Creamy, lemon mascarpone cheesecake is baked into a simple graham cracker crust and topped with a light and airy toasted meringue. This cheesecake will impress your friends and family with its flavor and presentation.
Several years ago, I used to work at the Cheesecake Factory. And while going through their manager’s training, I was encouraged to sample cheesecake every day. It was a cheesecake lover’s dream. I haven’t always been a big fan of cheesecake (key lime pie is my thing), but on occasion, I do enjoy a slice. I rarely make cheesecake at home, but it’s an excellent dessert to serve to guests. If you want to impress your friends with a cheesecake, lemon mascarpone cheesecake is the one to make! It’s bursting with lemon flavor, and the toasted meringue topping makes for a beautiful presentation.
What you need to make Lemon Mascarpone Cheesecake
Baking Supplies
Digital scale
8-inch springform pan
Parchment paper
Aluminum foil
Medium mixing bowl
Silicon spatula
Zester
Stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment
Large deep baking pan
Small saucepan
Whisk
Whisk attachment
Offset spatula
Kitchen torch
Ingredients
Graham cracker crumbs. Store-bought graham cracker crumbs or honey graham crackers work well for this recipe.
Sugar. Granulated sugar is used to sweeten all three components of this dessert.
Butter. Always use unsalted butter so that you can control the amount of salt you add to your crust.
Salt. Add a bit of salt to your cookie crust layer as a flavor enhancer.
Cream cheese. Use full-fat blocks of cream cheese. Cream cheese spread has a higher concentration of water and will cause your filling to be runny.
Mascarpone. Mascarpone is known as Italian cream cheese. It has a higher fat content that traditional American cream cheese and, therefore, adds a richer, creamier flavor to this cheesecake.
Eggs. Use large eggs and bring them to room temperature.
Vanilla. Always use pure vanilla extract compared to imitation. It will give you the best flavor.
Lemon. Select fresh lemon juice over bottled. I suggest using the lemon zest from 1-2 lemons. If you love lemon flavor stick with two lemons.
Selecting cream cheese for baking cheesecake
Always use full-fat blocks of cream cheese for cheesecake filling unless otherwise specified in a recipe. Do not use the tubs of cream cheese as these are processed to be spreadable (they are whipped and have more air in them). The blocks of cream cheese will give you the best results. Bring your cream cheese to room temperature to achieve a filling that is creamy and has a smooth consistency.
Using a water bath for baking cheesecake
A water bath will help your cheesecake cook evenly and help prevent the top from cracking. The steam created from the water bath produces a moist and humid environment that allows your cheesecake to rise, set, and not dry out. To prepare a water bath, place your springform pan that is wrapped with aluminum foil and filled with your uncooked cheesecake into a larger deep pan. Pour enough boiling water so that it is halfway up the sides of your cheesecake pan.
How to make the meringue topping
Meringue is quite simple to make. It looks a little more intimidating than it really is. Begin by placing your egg whites, sugar, and salt in a heatproof bowl of a stand mixer. Set the bowl over a small saucepan filled with an inch of simmering water. Whisk the mixture constantly until the sugar has dissolved and the egg whites are warm to the touch, about 5 minutes. Transfer the mixing bowl to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 8-10 minutes.
Have you ever heard the saying, “Don’t bother making meringue on a rainy day!” Let me tell you, this is wise advice. If you can avoid making meringue (pavlova and French macarons included) on a rainy day, then avoid it! Meringue absorbs moisture, and on a humid day, your meringue will more likely weep and not hold its beautiful shape. If baking meringue, it could turn out sticky instead of crisp. Sometimes though, you have no choice but to make it on a rainy day. If so, you will most likely have to beat your meringue for longer than the recipe calls for.
Storing cheesecake
Once cooled to room temperature, you can either refrigerate your cheesecake for up to 3 days or freeze it for up to 3 months. When refrigerating, wrap your cheesecake with plastic wrap in its original container to prevent it from drying out.
If choosing to freeze, do not add the meringue topping. You can freeze the cheesecake with or without the springform pan. If using, remove the outer shell of the springform pan and wrap the cheesecake with the bottom of the pan tightly with plastic wrap. Add a final layer of aluminum foil. If selecting not to use the springform pan, place the cheesecake on a cake board or freezer-safe dish and wrap with the plastic wrap and the aluminum foil. To serve, thaw the frozen cheesecake in the refrigerator overnight and add the meringue topping just before serving.
