Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake
I myself don't dislike cheesecake, but it's not my go to dessert. It is however the favorite dessert of my favorite person, my boyfriend, James. So, every year for his birthday I make a different cheesecake and this year was lemon and blueberry.
Two flavors that go incredibly well together (but, I mean lemon and any berry it pretty much an instant classic) and make for a very refreshing and zesty dessert.
I added a simple lemon glaze to the top of the cheesecake and decorated with some fresh lemon zest and local blueberries.
Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake with a Lemon Glaze and fresh Garnish
Crust ingredients:
2 1/4 cups (302g) vanilla wafters smashed
10 tbsp (140g) salted butter, melted
3 tbsp (39g) sugar
1 tbsp (15g) cinnamon
Cheesecake filling ingredients:
24 ounces (678g) cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup (207g) sugar
3 tbsp (24g) all purpose flour
3/4 cup (173g) sour cream
6 tbsp (90ml) lemon juice
2 tbsp (28.3g) lemon zest
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 large egg yolks, room temperature
1 (150g) cup blueberries
Lemon glaze ingredients:
6 tbsp (85g) butter melted
3 cups (540g) powdered sugar
1/4 cup (59ml) lemon juice
zest of half a lemon
Crust directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Grease the sides of a 9-inch (23cm) springform pan, line with parchment paper in the bottom if you're pan isn't as air tight as need be. 2. Crush your vanilla wafers (or you may use graham crackers if you prefer, or even a mix of both) then combine the crust ingredients in a small bowl. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the springform pan. 3. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool.
Cheesecake filling directions: 5. In a large bowl or using a standing mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar and flour on low speed until well completely combined and smooth. Be sure to use low speed to reduce the amount of air added to the batter, which can cause cracks. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. 6. Add the sour cream, lemon juice and lemon zest and mix on low speed until well combined. 7. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing slowly to combine after each addition, then add the egg yolks and mix until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure everything is well combined. 8. Gently stir the blueberries into the batter. 9. Pour the cheesecake batter evenly into the crust. 10. Bake for 1 hour. The center should be set, but still jiggly. 11. Turn off the oven and leave the door closed for 30 minutes. The cheesecake will continue to cook, but slowly begin to cool as well. 12. Crack the door of the oven for 30 minutes to allow the cheesecake to continue to cool slowly. This process helps prevent cracking. 13. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and place the cheesecake in the refrigerator to cool completely.
Lemon glaze directions:
1. Combine butter, powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth.
2. Warm, mix with a whisk to eliminate and clumps and pour over your baked goods.
Assembly:
Gently pour the cooled glaze over top of your chilled cheesecake to ensure even distribution. If you's like you can control the taper on the edges diving it a bit of a drip feel, or you can simply allow it to evenly flow to the sides.
Zest 1 lemon so you have enough to play around with your decor, you may distribute that as you like. For this cheesecake I focused my topping on the center and around the edges.
Then adorn with your fresh blueberries! If you'd like you can serve with whipped cream or ice cream or both. I served mine as is which is equally delicious.
