Refreshingly tart and creamy lemon cheesecake in a sweet golden Oreo crust, topped with fresh blueberry topping!
Lemon and blueberry go together like Siegfried and Roy.
At least when Siegfried was still alive…
ANYWHO, this sweet summer duo is definitely a classic, which is why I have to make at least one recipe dedicated to it every single year. So this week, I decided to bake up this D-E-lectable Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake!
With a creamy lemon cheesecake filling, a lusciously sweet blueberry topping, and a crisp golden Oreo cookie crust, this cheesecake is the perfect dessert to kick off the summer season!
And although most cheesecakes tend to be rather dense, this one is much lighter and creamier. That’s because I didn’t use FOUR whole packages of cream cheese. I only used three…
Ok, so that’s still kind of a lot of cream cheese. But hey, it’s a CHEESEcake for crying out loud. It’s supposed to be laden with cream cheese, people!
Along with a lesser amount of cream cheese, what also gives this cheesecake a softer bite is sour cream. A full cup of it is added to not only lighten the texture up a bit, but also to provide a nice tanginess that balances out the sweetness.
Instead of adding flour to the cheesecake batter, I prefer to add cornstarch since it doesn’t alter the flavor like flour does. You also only need to use about half the amount of cornstarch as you would using all-purpose flour. Cornstarch helps to firm up the cheesecake and prevent cracks. However, just because you add cornstarch to the batter doesn’t mean you’ll end up with a crackless cheesecake. You also have to treat the batter with care by NOT over-mixing it.
To infuse this cheesecake with just the right amount of lemony flavor, I added seven Tablespoons of freshly-squeezed lemon juice and two Tablespoons of lemon zest. I originally started with four tablespoons of lemon juice, but that definitely wasn’t enough. Five tablespoons…meh. Six tablespoons…almost there. Seven tablespoons…PERFECTO! Not too overpowering, yet powerful enough to not be overshadowed by the blueberry topping. Which we shall get to later…
As far as water baths go, I don’t use the traditional method of wrapping the cheesecake pan with tin foil and placing it into a roasting pan with hot water. Instead, I just place a roasting pan with hot water onto the bottom rack of the oven, and place my cheesecake onto the rack above it. The purpose of water baths is to create a moist heat environment, which allows the cheesecake to bake more slowly and evenly. Thus, simply placing a roasting pan of hot water into the oven will create the same steamy environment without the stress of water leaking into your beautiful cheesecake.
Without the moist heat of a water bath, the custard can take on a rubbery texture. With cheesecake, your primary goal is to bake it slowly and evenly without browning the top.
Instead of your simple graham cracker crust, I went with a golden Oreo cookie crust. Now, I have absolutely nothing against graham cracker crusts, but if I have the option, I will always use oreo cookie crusts. They’re sweeter, more flavorful, and people are more likely to eat them rather than simply scraping the cheesecake filling off of the crust. Not that I’m guilty of doing that or anything…
Now we can discuss the blueberry topping! HOMEMADE blueberry topping, to be more specific. Because if you’ve been around my blog long enough, you know that I swore off those lousy store-bought canned pie fillings a long time ago. That’s because they contain about 10% actual fruit. They’re also ridiculously expensive when you consider the fact that you can easily make them at home with just a few simple ingredients.
All you have to do is place some blueberries into a medium saucepan and cook them over medium heat until their juices start to release. You can either use fresh or frozen berries. I almost always use frozen berries for my fruit toppings since I’m going to cook them anyway, and Id rather save fresh berries for decorating.
Once you start to see the berry juices, stir together some granulated sugar, cornstarch, and a pinch of salt in a separate bowl. Combining these ingredients together BEFORE adding them to the berries will ensure that your cornstarch doesn’t clump up.
After you add the sugar-cornstarch mixture to the berries, stir the mixture constantly until it thickens. This should only take 3-5 minutes, and you want the mixture to coat the back of a spoon. Immediately take it off the heat and pour it into a shallow bowl so that it cools quicker. You want the topping to cool completely before spreading it on top of the cheesecake. To speed up the cooling process, you can also place it into the refrigerator.
To dress this cheesecake up even more, I added a generous border of whipped cream along the edges along with a few decorative slices of lemon. Because if you’re gonna make a cheesecake as rich as this one, you’ve gotta make it LOOK filthy stinkin’ rich as well.
Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake
Ingredients
Golden Oreo Crust:
- 20 Golden Oreos
- 4 Tablespoons butter, melted
Lemon Cheesecake Batter:
- 24 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup sour cream
- 7 Tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 eggs
Blueberry Topping:
- 3 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- Pinch of salt
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
To Decorate:
- Freshly-whipped cream
- Lemon slices
Instructions
Make the Crust:
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF, and spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Crush the Oreos in a food processor until finely-ground. Add the melted butter and mix until all the crumbs are moistened. Press firmly into the bottom of the pan. Bake in the oven for 8 minutes, then set aside to cool.
Make the Batter:
- Place a large roasting pan in the oven on the bottom rack. Pour hot water into the pan, making sure it is about 1" deep. Close the oven door.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and sugar together until creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the cornstarch, sour cream, lemon juice, zest, vanilla, and salt, and beat until incorporated. Beat in the eggs, two at a time, until combined--try not to overmix.
- Pour batter into the crust, smoothing out the top. Bake cheesecake for 60-70 minutes, or until center appears nearly set when shaken. Turn off the oven and leave the oven door cracked. Allow cheesecake to rest in the oven for one hour.
- After an hour has passed, remove the cheesecake from the oven. Place it onto a cooling rack to cool completely before covering it and chilling in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.
Make the Topping:
- In a medium saucepan, heat the blueberries over medium heat until they soften and their juices start to release, about 2-3 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Add mixture to the blueberries and continue cooking until it begins to form a thick sauce, about 3-5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Pour into a shallow bowl and place in the refrigerator to cool completely.
To Assemble:
- Pour the blueberry topping on top of the cheesecake and use an offset spatula or butterknife to spread evenly. Pipe a border of whipped cream along the edges of the cheesecake. Decorate with fresh lemon slices.
- Cheesecake will stay fresh for up to 5 days if sealed tightly in a plastic container or covered with plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator