Name: Lemon Meringue Cheesecake
Cook time: 90 min
Yield: 1 8-inch cheesecake
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 140g Graham crackers; 60g Butter (room temperature); 452g Cream cheese; 100g Sugar; 2g Kosher salt; 5g Vanilla extract; 130g Heavy cream; 3 eggs; 50g Lemon juice; 10g Lemon zest; 200g Swiss meringue

Description

A lemon cheesecake topped with billowy Swiss meringue, torched to golden perfection. The tart lemon filling and sweet, pillowy meringue create a classic pairing reminiscent of lemon meringue pie.

Special Instructions

For the meringue, whisk 3 egg whites and 100g sugar over a double boiler until the sugar dissolves and the mixture reaches 160F. Remove from heat and whip with an electric mixer until stiff, glossy peaks form. Spread or pipe over the fully chilled cheesecake and torch with a kitchen torch. The meringue is best applied and torched shortly before serving so it holds its shape.

Recipe

Pan size:

Number of cakes:

1

Makes 1 × 8″ cheesecake

Topping

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Swiss meringue	200g	Torch before serving

Filling

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Cream cheese	452g	2 × 8 oz bricks (Philadelphia)
Sugar	100g
Kosher salt	2g
Vanilla extract	5g
Heavy cream	130g
Eggs	3 eggs
Lemon juice	50g	Fresh squeezed
Lemon zest	10g	About 2 lemons

Crust

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Graham crackers	140g	1 bag of Honeymoon graham crackers (~140g)
Butter (room temperature)	60g

Instructions

Make the filling: Let the cream cheese and eggs come to room temperature, then beat the cream cheese and cream until smooth. Mix in sugar, salt, vanilla extract. Add eggs last, mixing just until combined so you don't work extra air into the mixture that will get stuck in the sous vide bag.
Make the crust: Let the butter come to room temperature. Break up graham crackers a bit, then add them with the butter to a food processor and process until fully integrated. Press firmly and evenly into the bottom of your pan — make sure it's well packed with no gaps, or the filling will leak through when you pour it.
Cook: Sous vide at 176°F for 90 minutes. Every 30ish minutes, massage the bag to stir the filling (or stir directly if using an open container). Pay attention to the edges and make sure stirring is complete.
Set: Pour into the mold, then add any solid toppings right away or let the cheesecake cool in the fridge for several hours before adding a gell topping. Ideally, make the cheesecake at least a day before serving so it can set properly.