What Is Lemon Cheesecake?

Lemon cheesecake can be prepared by adding lemon flavor to typical cheesecake ingredients. Typical cheesecake filling usually consists of cream cheese, sugar, eggs, and butter while the crust of the pie is often made of ground cookies or graham crackers. A lemon cheesecake, however, is often made with lemon juice and added lemon peel or zest to give it a burst of flavor. Some people also prepare this dessert with other fruits, syrups, and toppings to enhance its taste.

Cheesecake is typically prepared with cream cheese, eggs, butter, graham crackers, and sugar, though some people add other ingredients as well. Lemon cheesecake is often made by adding lemon juice and peels prior to baking to give the dessert the flavor of lemons. Another way to give cheesecake the flavor of lemon is to add powdered lemon pudding mix to the cheesecake filling instead of lemon juice and peels.

A person can eat lemon cheesecake with a variety of toppings, such as syrups or fruit. For example, a person can top this dessert with strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries. He might also choose to add such fruits as papaya, pineapple, or mango. Some people also add whipped cream or fruit-flavored syrups to this type of cheesecake. Even almonds and walnuts can make good additions to lemon cheesecake.

Alternative types of lemon cheesecake conform to the dietary needs of those who cannot or prefer not to consume dairy, eggs, or foods high in carbohydrates and sugar. Many vegans and vegetarians do not consume animal products and need dairy-free and egg-free lemon cheesecake, and a person with lactose intolerance may need an alternative recipe as well. This variation on the typical recipe is often prepared with ingredients such as firm tofu, dairy-free cream cheese, and egg substitutes.

In some cases, a person might have been advised by his doctor to avoid foods high in carbohydrates and sugar. For example, individuals who have diabetes or who are morbidly obese may need to be particularly careful with such ingredients. When preparing lemon cheesecake for people with such dietary restrictions, low-fat and low-carbohydrate ingredients and sugar substitutes can make good alternatives.

Lemon cheesecake is traditionally baked in an oven, but there are also ways to prepare this dessert without the use of heat. No-bake versions are often made with lemon-flavored pudding or gelatin and heavy cream to replace the eggs in a traditional cheesecake recipe. This type of cheesecake is usually refrigerated overnight or until the filling has become firm.