Hello summer! This Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake brings all the flavors of spring and summer to your table. A rich, creamy lemon cheesecake is accented with sweet blueberries for the perfect combination of tart and sweet. It's all set in a crunchy nut crust that's a perfect foil for the smooth filling. Get ready for the season and bake up this decadent showstopper dessert! It's bound to impress! Ideal for Mother's Day, Father's Day and summer entertaining.
Press into bottom and partially up sides of springform pan.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Cheesecake
Beat cream cheese at medium speed until light & fluffy.
Gradually beat in sugar then add eggs one at a time until incorporated.
Fold in sour cream, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla.
Fold in blueberries.
Pour mixture into almond crust.
Bake 40 minutes then turn oven off and leave in oven for an additional hour. DO NOT OPEN OVEN!
Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.
Run knife around sides to loosen then place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
If decorating, just prior to serving, top with blueberry pie filling, pipe whipped cream in dollops around top and place a thin half-slice of lemon, a sprig of mint and a blueberry on each dollop. Serve.
Notes
Cheesecake Tips
Always make sure your cream cheese is room temperature and soft. This will help make the creamiest cheesecake as it will mix better with the other ingredients.
Pro Tip: If your cream cheese is not soft enough when you are ready to start baking, cut into smaller squares, place on a plate, and heat in microwave for 15 seconds. Repeat if necessary.
Make sure to use a medium speed on your blender and blend until smooth. This will happen quickly if your cream cheese is soft. Overmixing adds air to the batter and can cause the cheesecake to crack as it rises too quickly then falls.
I think the most important tip is DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN! Opening the oven can change the temperature quickly and create drafts causing the cheesecake to fall in the center and crack. This rule applies not only to when it is baking but for the extra time in the oven after it finishes baking.
Overbaking can also ruin a good cheesecake and is one of the biggest culprits for large cracks in the top. Follow the guidelines for how long to bake and how long to leave in oven after baking. When you finally open the oven the cheesecake will have edges that are set and slightly pulled away from edge of pan with a center that is still a little jiggly.
Lastly, to prevent cracking, turn off the oven after the allotted baking time and leave the cheesecake in the oven for 1 hour. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN! This last step not only helps the cheesecake cool slowly, preventing cracks, but helps it to finish cooking as well.