No-Bake Lemon Meringue Cheesecake!

A delicious no-bake lemon meringue cheesecake with a biscuit base, lemon cheesecake and Italian meringue topping 

So we all know how much I adore cheesecake, and I know I probably need to get over my obsession (joking, of course) but I just adore it. It’s an indulgent but easy to make dessert that you can make look beautiful, you can flavour in so many ways, and they are always a crowd pleaser. 

My biscoff cheesecake is by far my most popular cheesecake on my blog, along with my white chocolate and raspberry cheesecake, and my terry’s chocolate orange cheesecake, but I wanted to create another recipe for an absolute insane showstopper of a cheesecake; the lemon meringue cheesecake. 

Lemon Meringue

I honestly don’t know what has taken me so long to produce this recipe. I have had a few requests for another few lemon related recipes, and a few of my regular readers have asked for this in particular.. so I simply HAD to do it. I took some inspiration for the recipe from some of my other posts such as my No-Bake Lemon Cheesecakes and my Lemon Meringue Pie. 

The combination typically of pastry, a set lemon curd and a meringue topping is just iconic and absolutely out of this world, and I adore it. To make it fit the cheesecake theme a bit more, I use a biscuit base instead of pastry, a lemon cheesecake filling, but then also a meringue topping. It sounds a lot, but trust me, it’s just delicious. 

Biscuit base

For the biscuit base, as often and usually always, I use a digestive biscuit base mixed with some melted butter. For the biscuits, I find digestive the easiest because they blend well, and they work well for a biscuit base, and then I melt down some butter. I use either baking spread or block butter, depending on what I have in the fridge. 

I do tend to blitz the biscuits in my food processor to a super fine crumb, but you can use a bowl and the end of a rolling pin or a sandwich bag. You do just need to make sure that there are no lumps in the biscuit as this can cause problems later. Once you have mixed the melted butter in, the mixture will look a bit like wet sand, and this is ideal. Press this into the base and sides of a 9″ tart tin and you have the base done. 

Cheesecake filling

For the cheesecake, it is really similar to my no-bake lemon cheesecake, as it works for me so well. I used real lemon in this cheesecake recipe as I adore using it and I think it helps make it set, but you can switch to lemon extract if you prefer instead. 

For the cream cheese, you need to make sure to use any full-fat soft cheese such as a supermarket own brand, Philadelphia, or even a mascarpone – as long as they are full fat, they will be fine. Then when you add in the icing sugar, and double cream along with the lemon, you can whip to a super thick cheesecake filling to add onto the biscuit base. 

Italian meringue 

I decided to use an italian meringue for the topping, so that the meringue is basically cooked. I wanted to make sure the meringue was cooked so that I could get away with the non-baked cheesecake as I prefer them, but you can do a normal meringue if you prefer or find it easier

Some people are slightly scared of making a basic meringue to top something, as a basic meringue that isn’t baked does contain raw egg. I recommend that the elderly, pregnant, or children don’t necessarily eat a meringue that contains raw egg if you are nervous, however, making an Italian Meringue is a lot less scary then you think and the sugar super cooks the egg whites so that they are safe to consume.

I make the sugar syrup in my pan and use a thermometer to make sure it gets to the correct temperature, and then whisk it slowly into the egg whites at stiff peaks. It will make a super silky and smooth meringue. If you find your meringue deflates at this stage, the egg whites either weren’t whipped enough, or you have poured the syrup in too quickly. 

Once it’s made, give it some texture by using a blowtorch, or grill in the oven briefly so that it’s coloured, but so that the cheesecake doesn’t melt! I do recommend using a blowtorch over putting it in the oven as you risk melting the cheesecake a bit too much otherwise. 

Tips & Tricks 

• This cheesecake will last for 2-3+ days in the fridge
• This cheesecake is best to freeze without the meringue – it can freeze for 3+ months
• I use this thermometer for the syrup
• I use this blowtorch to decorate 
• I use 9″ loose bottomed tart tin for my cheesecake 

Lemon Meringue Cheesecake!

A delicious no-bake lemon meringue cheesecake with a biscuit base, lemon cheesecake and Italian meringue topping 

Print Pin Rate

Category: Dessert

Type: Cheesecake

Keyword: Lemon

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Setting/Decorating: 6 hours hours

Total Time: 6 hours hours 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 15 Slices

Author: Jane's Patisserie

Ingredients

Biscuit Base

• 300 g digestives
• 150 g unsalted butter

Cheesecake Filling

• 500 g full-fat soft cream cheese
• 100 g icing sugar
• 300 ml double cream
• Juice of 2 lemons (or 2tsp lemon extract)
• yellow food colouring (optional)

Italian Meringue

• 185 g white granulated sugar
• 85 ml water
• 100 g egg whites

Grams - Ounces

Instructions

Biscuit Base

• Blitz the biscuits in a food processor to a fine crumb, add the melted butter and pulse a few times until it is combined well. 
  
• Tip into a 9″/23cm tart tin and press into the base and sides

Cheesecake Filling

• Add the cream cheese, icing sugar and lemon juice to a bowl and whisk until smooth
• Whilst whisking slowly, pour in the liquid double cream and continue to whip on a medium-high speed until it is starting to thicken. Alternatively, whip the cream separately and fold through
• Add the yellow food colouring if using
• Spread onto the biscuit base and spread evenly. Leave to set in the fridge, covered, for 5-6 hours, or preferably overnight.

To Decorate

• Pour the sugar and the water into a heavy-based saucepan and bring to boil, stir it occasionally with a wooden spoon.
• When the mixture starts to boil monitor the temperature until it reaches 120C (firm ball stage) with a sugar thermometer
• When the mixture is heating up and boiling, if any sugar splashes up the side of the pan, brush the sides with a pastry brush and cold water to get rid of it
• Whilst the mixture is starting to get towards the temperature whisk the egg whites in your electric stand mixer to stiff peaks
• When the sugar syrup has reached the temperature and the egg whites are at stiff peaks start to pour the sugar syrup onto the egg whites at the edge of the bowl whilst still whisking – make sure you do this slowly so its a constant trickle of sugar syrup so that the egg whites stay smooth
• Continue to whisk throughout whilst the sugar syrup is pouring in, and after its all whisked in continue to whisk the mixture fast and on a high speed for 5-7 minutes until the mixture is smooth, and has cooled down.
• Remove the set cheesecake from the tin, dollop the meringue on top, and then blowtorch lightly, or flash under a hot grill to brown the edges of the meringue

Notes

• This cheesecake will last for 2-3+ days in the fridge
• This cheesecake is best to freeze without the meringue - it can freeze for 3+ months
• I use this thermometer for the syrup
• I use this blowtorch to decorate 
• I use 9" loose bottomed tart tin for my cheesecake 
• If you don’t want to or don’t feel confident enough to make an italian meringue then you can do a normal meringue using the 5 medium egg whites, and 200g of caster sugar and mix like you would a normal meringue – blowtorch or flash under the grill in the same way as above to brown

ENJOY!

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