Cook's Illustrated

Lemon Cheesecake

Published May 1, 2003.

Lemon is a fickle flavor, and pairing it with cream cheese requires a perfect balance of juice, zest, and sugar.

The Problem

The lemon flavor in lemon cheesecake is often either too fleeting or too harsh.

The Goal

A light, creamy textured cheesecake, a style that everyone in the test kitchen felt would be a good partner with the flavor of lemon.

The Solution

Use surprise favorite Nabisco Barnum's Animals Crackers for the crust. Use a combination of lemon juice and zest in the filling, then bake the cheesecake in a water bath at a low temperature. Finally, top it all off with some lemon curd for extra pizzazz.

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