No Bake Lemon Meringue Cheesecake

This cheesecake does have a few steps but the majority are incredibly easy. The only one that takes a bit more time is that no bake meringue topping, but it’s still simple to make and the flavour is worth that little bit of effort. Let’s see

• Biscuit base – so simple, just mix biscuit crumbs, ginger and melted butter, then press it into a springform tin.
• The no bake lemon cheesecake filling – this is literally a matter of beating together a handful of ingredients until light and silky smooth.
• The lemon curd – you can use store-bought but I really suggest making your own from scratch (use this Easy Lemon Curd recipe) as even that only takes 10 minutes.
• The no bake meringue – this part requires a little cook on the stove top to pasteurize the egg whites, then just beat it until it’s glossy and whipped. A stand mixer makes this step super simple.

If you love this, I know you’d love my lemon tiramisu as well.

How to make no bake cheesecake

Let’s get to the fun part. Start by making the base which is just some biscuit crumbs, ground ginger salt and melted butter all mixed together.

Tip it into your lined 8 inch springform tin (photo 1) and use a glass to press it out flat all the way round (photo 2). Place it in the fridge to set firmly.

To make the filling you’ll start by gently dissolving some gelatine into lemon juice over low heat – make sure not to let that even come to a simmer.

Now, beat together the cream cheese and sugar together before adding the lemon juice, zest and sour cream (photo 3).  I like to use my stand mixer with paddle attachment for this.

Slowly pour the cream in while whisking until it’s all combined (photo 4), then whisk for 2-3 minutes until it’s looking fluffy. To do this, I swap to my whisk attachment

How to make no bake meringue

First a tip – when making meringue, always make sure your equipment is perfectly clean and you don’t get any yolk in your egg white, otherwise, they won’t whip.

All the meringue ingredients go into a bowl (photo 7). Again, I like to use my stand mixer for this step, so I place the ingredients into the stand mixer bowl.

Use a hand whisk just to lightly whisk this over a saucepan of simmering water until all the sugar is dissolved and the egg whites are opaque and quite warm to the touch (photo 8).

If you want to make extra sure your eggs a pasteurized, this mixture should get to 70C / 160F on a candy thermometer before proceeding. Some people aren’t bothered about eggs being pasteurized and this is completely up to you.

Now, take the meringue off the heat and whisk it until it’s smooth, glossy and increased in volume. It should be coming away from the sides of the bowl. I use my kitchen aid on speed 6 for 4-5 minutes.

Why use gelatine in a cheesecake

Gelatine is just one way, of many, to make a cheesecake set to a point that it holds it’s shape when sliced.

This No Bake Lemon Meringue Cheesecake uses gelatine as a setting agent and just enough to get it to hold it’s shape when sliced, just like this No Bake Passionfruit Cheesecake.

Baked cheesecakes, like this Easy Baked Cheesecake with Fresh Cherry Sauce, use eggs and baking to keep them set.

Some no bake cheesecakes, like my Dulce De Leche White Chocolate Cheesecake, rely on chocolate to set the cake.

And then there are those cheesecakes that just use a higher ratio of cream cheese to keep their shape.

Can you freeze no bake cheesecake

Yes, you can freeze cheesecakes as a general rule. In my experience, baked cheesecake freezes the best of all. This one will freeze but not with the meringue topping, and the cheesecake texture will change slightly and not be so silky.

How to serve this cheesecake

This is an impressive looking dessert but sometimes beauty can bring a challenge. Here’s how to get the best out of this recipe.

• Make the cheesecake portion the day before – I’m just talking the bottom section. This will give the cheesecake plenty of time to set.
• Top it with meringue the day of serving – You can do this the day before but the meringue is best as fresh as possible.
• Cut it straight from the fridge with a sharp knife – If it softens too much before cutting you may have issues getting nice clean slices.
• Serve it as soon as you cut it – With store bought lemon curd, that seems to set softer than my homemade version, the curd can tend to run down the sides of the slices. It makes no difference to the flavour but just doesn’t have the same look.
• Eat it within a day or two – the meringue does tend to melt a little over time, so once you cut slices from the cheesecake, you’ll notice the meringue gradually sliding off the more days it sits in the fridge.