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You’ll love diving into this lemon blueberry cheesecake. Inside is the smoothest lemony center, little hits of fresh blueberries, and the perfect graham crust with crunch. I bring it out for parties all the time and it never sticks around for long—folks always come back for seconds and rave about it.
I’ll never forget baking this for my own birthday. The lemon scent was everywhere. The cake totally vanished by midnight—everyone wanted the details so they could make it too.
Yummy Ingredients
- Blueberries: pack in sweetness and bold color. Rinse them just before adding. Go for fresh if you can.
- Vanilla extract: helps round out all the flavors. Use the real stuff if possible for the best taste.
- Lemon zest and lemon juice: these add that sunny, zingy flavor. Use ripe lemons for more juice and zest.
- Eggs: give your cheesecake that rich, creamy structure. Let them warm up on the counter first.
- Sugar: sweetens up the whole cake and helps everything set perfectly. Fine granulated sugar blends best.
- Cornstarch: gets your blueberry sauce thick and swirly. Pick a good, smooth cornstarch for the prettiest finish.
- Melted butter: brings everything in the crust together and adds a touch of richness. Go for unsalted if you can.
- Water: makes the blueberry topping nice and silky. Filtered is best for a clear syrup.
- Cream cheese: this is what gives your cake its classic tang and velvety bite. Room temp cream cheese is a must for smooth mixing.
- Graham cracker crumbs: make the crust crispy and tasty. Freshly crushed is even better!
Simple Steps
- Chill and Enjoy:
- Pop your cooled cake in the fridge, covered up, for at least four hours or just leave overnight to get it fully set. Take off the springform once you’re ready, move to a plate, then just slice and dig in.
- Bake and Cool Down:
- Let it bake at 350 for about 60–70 minutes. The sides should look done but the middle should jiggle a bit. Shut off the oven and crack the oven door for a slow cool-down, about half an hour. Move your pan out of the water bath, then cool completely on a rack.
- Get the Water Bath Ready:
- Wrap your springform with foil to keep water out. Set it into a big roasting dish. Pour hot water into the roasting pan till it comes halfway up your cheesecake pan’s sides. This keeps your cake creamy and helps stop cracks.
- Time to Swirl:
- Pour half your blueberry sauce over the cheesecake layer. Swirl it around with a toothpick—easy does it for a cool pattern. Add the rest of the batter, smooth it out, and then drop on the last of the blueberry sauce, giving one more gentle swirl.
- Make the Blueberry Sauce:
- Heat a little pot on medium. Stir together a cup of blueberries, sugar, water, lemon juice, and a bit of cornstarch. Stir all the time while the berries burst and the sauce thickens. Add the rest of the blueberries and cook until shiny. Cool it before using.
- Mix Up the Filling:
- Beat cream cheese with sugar using a mixer on medium for a few minutes until super smooth. Be sure to scrape the bowl! Add eggs slowly, then pour in lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla, and mix just till everything’s together. Pour half into your crust.
- Make the Crust:
- Mix graham crumbs, a little sugar, and melted butter in a bowl till it looks like wet sand. Spread it over your pan’s bottom and up the sides, pressing down with a cup. Bake for 12 minutes at 350, then fully cool that crust.
- Prep Your Pan:
- First off, coat a 9 inch springform with nonstick spray, put some parchment down, then spray again lightly. This keeps your cheesecake from sticking so it pops out easily.
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When summer blueberries are in season, I’m always surprised by just how much they freshen up the cake. Lemon zest brings back childhood memories for me—the smell alone is like a time machine. My family always crowds the counter when it’s time to swirl in the blueberries, trying to snag the first slice.
Keeping It Fresh
Stash leftovers loosely covered in the fridge for around five days. If you’re storing longer, wrap each piece in plastic and foil, then put them in the freezer for up to a month. Let them sit in the fridge overnight to defrost for the best bite.
Ingredient Swaps
No graham crackers? Use vanilla cookies or digestive biscuits instead. Frozen blueberries work too—just cook them a bit longer to get rid of that extra liquid. You can swap in reduced fat cream cheese if you like, just know it won’t be quite as rich.
Ways to Serve
Great on its own, but you can make it shine with a few extra touches. Add fresh berries, curls of lemon peel, or a dust of powdered sugar. For fun on a hot day, offer a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a big dollop of whipped cream on the side.
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A Bit of the Backstory
Cheesecake goes way back but this combo of lemon and blueberry is a classic American summer treat. In the northeast, where both fruits ripen at the same time, it’s a tradition. Folks have passed down the habit of swirling berry sauces into smooth desserts for generations.
Common Questions
- → What’s the trick to stopping cracks on cheesecake?
Wrap your pan and bake it in a water bath, don’t overbeat the mixture, and let the cake cool off slowly before chilling in the fridge.
- → Is it okay to make the blueberry swirl with frozen berries?
For sure! Just cook the frozen blueberries with some sugar and a bit of lemon juice until they’re thick enough to use for swirling.
- → Which pan should I grab for this cake?
Grab a springform pan—about 9 inches across—so you can pop the cheesecake out smoothly after it’s nice and cold.
- → How long do I need to let the cheesecake set in the fridge?
Chill it for a minimum of 4 hours once it’s baked and cooled, but overnight is even better for that perfect texture.
- → Can I get this dessert ready ahead of time?
You bet! Go ahead and make it a day before, cover it up, and stash it in the fridge until you’re ready to dig in.