Brownie-Bottom Lemon Cheesecake
3.8
(15)
Ingredients
Makes 10 to 12 servings
Crust:
Filling:
Topping:
Special Equipment:
For crust:
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray inside of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-to 3-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Whisk flour, cocoa, and salt in small bowl; set aside. Combine chocolate and butter in medium metal bowl; place bowl over saucepan of simmering water and stir until melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over water. Add both sugars to chocolate mixture and whisk until blended. Let cool until mixture is barely lukewarm, about 10 minutes. Whisk egg and vanilla into chocolate mixture. Fold flour mixture into chocolate mixture. Spread brownie batter evenly over bottom of prepared pan.
Step 2
Bake brownie crust until top looks slightly cracked and tester inserted into center comes out with some moist crumbs attached, about 20 minutes. Transfer pan to rack; cool crust to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Maintain oven temperature.
For filling:
Step 3
Place pan with cooled crust on rimmed baking sheet. Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar, flour, lemon peel, and lemon juice; beat until smooth. Add eggs and yolks, 1 at a time, beating just until incorporated after each addition. Beat in 1/2 cup sour cream and whipping cream. Pour filling over brownie crust in pan; smooth top.
Step 4
Bake cake until puffed, light golden, and set around edges (center will still move slightly when pan is gently shaken), about 1 hour 20 minutes. Remove cake from oven. Maintain oven temperature.
For topping:
Step 5
Spoon 1 cup sour cream in dollops over top of cake, then spread evenly over top with offset spatula. Return cake to oven and bake 5 minutes. Run small sharp knife around sides of cake to loosen. Place pan with cake directly in refrigerator and chill uncovered overnight (cake may sink in center). DO AHEAD:Can be made 2 days ahead.保持冷藏。
Step 6
Remove pan sides from cake. Run thin sharp knife between pan bottom and crust to loosen. Using 2 metal spatulas as aid, transfer cake to platter. Garnish top edge of cake with chocolate curls and lemon slices.
Leave a Review
Reviews (15)
Back to TopWas surprised this called for 5 bars of cream cheese...but I did use it, and, bumped up the lemon zest and sour cream in the mixture. Like other reviewers, I agree that there is way too much filling for the springpan. Panicked when the giant crevices became apparent, and even more shocked when the cake puffed up like a soufflé and then the sides fell off onto the bottom of my oven to burn. That being said, the cake was delicious and the brownie was surprisingly moist and good. I will not make this cake again as I had to clean the oven and pray that nothing caught fire. After putting the lemon slices on to cover up the most unattractive cheesecake I ever made, it didn't look half bad! Maybe a water bath would help with the cracking??
bulliemom
Ivoryton, CT
6/7/2016
I love this cheesecake and always get a request for the recipe. I do put parchment paper on the bottom because the brownie does stick to the pan even with greasing it. Also, I omit the sour cream topping and add melted chocolate stripes instead. Fantastic recipe!!
mjcullis
Austin, Texas
12/27/2013
I am the official baker for birthdays at my office. When I made this cheesecake, I had non-dessert eaters taking second helpings. Rave reviews! Everyone loved it. I don't always add the final layer and it still tastes delicious.
mjcullis
Austin, Tx
10/6/2010
I had high hopes for this recipe as I love the flavor of lemon and chocolate together, but what a disappointment. The lemon was very weak in the cheesecake. Also, I used an 11" pan and the filling was an inch out of the pan when I removed it from the oven. It would have been way to much filling for a 9-inch pan. Also, be careful not to overbake the brownie crust, it can get too hard to cut very quickly.
MaryCook1
Bay Area, CA
4/4/2010
Excellent taste, especially the next day. However, there is too much filling -- make only 3/4 or 1/2 of the recipe.
Anonymous
Monterey Hills, CA
2/28/2010
I must have done something wrong....but the cooking time wasn't sufficient for the cheesecake and although the brownie crust looked great when I took it out of the oven, when the cake was done it became super thin and impossible to scrape off the parchment paper (as other cookes advised). It was a mess - but it tasted good. Wouldn't make it again.
Anonymous
Israel
2/27/2010
Tastes great, however, brownie crust needs to bake much less. Bake it 20 min, and it turns out like a brick when the whole cheesecake is done. Also, I cooked it for not quite an hour, and that was more than enough time. And, I would use a 10" pan. Good ingredients- time needs adjusting.
Anonymous
Los Angeles, CA
12/14/2009
I made this cheesecake last night and had a piece today. Flavorwise, the brownie bottom tasted great, the sour cream topping went along great, even though I was skeptical, but the filling didn't have as strong of a lemon flavor as I was hoping. Things I would change are: Add more lemon. I increased the lemon peel and juice when I made it and it still didn't have as strong of a flavor as I was hoping. Line the pan with parchment paper, mine stuck. Use more sour cream for the topping, and make sure it covers it all (the top of my cheesecake burned slightly). But overall, presentation and flavpr was good.
bringupsomelove
Minneapolis
6/14/2009
Excellent!! My family & friends loved it. The texture is light & fluffy -- not dense. Thanks to all the wonderful reviewers on this site! I made the suggested modifications and made some of my own. Used choc crust recipe for Cappuccino-Fudge cheesecake on Epicurious. Increased lemon zest to 1 1/2 - 2 TBSP. Increased the sour cream for the topping to 1 1/2 Cups. I made a 9inch cheesecake and had leftover crumbs and batter to make 12 individual cupcake sized cheesecakes. Definitely a keeper and will make again!!
labreck
Arlington, MA
5/12/2009
After reading the other reviews I made some adjustments. I used boxed brownie to save time, using only half for the crust and cooking the other half for the kids. I also used parchment paper which worked well. I took it out of the frig before serving so cutting it was not a problem. It was a big hit and easy to make
Anonymous
Parkesburg, PA
5/10/2009
I made this for Easter dinner as well and I agree with a previous review and will use parchment paper under the crust. It didn't cut with the rest of the cake, but it was delicious when we ate it on its own after serving the cake. I too would add a bit more lemon juice or zest and more sour cream on top. Overall a good recipe!
ktunnell
san francisco bay area
4/15/2009
Also made this for Easter Dinner. The cake rose so high it browned on top.Amount of sour cream has to be increased. I was going to cut the top but found decorating with lemon all around the cake and chocolate in the middle was sufficient - great looking. I had checked the batter and found it a bit bland so increased lemon juice. The brownie bottom was a disaster when cutting at the table. Everything tasted great but the presentation was ruined. I'd substitute another bottom - maybe ginger snaps or chocolate cookie crumbs.
irenepudd
Mississauga Ontario, Canada
4/15/2009
I made this for Easter dessert and everyone raved about it. Make sure you use a pan with 3-inch sides. I filled it up to 1/4 inch from the top and still had about a cup of batter left over. I would also use a little more than 1 cup of sour cream next time for the topping; it thinned out a little too much.
GMRodgers
Medina, Ohio
4/12/2009
Made this for Easter Dinner with the in-laws, and everyone loved it. This makes a lot of cheesecake - my 2-1/2" pan was full to the top and I still had filling left over (3 cups!). I think going forward I would make the bottom twice and make 2 cheesecakes - or reduce the filling by @ 1/3. The cheesecake was delicious - light, lemony, and flavorful. But the brownie crust was very compressed by the large amount of filling, and difficult to cut, so I would put parchment on the bottom and line the pan next time. The brownie bottom was delicious & rich once you got it on the fork! I will make this again with modifications noted.
Anonymous
Milton, ON
4/12/2009
好的,所以它仍然是在烤箱,我没有9" spring form pan so I used the 10", thinking it would just be thin...it is billowing above the sides, but very pretty...light brown and almost done..stay tuned...
thais
manhattan beach, ca
4/12/2009
