Luscious Lemon Cheesecake with Blueberry Topping

Lemon Cheesecake with Blueberry Topping

I have found a new favorite dessert.

It’s in the form of a cheesecake, but with a light & refreshing kind of spin.

While laying in bed several nights ago, I was thinking about making a batch of my lemon-blueberry jelly (one of the very first recipes ever posted on the Mrs by the way!) because we are running low.  The idea hit me of how delightful the flavor combination of lemons & blueberries would be in cheesecake form.  Since the concept was new to me, I decided to put a fresh lemon twist on my traditional cheesecake recipe.  I thought about baking blueberries in with the cheesecake, but I decided I would rather have it as a topping as to not interrupt the creamy texture of the cheesecake.  My husband isn’t really a ‘blueberries person’, but he loved the way they tasted in the blueberries & cream oat bars.  So, I opted in adapting the filling in the blueberries & cream oat bars for the topping for the cheesecake – and it worked like a charm.

It was the perfect consistency for the job, &  it was stable – meaning it stays in it’s place, even when cutting & serving. And the end result as far as your tastebuds go? So creamy & flavorful.  And my non-blueberry loving husband is having a hard time keeping his distance from it too.  Adapting that blueberry filling from the oat bars was the perfect choice for this!

Lemon Cheesecake with Blueberry Topping

Even now, it’s sitting in my fridge – and I am having issues with not going in and eating more of it at this very moment.  And, I’ve already had a piece.  Or two.  And, maybe a couple of bites of my husband’s slice.

I told you I think I had a new favorite dessert.

Now, don’t get me wrong – I still love the ooey, gooey chocolate-ty desserts.  But, there is something about the lightness & creamyness of the cake that just makes this so gosh darn additive.

Lemon Cheesecake with Blueberry Topping

 

First off, let’s prepare the crust.  I made a traditional graham cracker crust – and I thought that shortbread would also be really good. Just puree the graham crackers with a little melted butter & press down firmly in the bottom of a 9″ to 10″ springform pan.

Lemon Cheesecake with Blueberry Topping

Here’s what you need to make this luscious lemon cheesecake. What you see before you is heavy cream, sour cream, lemon juice, vanilla extract, cream cheese, flour, lemon zest, sugar, & eggs.

Lemon Cheesecake with Blueberry Topping

 

Beat together the cream cheese & sugar until creamy.  Blend in the heavy cream, & then mix in the eggs one at a time – mixing just enough to incorporate.  Mix in the sour cream, vanilla, lemon juice, lemon zest, & flour until smooth.  pour filling into prepared pie crust.

Lemon Cheesecake with Blueberry Topping

 

Bake in an oven preheated to 350 degrees.  Place a large pan of water in the rack below the cake while it bakes.  Bake in the oven for 1 hour exactly.  Remove from the oven & run a knife alongside the outer edge, to loosen it from the pan.  This will help prevent any cracking as the cake sinks a little as it cools.  Place the cheesecake back into the oven, make sure the oven is still at 350 in temp, and then turn the oven off, and leave the door closed.  Do not check on it, no not bother it at all.  Just let it sit for at least 5 hours.  I usually make my cheesecakes at night time, and I will allow the cheesecake to sit in the cooling oven overnight.  Transfer to fridge after the cooling period is complete.

Now, for the topping.  As I mentioned before, I adapted the blueberry filling recipe in the blueberries & cream oat bars to make the topping for this cheesecake.  It was the perfect addition!

Mix the blueberries with sugar, cornstarch, & lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook for 7-10 minutes, until mixture has thickened slightly. Remove from the heat, cover, & refrigerate until cooled completely.

Lemon Cheesecake with Blueberry Topping

 

Once all components are chilled, it’s time to finish up.  Spread the blueberry topping on top of the cheesecake.  It will be just enough to perfectly coat the top, and it will be perfect.

Lemon Cheesecake with Blueberry Topping

Go on… make this today.  For dinner dessert.

Lemon Cheesecake with Blueberry Topping

Ingredients

For the cheesecake:

  • 15 graham crackers crushed
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter
  • 4 8oz packages cream cheese
  • 1.5 cups white sugar or cane sugar
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • the zest from 2 lemons
  • the juice from 1 lemon
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour

For the blueberry topping

  • 3 cups frozen blueberries
  • 6 heaping tablespoons sugar
  • 4 teaspoons cornstarch
  • the juice of 1 lemon

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
  • Grease a 9-10 inch springform pan.
  • In a medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter. Press onto bottom of springform pan.
  • In a large bowl, mix cream cheese with sugar until smooth. Blend in heavy cream, and then mix in the eggs one at a time, mixing just enough to incorporate. Mix in sour cream, vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour until smooth. Pour filling into prepared crust.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Place a large pan of water on the rack below the cheesecake. Remove the cake & run a knife alongside the edge to loosen the cheesecake from the pan. Return to the oven, that should still be on & heated to 350. Turn the oven off, and let cake cool in oven with the door closed for about 5 hours or overnight. This helps prevents cracking. Chill in refrigerator,
  • In a small saucepan, combine the blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, & lemon juice. Cook on medium heat for 7-10 minutes, or until thickened slightly. Remove from heat & transfer to a heat proof container. Cover & refrigerate until completely cooled.
  • Once both components are completely chilled, spread the blueberry topping on top of the cheesecake. Store in the refrigerator.