This Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake is decadent beyond words. Rich, creamy and perfectly sweet with a thick golden graham cracker crust. Topped with a lush homemade blueberry lemon compote and freshly whipped cream.
We are huge fans of cheesecake, a make-ahead dessert that wows guests with looks and flavor. This cheesecake has bright intense flavors of blueberry and a sparkling of lemon that really makes it pop! And while this may be a little time consuming, it certainly worth the effort.
carte du jour
Tips for Baking the Perfect Cheesecake
- Use room temperature cream cheese:
Always (always) use room temp cream cheese. When a recipe calls for softened cream cheese, this is what the author is referring to. Softened cream cheese blends better and is creamy when mixed. Cold cream cheese results in a lumpy batter that will reflect in your cake. Allow it to sit out on the counter in its original container for 30-60 minutes. - The addition of flour or cornstarch:
Some cheesecake recipes call for a little flour or cornstarch. This small addition helps keep your cheesecake from cracking and also makes the cake easier to cut into cleaner slices. Also giving the cheesecake an exquisite texture.
Why add sour cream to a cheesecake?
The addition of sour cream brightens the flavor and cuts the richness of the cheesecake.
- The Baine-Marie Bath:
A fancy name for a water bath that creates a humid environment, allowing the cheesecake to cook gently. This climate aids in creating an irresistibly smooth and creamy cheesecake. That is less prone to cracking and drying out. - The method: Wrap the outside of your springform pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil, this keeps the water from seeping through any crevices in the pan. We use the extra wide heavy-duty foil. Fill your pan with your batter and set it inside of a roasting pan or another large baking dish. Then, fill the roasting pan with very hot water, about halfway up the sides of the springform pan. The water should not go above the top edge of the aluminum foil on the springform pan. You want to add enough water to the pan to ensure that the water does not fully evaporate while baking.
- Limiting Cheesecake Cracks:
Cracking typically occurs if a cheesecake is overcooked or cools too quickly. Bake your cheesecake until the outer edge is rather firm but the inner circle 3-4 “ is still jiggly in the very center of the cake.
How to cool a cheesecake properly
- Cool your cheesecake gradually: allow it to sit in the turned off oven with the door closed for 30 minutes (as per the directions below). The cheesecake will continue to bake but slowly cool as well. Then crack the oven door and leave it to continue to cool in the oven for another 30 minutes. This system continues to fight against cracks forming in the top of the cheesecake.
After the time in the oven has elapsed, remove from the oven. Take the cheesecake out of the water bath, and remove the aluminum foil. Set on a rack and cool completely.
- Always Chill Cheesecake after Cooling: Once your cheesecake has cooled off, be sure to allow it to chill overnight. This practice ensures that the cake has the proper texture and is set properly. Cutting a cheesecake before chilling will give you a custard-like quality, which is not what we are looking for when serving a cheesecake. Chilling produces a rich, smooth, mouth-watering texture!
How to cut a cheesecake with ease
- Prior to cutting: hold a long non-serrated knife under hot tap water for a minute. Wipe the knife off on a clean kitchen towel before making every cut. You can also slice a cheesecake with non-minty dental floss or a wire cheese cutter as well.
How to store a cheesecake
- Freshly baked cheesecake will keep in the fridge for about 1 week, securely covered with plastic wrap.
- Cheesecakes also freeze extremely well! Once your cheesecake is set and firm, set in the freezer for about an hour. Then remove and wrap tightly with plastic wrap and then a layer of heavy duty aluminum foil. properly stored it will preserve its highest quality for 2 months.
- To serve after freezing, thaw for a few hours on the counter top or overnight in the fridge. Then cut, top and serve!
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How to make Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake
This Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake is decadent beyond words. Rich, creamy and perfectly sweet with a thick golden graham cracker crust. Topped with a lush homemade blueberry lemon compote and freshly whipped cream.
- 3 1/2 cups (295g) graham cracker crumbs finely ground
- 5/8 cup (10 T or 142 grams) melted butter
- 3 Tablespoons (40 grams) rounded sugar
- 24 oz (678 grams) softened cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup (200 grams) sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (18 grams) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (173 grams) sour cream room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons lemon zest
- 6 Tablespoons (90 ml) fresh lemon juice
- 3 Large eggs room temperature
- 2 Large egg yolks room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups (225 grams) blueberries can sub frozen*
- 2 cups (227 grams) blueberries can sub frozen
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream cold
- 2 Tablespoons confectioners’ sugar powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon real vanilla extract
- Lemon zest for garnish if desired
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Preheat oven to 325°F/163°C. Line a 9-inch (23cm) springform pan with parchment paper in the bottom and grease the sides.
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Measure out and combine the crust ingredients in a small bowl. Press the mixture into the bottom and about halfway up the sides of the springform pan.
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Bake the crust for 15 minutes, then set aside to cool.
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Cover the outsides of the pan with aluminum foil so that water from the water bath cannot get in. Set the prepared pan aside.
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Reduce oven temperature to 300°F/149°C.
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In a large bowl, beat the room temperature cream cheese, sugar and flour on low speed until well combined and creamy smooth. Be sure to use lower speed to reduce the amount of air added to the batter, which can cause cracks.
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Add the sour cream, lemon juice, and lemon zest and mix on low speed until well blended.
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Add the eggs one at a time, mixing slowly to combine after each addition, then add the egg yolks and mix until blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure everything is well combined.
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Gently stir the blueberries into the batter.
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Pour the cheesecake batter evenly into the crust.
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Place the springform pan inside another larger pan. Fill the outside pan with very hot water about halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Making sure the water does not go over the top of the aluminum foil.
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Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes. The center should be set, but still jiggly about 3-4” from the center.
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Turn off the oven and leave the door closed for 30 minutes. The cheesecake will continue to cook, but also slowly cools down.
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Crack the oven door for 30 minutes to allow the cheesecake to continue to cool gradually. This process helps prevent cracking.
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Remove the cheesecake from the oven, and remove the aluminum foil. Set on a rack to finish cooling completely.
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While the cheesecake cools, make the topping. Combine the blueberries, sugar, lemon zest and juice into a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat and stir to combine.
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Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until the sugar begins to melt and the blueberries start to soften and release their juice.
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Remove from heat when blueberries are a bit juicy and the juice has started to thicken. Pour the mixture into another bowl and cool, refrigerate after cooling.
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When you’re ready to serve the cheesecake remove from the fridge, slice (see notes above) and then allow it to sit at room temp for 30-60 minutes.
- Prep time is approximate
- *Frozen blueberries will bleed into your batter slightly, we have used both fresh and frozen when making this cake. The cheesecake above was made with frozen.
Make the whipped cream
Add the heavy whipping cream, to a well-chilled bowl and beat until soft peaks begin to form. Add the powdered sugar and real vanilla extract and beat on high speed just until stiff peaks form. If you overbeat your whipped cream and have a butter-like consistency, just add a tablespoon or two of whipping cream and beat on low until desired texture is reached.
Be sure and check out our Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake with Caramel Sauce for an awesome seasonal dessert! And if you have some leftover blueberries, try making our ultra-tasty Blueberry Lemon Quick Bread.
10 comments
This looks delicious. I love blueberries, lemon, and cheesecake so this is a triple win for me! And make-ahead desserts are always a good idea.
Thanks so much, Patrice! I feel the same it’s one of my favorite flavor combos 🙂
This looks so good. I love lemon and blueberry together. I so much prefer baked cheesecakes and a big yes to using sour cream. It ads great depth and really works with blueberries.
Thanks, Gillian, agreed sour cream really adds a nice depth of flavor to cheesecakes! We appreciate you stopping by 🙂
Those luscious blueberries dripping down the side is making my mouth water, that cheesecake looks sooo yummy!
Thanks, Simone! Blueberries are my jam (sometimes literally)! lol
I love, love, love cheesecake and this lemon blueberry cheesecake sounds absolutely amazing and perfect for summer. I can’t wait to try it out:)
Thank you so much, Sonila! It does make for a lovely summer gathering, so happy you stopped by to check it out 🙂
The cheesecake looks so creamy and scrumptious. Lemon is one of my favorites and I can’t wait to try this.
I’m a huge lemon fan too, Lathiya! Thanks so much for checking it out I hope you love it as much as we do 🙂