A luscious lavender lemon curd cheesecake, where the creamy richness of the cheesecake filling dances with the bright citrus tang of lemon curd, while the subtle floral notes of lavender add a touch of whimsy to your celebration. All are perfectly content on honey graham cracker crust.

It feels so good to finally get some recipe ideas out of my head and into the world. Lavender lemon cheesecake has been on my "frolic to do list" since I started the blog, because it just seems so right to mix the elevated flair or lavender with a luxurious dessert like cheesecake. I decided to make and enjoy this cake for my birthday this year!

I never fuss with a water bath when making cheesecake. The lemon curd topping covers it, hiding any cracks (if there are any), and I just have found our cheesecakes turn out so well without them. Blame the non-perfectionist in me, who cares about flavors and ease more than a few cracks. They certainly won't stop me from enjoying this lavender lemon cheesecake!

Table of Contents

Ingredients in this cheesecake:

Cream Cheese– make sure you're using softened, room-temperature cream cheese. I always pull mine out of the fridge the morning I plan to bake. Room temperature ingredients are imperative in a cheesecake so plan ahead.
Granulated Sugar- the sweetening agent in this cheesecake. Do not replace with honey or a liquid sweetner as it's also needed for the texture.
Dried lavender buds—I used dried organic (food-grade) lavender buds to make lavender sugar for the cake and the lavender lemon curd topping.
Lemons - lemon zest and fresh lemon juice add the best, bright lemon flavor to the cheesecake and for the lemon curd.
Butter– used in the crust.
Vanilla Extract – always add vanilla to our baked goods! I actually use my homemade lavender vanilla extract here.
Eggs and egg yolks– make sure they are at room temperature before starting. Egg yolks are for your lemon curd. Reserve your whites for an omlette or macaroons.
Honey Graham Crackers- used to make the delectable crust
Salt - ½ teaspoon salt, unless you're using salted butter. I use them interchangeably, to be honest!

Step by step on how to make it:

There are three steps to making this cheesecake.

Make the crust
Make the cheesecake filling
Make the lemon curd topping

Start with the crust:

Ingredients in cheesecake crust:

1 14 oz sleeve of graham crackers or similar light-colored cookies ( I've also used digestive biscuits ) 200 grams
4 tablespoons 57g butter, melted

Instructions for making the crust:

Preheat oven to 350 F or 176 C and lightly grease a 9" springform cheesecake pan.
Add your full sleeve of graham crackers into a food processor and grind them up. These are the graham crackers we used, but any will work! If you don’t have a food processor, crush the graham crackers in a plastic bag, but just be sure to get things nice and crushed. You want them to be finely processed.
Add the melted butter, processing briefly or stirring until the mixture is evenly crumbly. It should be the consistency of wet sand. Press the moist crumbs into the bottom and partway up the sides of the prepared pan. Place the pan on a baking sheet, to catch any potential butter drips.
Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and set it aside as you make the filling.

Make your lavender lemon cheesecake filling:

Ingredients in lavender lemon cheesecake:

32 ounces cream cheese, 4 standard 8 oz blocks, 907 grams
1 cup sugar (200 grams)
4 eggs
1 tablespoon dried organic lavender buds
2 tablespoons lemon zest (zest of two lemons)
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (juice of one lemon)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
Lemon slices for garnish

Instructions for making the cheesecake:

Create your lavender lemon sugar by finely grinding dried organic lavender buds with your lemon zest into your sugar. Do this in a food processor, spice grinder, or mortar and pestle.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, vanilla and lavender lemon sugar at low speed, until thoroughly combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, and beat briefly, just until smooth.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating to combine after each one.
Pour the batter atop the crust in the pan. Place the pan on a baking sheet, making it easier to safely get the cake in and out of the oven.
Bake the cake for 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the cake 1" from the outside edge comes out clean. A digital thermometer, inserted at the same point, should read 175°F. The center may not look set; that's normal!
Turn off the oven, crack the door open several inches, and allow the cake to cool in the oven for 1 hour. Remove the cake from the oven and set it on a rack to finish cooling. When it's completely cool, cover the cake and refrigerate it until ready to serve. You’ll want to refrigerate for at least 6 hours before removing it from the springform pan, slicing, and serving. Otherwise, it won't set properly.

Make your lemon curd at any point while you are waiting for your cheesecake to set (it will need one hour to set)

Notes:

Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature – this is particularly important for the cream cheese and eggs!
Turn off the oven while the cheesecake is still wobbly in the middle. For this cheesecake, this is around the 50 minute mark. The remaining heat of the oven will fully set the cheesecake without over-baking it.
Finally, you’ll want to be sure you chill your cheesecake in the pan until it’s at room temperature, and then refrigerate for at least 6 hours in the fridge before removing from springform pan, slicing and serving. Otherwise it’ll won't set properly.

lemon lavender cheeecake overhead scaled

Make your lavender lemon curd:

Ingredients in lavender lemon curd:

½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (118 ml) sieved
3 large eggs - yolks only
1 tablespoon dried organic lavender buds
½ cup sugar (100 grams)
⅓ cup unsalted butter at room temperature (76 grams)
2 tablespoons lemon zest
¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions for making lavender lemon curd:

Create your lavender lemon sugar by finely grinding dried organic lavender buds with your lemon zest into your sugar. Does this in a food processor, spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
Mix your lemon juice, egg yolks, salt, and freshly ground lavender lemon sugar until well combined.
Pour mixture into a double boiler or heatproof bowl.
Place bowl over simmering (not boiling) water in a medium-size pan. You don't want the bowl to touch the water, because it's imperative you don't over heat your eggs and scramble them.
Once your water is simmering, reduce heat immediately. You do not want to overcook your eggs.
Stir continuously to ensure eggs are not overheating.
Continue mixing for 10 minutes, adding your butter until completely incorporated.
The mixture may still not look as thick as you expect lemon curd to be right at the ten-minute mark, but it will continue to thicken up nicely as it cools!
Pour over your lemon lavender cheesecake and let it set, at least one hour.

