Lemon Squares
Dena Kleiman, Susan Mahnke Peery
2032 ratings with an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars
2,032
1 hour
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Place a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 10-inch springform pan and line with parchment paper, leaving 2 to 3 inches overhanging the top of the pan. (You can trace and cut a circle to fit the base and then cut a band of paper to fit neatly around the sides, but the more rustic and simple method is to press an entire sheet into the pan, pleating the paper where it begins to crease. If you use multiple sheets of parchment, grease in between the layers so that they stick and lay flat.)
In a large bowl using a handheld mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the sugar and cream cheese until smooth. (This can be done by hand as well; beat with a wooden spoon for about 5 minutes.)
Add the salt and mix. Add the eggs one by one and beat until fully incorporated. Beat in the cream. Sift in the flour, then mix it in on low.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until browned and almost burnt on top, 50 to 60 minutes. The center will still be quite jiggly. Remove the cake from the oven and cool completely on a rack. It will have risen significantly, nearly past the top of the pan, but it will sink in the center as it cools.
Before serving, remove the rim of the springform and gently tug away the parchment paper. Serve at room temperature.
Parchment paper tip: WET the parchment paper, wring it out, blot it dry. It will now be malleable and can easily be molded to fit your pan. No need to cut several pieces or use multiple layers.
I have the original recipe from La Vina restaurant in San Sebastian that was used as the inspiration for this recipe. No idea where I got it from but it uses a 6" pan (I use a Fat Daddio) and it's amazing. It's also super quick to make. It fits in our toaster oven. The big difference I noticed was that this recipe doesn't specify letting it sit in the fridge overnight, which helps to solidify the cake. I also make a quick graham cracker crust for it, as it sometimes leaks out the bottom.
Been doing these cheesecake for years and its much better if you undercook it, around 30 min in the oven and then keep it in the fridge overnight for perfect texture. Real deal like in La Viña de San Sebastián :)
Re. Resizing the recipe for an 8” pan, here are quantities that should work, converted to easy measurements: 1 1/4 cups sugar 3 2/3 packs cream cheese Scant 1/4 tsp salt 4 large eggs 1 1/2 cups heavy cream 22 1/2 Tbsp flour Hope this helps!
Another trick to make parchment paper pliable is to wrinkle it up into a tight ball so that it has lots of creases. It's equivalent to wetting and wringing it out, without having to dry it off.
This was bomb but I note that it makes 24 servings?! What kind of a magician can get a slice that thin out of a room-temp cheesecake?! What I’m saying is that I had a ~750-calorie slice of this cake and it was worth every bite.
here is a recipe resizer: https://www.webstaurantstore.com/recipe_resizer.html
I made this for the first time. The pleated parchment paper was better in theory than practice. Thanks to others for the tips offered here. I took the cheesecake to a potluck and the platter looked like it had been scavenged by hyenas.
Nothing better than this delight with a portion of cooked peppered strawberries and a dollop of creme fraiche.
Should it be refrigerated after making?
Cooked peppered strawberries...?!
In Northern Spain, I discovered that many cooks add a little blue cheese to the recipe. It tastes amazing!
An 8 inch pan is 64/100ths the size of a 10 inch, so reduce by a third.
For those asking for a smaller recipe, this one from King Arthur is wonderful. Have made it numerous times. https://pin.it/3P8mB2K
Has anyone made a smaller version of this in an 8 inch pan? Wondering how to reduce ingredients.
Holy Hannah, this is the simplest and most incredibly delicious cheesecake I’ve ever had. Wow. Simple, easy, and addictive.
5 packages of cream cheese Sift flour on to medium plate so you can pour it in the mixer
One of my very favorite dessert recipes
I have been making this cake for years. It always comes out perfect. My recipe has 7 eggs instead of 5 and the oven is 425. I add 2 tsp vanilla and the zest from 2 lemons. I have also served it with some cajeta and ginger caramel sauce. (OMG) It is a great cake to have in your repertoire.
If I could go this 6 stars I would. It. Is. So. Freaking. Good. Not overly sweet, somewhat savory, smoky, eggy, creamy -- DREAMY! Recipe indicates 12 servings but it can easily serve 18. Or maybe even more, if at the end of a dinner party where everyone is already stuffed.
2 lb cream cheese 2 c heavy cream 6 eggs 1.5 c sugar
300 g of sugar
Really loved this one! I wanted to make the top extra dark so popped the grill setting of my oven on for the last 5 mins and it worked perfectly. I accompanied it with some simmered blueberries and it was delicious.
Instead of cream cheese, try farmers cheese for an even lighter texture. I’m pretty sure the Basques aren’t using Philadelphia cream cheese.
I made this without a mixer, just by hand. I was concerned because there were little clumps of cream cheese throughout my batter. It came out ok though!
This turns out perfectly every time. I add 1 teaspoon vanilla. I make it gluten-free by using Bob’s Redmill one to one baking flour as a substitute for the wheat based flour.
Amazing. I made mine two days in advance for a dinner party. Made the recipe as is but added a little vanilla extract. Served it with a berry compote. Absolutely divine. A chef I follow on Instagram recently made one with Humboldt Fog cheese and I'm dying to try that!
Added 1t vanilla for flavor. Baked it in a silicone-ringed springform pan with a glass base — no greasing or parchment needed — on a cooling rack in a sheet pan. Came out beautifully after cooling and served it right off the base. One guest: “This is the best cheesecake I ever had in my life.” Mine, too.
Use less sugar
This was a pretty easy assembly and bake. It tasted great! I left out flour since one of our household is gluten intolerant. It was not m8ssed.
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