Lemon Cheesecake

I am in desperate need of a piping bag!

I know, I know. I have been slacking in posting new entries lately that I am beginning to wonder if I still have readers. It has been a very busy week, but let me reassure you that I am back! (Yay!!!)

Today's offering is Lemon Cheesecake prepared by me and my mother-in-law. I (kinda) love baking, and she loves shopping for ingredients, so together we make a great team! ;-) But seriously, I love helping her in the kitchen whenever we come to visit them, and we would usually whip up a dessert or two for "the boys."

This Lemon Cheesecake is from the Betty Crocker 2011 calendar (month of April). I love that it was semi-homemade but still tasted so great. The "lemony" taste was so subtle yet delicious. 


What you need:

For the crust:
1 box Betty Crocker Super Moist yellow cake mix
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

For the filling:
2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3 containers (3.5 oz each) lemon pudding
1/2 cup sour cream
3 eggs
2 cups frozen (thawed) whipped topping


What to do: 

Preheat oven to 300°F. Spray bottom and side of a 10-inch round pan with baking spray, then dust with flour. Wrap foil around the outside of the pan to catch drips. Reserve 1/4 cup of the cake mix and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat remaining cake mix, butter and lemon peel with electric mixer on low speed until crumbly. Press in bottom and about half an inch up the sides of the pan.

In the same large bowl, beat reserved cake mix, the cream cheese, sugar, pudding, and sour cream on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until mixed. Pour over crust. 

Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 35 minutes or until edges are set but center of cheesecake jiggles slightly when moved. Turn oven off but open oven door at least 4 inches. Leave cheesecake in oven 30 minutes longer.

Remove cheesecake from oven and place on cooling rack. Run a butter knife around edge of the pan to loosen cheesecake. Cool in pan on cooling rack for 30 minutes. Cover loosely; refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Remove from pan before serving. Pipe or spoon whipped topping around outside edge of cake. Store in refrigerator.


Tips, Tricks and Tweaks: 

1. Use freshly grated lemon peel - it would give a stronger flavor. (Trust me, it would make a difference!)
2. You can totally skip the whipped topping if you don't like it.
3. Garnish with lemon peel strips.