NOTES:

This is a recipe you don't want to walk away from. Stay close and stir consistently as directed in the recipe. Do not make lemon curd over direct heat. Meaning you need to make the glass bowl double boiler or use one that you already have. Do not make lemon curd in a metal bowl. The acidity will react to it and your lemon curd will taste metallic. If you have a silicone whisk, use that to whisk your lemon curd regularly instead of a metal one.

Frequently asked questions:

How long do cheesecakes last?

If you tightly wrap the cheesecake in plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container, it will last up to 3 days in the fridge

Can you freeze cheesecake after it's baked?

Yes you can, here is how we freeze cheesecake to ensure it's just as tasty as when we put it in the freezer

Let the cheesecake cool and set completely.
Remove it from the springform pan and place it in the freezer for one hour.
After one hour, wrap it tightly in plastic cling wrap
Place the wrap in aluminum foil or a bag, dated.

photo of lavender lemon cheesecake on wooden cake stand next to pink roses and in front of pink candles

Lavender Lemon Curd Cheesecake

5 from 3 votes

Print Recipe

Prep Time:20

Cook Time:1

Setting time:6

Total Time:7 20

Ingredients

1 14 oz sleeve of graham crackers or similar light-colored cookies 200 grams
4 tablespoons 57g butter melted
32 ounces cream cheese 4 standard 8 oz blocks, 907 grams
1 cup sugar 200 grams
4 eggs
1 tablespoon dried organic lavender buds
2 tablespoons lemon zest zest of two lemons
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice juice of one lemon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
Lemon slices for garnish
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 118 ml sieved
3 large eggs - yolks only
1 tablespoon dried organic lavender buds
½ cup sugar 100 grams
⅓ cup unsalted butter at room temperature 76 grams
2 tablespoons lemon zest
¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Honey Graham Cracker Cheesecake Crust:

Preheat oven to 350 F or 176 C and lightly grease a 9" springform cheesecake pan.
Add your full sleeve of graham crackers into a food processor and grind them up. These are the graham crackers we used, but any will work! If you don’t have a food processor, crush the graham crackers in a plastic bag, but just be sure to get things nice and crushed. You want them to be finely processed.
Add the melted butter, processing briefly or stirring until the mixture is evenly crumbly. It should be the consistency of wet sand. Press the moist crumbs into the bottom and partway up the sides of the prepared pan. Place the pan on a baking sheet, to catch any potential butter drips.
Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and set it aside as you make the filling.

Lavender Lemon Cheesecake Filling:

Create your lavender lemon sugar by finely grinding dried organic lavender buds with your lemon zest into your sugar. Do this in a food processor, spice grinder, or mortar and pestle.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, vanilla and lavender lemon sugar at low speed, until thoroughly combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, and beat briefly, just until smooth.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating to combine after each one.
Pour the batter atop the crust in the pan. Place the pan on a baking sheet, making it easier to safely get the cake in and out of the oven.
Bake the cake for 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the cake 1" from the outside edge comes out clean. A digital thermometer, inserted at the same point, should read 175°F. The center may not look set; that's normal!
Turn off the oven, crack the door open several inches, and allow the cake to cool in the oven for 1 hour. Remove the cake from the oven and set it on a rack to finish cooling. When it's completely cool, cover the cake and refrigerate it until ready to serve. You’ll want to refrigerate for at least 6 hours before removing it from the springform pan, slicing, and serving. Otherwise, it won't set properly.

Lavender Lemon Curd

Create your lavender lemon sugar by finely grinding dried organic lavender buds with your lemon zest into your sugar. Does this in a food processor, spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
Mix your lemon juice, egg yolks, salt, and freshly ground lavender lemon sugar until well combined.
Pour mixture into a double boiler or heatproof bowl.
Place bowl over simmering (not boiling) water in a medium-size pan. You don't want the bowl to touch the water, because it's imperative you don't over heat your eggs and scramble them.
Once your water is simmering, reduce heat immediately. You do not want to overcook your eggs.
Stir continuously to ensure eggs are not overheating.
Continue mixing for 10 minutes, adding your butter until completely incorporated.
The mixture may still not look as thick as you expect lemon curd to be right at the ten-minute mark, but it will continue to thicken up nicely as it cools!
Pour over your lemon lavender cheesecake and let it set, at least one hour.

Notes

Cheesecake filling notes:

Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature – this is particularly important for the cream cheese and eggs.

Turn off the oven while the cheesecake is still wobbly in the middle. For this cheesecake, this is around the 50 minute mark. The remaining heat of the oven will fully set the cheesecake without over-baking it.

Finally, you’ll want to be sure you chill your cheesecake in the pan until it’s at room temperature, and then refrigerate for at least 6 hours in the fridge before removing from springform pan, slicing and serving. Otherwise it’ll won't set properly.

Lemon curd notes:

This is a recipe you don't want to walk away from. Stay close and stir consistently as directed in the recipe.
Do not make lemon curd over direct heat. This means you need to make the glass bowl double boiler or use one that you already have.

Do not make lemon curd in a metal bowl. The acidity will react to it, and your lemon curd will taste metallic. If you have a silicone whisk, use that to whisk your lemon curd regularly instead of a metal one.

Nutrition

Course: Cake & cupcakes

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy lavender lemon cake, lavender lemon cheesecake, lavender lemon curd, summer cheesecake

Servings: slices

Calories: 363kcal

Author: sarah

Lavender Lemon Curd Cheesecake

Ingredients in this cheesecake:

Step by step on how to make it: