Name: Classic Lemon Cheesecake
Yield: 8–10 servings
Ingredients: 1 cup all-purpose flour; 1/4 cup superfine sugar; 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, chopped; 3/4 pound cream cheese, softened; 1 pound ricotta; 4 eggs; 1 1/3 cups superfine sugar; 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice; 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch; 1 1/2 tablespoons water; 1 cup whipping cream, whipped

Lemon cheesecake topped with white icing on parchment paper.

donna hay magazine, photography by William Meppem

You can't beat the classics when it comes to desserts, and this is one of my best. Zesty, creamy and light-as-air, this cake is completely heavenly. It's impossible to stop at one slice!

Recipe information

Yield
8–10 servings

Ingredients

Crust:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup superfine sugar

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, chopped

Filling:

3/4 pound cream cheese, softened

1 pound ricotta

4 eggs

1 1/3 cups superfine sugar

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 1/2 tablespoons water

1 cup whipping cream, whipped

Preparation

Step 1
Preheat oven to 300°F. Place the flour, sugar and butter in a bowl and rub with your fingertips to form a rough dough. Using the back of a spoon, press the mixture into the base of a lightly greased 8" round springform pan lined with non-stick parchment paper. Bake the crust for 30 minutes or until golden and just cooked. Set aside.
Step 2
To make the filling, place the cream cheese, ricotta, eggs, sugar, lemon juice and zest, and vanilla in a food processor and process until smooth. Place the cornstarch and water in bowl and mix until smooth. Add the cornstarch mixture to the cheese mixture and mix to combine. Pour over the crust and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until light golden and just set. Turn the oven off and allow to cool in the oven with the door closed. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until cold. Top with the whipped cream to serve.