The Busy Gourmand

Lemony Whipped Cheesecake

This recipe largely uses all the ingredients from a more traditional cheesecake except that it dispenses with the thick graham cracker crust and whips the cream cheese with eggs to give it a much lighter density. The lemon makes the whole thing seem not so sinful.

For the Crust

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a food processor pulse the flour, sugar and baking powder until combined. Add the butter, cut into tablespoon size pieces, the egg, and the vanilla and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Using an 8” spring form pan press the crust about 1/4” thick onto the bottom and sides of the pan, then refrigerator for about 10 minutes to set up.

For the Filling

3, 8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
zest from one lemon, finely diced
3 eggs
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, about one lemon

In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer combine the cream cheese, sugar, flour, vanilla, and lemon zest. Mix at a low speed until completely combined. Add the eggs and the lemon juice and beat at medium high speed for about 3 minutes. The mixture should increase in size as air is added to the filling.

Pour the filling into the crust and place the pan on a shallow baking pan. Bake in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes. The mixture will still be somewhat gelatinous in the middle. Remove the mixture and allow to cool thoroughly before removing from the spring form pan. Place the cheesecake in the refrigerator to finishing setting about 2 hours.