crushed)
- 65 g unsalted butter (melted)
For the cheesecake filling:
- 300 g cream cheese, softened
- 95 g caster sugar
- 145 ml heavy cream
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
For the meringue topping:
- 3 egg whites
- 125 g caster sugar
Method:
- Mix the crushed biscuits with melted butter, and press the mixture into a 12-cup muffin tin lined with paper cases. Chill this for 15 minutes.
- Now, beat the cream cheese and sugar into a bowl until the mixture is smooth and airy. Then, add lemon juice, lemon zest and heavy cream, and beat the mixture again. Chill this for at least three hours inside the refrigerator.
- To make the meringue, whisk the egg whites using a kitchen aid until stiff peaks form. Then, slowly add in the caster sugar and keep beating until it is completely stiff. Use a piping bag to pipe your meringue design onto the chilled cheesecakes.
- Next, use a kitchen torch to toast the sides of the meringue until the peaks have become brown.
- Serve this on a platter of petit fours and pieces of chocolate and cheese for a fancy brunch setting.
Vegan Lemon Meringue Cheesecake
Ingredients:
For the base:
- 200 g vegan digestive biscuits, crushed
- 75 g coconut oil
For the filling:
- 300 g vegan cream cheese
- 200 ml coconut cream
- 120 gm caster sugar
- 80 ml lemon juice
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
For the Aquafaba Meringue:
- 120 ml aquafaba (liquid from canned chickpeas)
- 95 g caster sugar
Method:
- To begin the recipe, start by crushing the biscuits with a rolling pin and mix it with coconut oil. Press this mix into a 23 cm springform tin and let it sit in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
- Next, blend the vegan cream cheese, coconut cream, sugar, lemon juice with a slurry made with cornstarch. Pour this over the crust and stash in the fridge for another 3 hours.
- Now, whisk the aquafaba liquid with a hand blender until it has turned completely frothy. Then, add the sugar and blend again so that the mix becomes stiff and does not slide off the bowl.
- Spread the meringue onto the chilled cheesecake and brown it with a kitchen torch before serving.
Gluten-Free Lemon Meringue Cheesecake with Raspberry Swirls
Ingredients:
For the base:
- 210 g gluten-free digestive biscuits (crushed)
- 80 g unsalted butter
For the filling:
- 450 g cream cheese
- 125 g caster sugar
- 200 ml heavy cream
- 80 ml lemon juice
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 120 g raspberry puree
For the meringue:
- 3 egg whites
- 110 g caster sugar
Method:
- Place your digestive biscuits inside a ziplock bag, seal it and use a rolling pin to coarsely crush them. Mix the crumbs with unsalted butter and press the same inside a springform pan. Chill this for 15 minutes as well.
- To make the cream cheese filling, beat all your ingredients together. Then pour half of the filling into the crust, followed up by drizzles of raspberry puree. Use a skewer to make swirls into the cheesecake. Repeat the same with the remaining filling.
- Once done, chill this cake for 5 hours inside the refrigerator or overnight, depending on the region you are in.
- The next morning, make the meringue in the exact same way as mentioned in the previous recipe and brown the sides.
To dress up your raspberry infused cheesecake even further, take a handful of frozen berries and let it dehydrate in the oven overnight. Once the fruit has become completely dry, crush and mix it with powdered sugar, and dust this mix onto the cheesecake using a sieve. Alternatively, you can also buy freeze dried berries and follow the same instructions. The dried berries give a sharp tang to your otherwise sweet meringue.