Tips and takeaways
- Use heavy-duty aluminum foil to wrap the outside of your springform pan tightly. You want to avoid the water from entering your container and making your crust soggy.
- Do not overmix your filling as overmixing can cause your cheesecake to crack. Only mix until all the ingredients are just combined. Use the paddle attachment to mix your ingredients on medium-low speed to avoid beating too much air into your filling.
- If you begin with ingredients that are not entirely at room temperature, your final batter may have lumps. If this happens, you can run your mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any clumps. Doing this will give you a creamy, smooth batter.
More cheesecake recipes
- Sweet potato cheesecake
- Strawberry cheesecake mousse
- No-bake cherry cheesecake parfaits
- Chocolate almond cheesecake mousse
Make sure to tag me @thesweetoccasion on Instagram and leave me a review below if you make this Lemon Mascarpone Cheesecake. I’d love to see your creations and read your feedback. And if you would like to make this recipe later, be sure to pin this recipe using the button on any of these images. Let’s make every occasion, a sweet occasion!
PrintLemon Mascarpone Cheesecake
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
Description
Creamy, lemon mascarpone cheesecake is baked into a simple graham cracker crust and topped with a light and airy toasted meringue. This cheesecake will impress your friends and family with its flavor and presentation.
Ingredients
For the crust
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons (158 g) graham cracker cookie crumbs
- 1 tablespoon (12 g ) granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter, melted
- pinch of salt
For the filling
- 16 oz (450 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 8 oz (225 g) mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup (220 g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs (150 g), at room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (6.3 g ) pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon (1.5 g) salt
- 4 tablespoons (60 g) fresh lemon juice
- 1–2 lemons zested
- Boiling water
For the meringue topping
- 3 large (90 g) egg whites
- 3/4 cup (165 g) granulated sugar
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F/177°C. Grease and line an 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Tightly wrap the outside of the pan (both sides and bottom) with aluminum foil. Set aside
For the crust
- In a medium mixing bowl combine graham cracker cookie crumbs, sugar, salt and melted butter until evenly mixed. Press crumb mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared springform pan. Bake crust for 8 minutes. Allow to cool while preparing filling.
For the filling
- In a large mixing bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the softened cream cheese, mascarpone, and sugar until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. On medium-low speed beat in eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to fully incorporate before adding the next. Scrape down the mixing bowl between each addition. Add the vanilla and mix until smooth. Add the salt, lemon juice and lemon zest and mix until just combined.
- Place prepared baking pan into a larger deep baking pan. Pour filling into cooled crust. Pour boiling water into larger baking pan until it is halfway up the sides of the springform pan.
- Bake 60-70 minutes or until the edges are set and the center is almost set. The center of the cheesecake will still slightly jiggle when you gently shake the pan. Turn off the oven and prop open the oven door slightly. Allow the cheesecake to sit in the cooling oven for 1 hour while the water bath cools down.
- Carefully remove from the oven and from the water bath and allow cheesecake to cool to room temperate. Once completely cooled, place in refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.
For the meringue topping
- Place egg whites, sugar, and salt in a heatproof bowl of a stand mixer. Set bowl over a small saucepan filled with an inch of simmering water. Whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved and egg whites are warm to the touch, about 5 minutes. Transfer the mixing bowl to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 8-10 minutes.
- Remove the rim of the springform pan and the parchment paper from the cheesecake. Spread the meringue over the top of the cheesecake using the back of a metal spoon or an offset spatula. Using a kitchen blow torch, carefully toast the meringue.
- Keep the cheesecake chilled until ready to serve.
I have made this cheesecake yesterday, I already had one slice for my breakfast:) because I couldn’t wait 😁
It’s so delicious, creamy absolutely in love with this recipe. I had only 250 gr of cream cheese so i used only two eggs and 160 gr of sugar, it was perfect. Thank you so much 🥰❤️❤️
★★★★★
Hi Liliana! I’m so happy you love this recipe! Thank you for your feedback, and I love that you enjoyed a slice for breakfast! I think I will have to try the same 😉