Lemon Souffle Cheesecake
With less than 5 ingredients, this dreamy light lemon souffle cheesecake is the perfect treat to welcome long-awaited spring!
You guys love this 3-ingredient soufflé cheesecake. It’s one of the top most popular recipes on the blog, just take a look at the list on the sidebar. And rightly so, because it’s simple, light as air and so, so delicious. Also you just need 3 ingredients. And no, white chocolate isn’t one of them!
Anyway, I decided to add another simple ingredient into the mix for a fun, spring-y/summer-y feel. Nothing screams spring like lemon, yes? ???? ????
I love all things lemon when weather gets nice. Lemonade, lemon cake, lemon cheesecake bars, lemon curd… Oh my gosh, a big, loud YES to lemon curd. Have you tried this homemade version?? It’s the best stuff in the world (after chocolate, of course!). And today we’re adding this lemon soufflé cheesecake into the mix. I hope you love lemon as much as I do.
As mentioned above, you don’t need much for this cheesecake.
I’m sure you’ve seen 3-ingredient souffle cheesecake on the internet, and most of them are made with melted white chocolate. Not this one though. We’re using sweetened condensed milk. It’s a staple in my pantry. And I have an unhealthy obsession with it. Always have! Can you keep a secret? Just as any peanut-butter-lover digging into peanut butter jar in the middle of the night, you can catch me with a can of sweetened condensed milk and a spoon in front of an open fridge any time of the day! I’m blushing as I type this, but it’s sooooo good!
Alright enough with confessions, let’s get back to the cheesecake. You know what’s great about using sweetened condensed milk? No hassle with a double boiler, or worse, working with temperamental white chocolate! I hate melting white chocolate, probably because I’ve seized way too much white chocolate in the past! Besides, sweetened condensed milk is just as sweet and creamy.
Ok, let’s make the cheesecake now! Open your fridge and grab some eggs and cream cheese.✔️ Now get a can of sweetened condensed milk from the pantry.✔️ And I’m sure you have a plump and juicy lemon laying around on your counter, yeah?✔️ Great!
This is a souffle cheesecake we’re making, which means we need to incorporate ton of air into the batter. And for that we need to do two things:
- Beat the cream cheese until nice and fluffy, for good 2 minutes. Use softened brick of cream cheese, not the stuff in a tub (Philadelphia is my go-to brand, read this to learn why.) Bringing cream cheese to room temperature is important for a smooth and fluffy batter. Next, we’ll add condensed milk, yolks along with lemon zest and juice and continue to beat for a few minutes. Batter #1 is ready!
- Whip the egg whites until hard peaks form. The key is to use grease-free, preferably stainless steel bowl and utensils. Also be careful not to include even the smallest drop of egg yolk in the whites. It’s crucial, otherwise you’ll never get to that hard peak stage. That cloud-like fluffy mixture is what creates the signature soufflé texture in our cheesecake!
Now very carefully fold the 2 mixture until completely combined, being mindful not to deflate the batter too much. Remember, we need all that air in the batter for tall and fluffy soufflé cheesecake. We’ll bake it low and slow with a water bath in the oven.
Oh, by the way, this cheesecake will rise during baking, but it does go back down to its original height while cooling. So don’t be alarmed. If you use larger than 8-inch pan, your cheesecake won’t be as tall as mine.
And there you have it. Super fluffy, soft and lemon-y cheesecake ready for you to devour!
No matter how full I’m after dinner, I always find room for this creamy deliciousness. And you’ll too, I just know it!
Hope you enjoyed today’s recipe. Thanks so much for stopping by!
Lemon Souffle Cheesecake
With less than 5 ingredients, this dreamy light lemon souffle cheesecake is the perfect treat to welcome long-awaited spring!
Yield: 6-8 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 lemon
- 5 large eggs, at room temperature
- 8oz (225gr) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 14oz (400gr) sweetened condensed milk
- Powdered sugar for dusting, optional
Helpful Equipment:
• 8″ Round Springform Pan
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). You will need at least 2.5-in (6cm) deep 8-in (20sm) springform pan. Cut 3.5-inch (9cm)-wide long strip and 8-inch (20cm) round circle of parchment paper. Line the sides and the bottom of the springform pan with the prepared parchment paper. Set aside.
- Zest and juice the lemon. You should get about 1 teaspoon of lemon zest and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.
- Separate the egg whites and yolks. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl with paddle attachment, or using a handheld electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minute. Add condensed milk and beat for another minute. Then add the egg yolks and lemon zest with lemon juice. Continue to beat until well combined, 2-3 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until hard peaks form. Make sure the bowl and the beaters are squeaky clean and free of grease. (Tip: Egg whites at room temperature are easier to beat and reach hard peaks faster.)
- Fold in half of the whipped egg whites into the cream cheese mixture. Then add the remaining egg whites and gently fold until well-combined and no white streaks are visible.
- Transfer the batter into the prepared pan and tap on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles. Place an empty baking sheet on lower rack of the oven and pour about 2 cups of boiling water. Put the cake pan on the middle rack above the rack with water bath. Bake for 45 minutes.
- Turn off the oven and cool the cake in the oven for 30-40 minutes. Remove the sides of the springform pan and gently peel off the parchment paper from the sides. Cool completely on the counter, then refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Before serving, when the cake is chilled and set, gently remove the parchment paper from the bottom and place the cake on a platter. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired. Store the cake in the fridge, covered, for up to 3 days.
For step-by-step photos and additional notes, read the post above.
Adapted from 3-ingredient soufflé cheesecake.
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I tried it. Followed the recipe and it turned out awesome. Great taste, I added extra zest just in case. Texture wise it came out a bit less fluffier than the photo. Did not use sugar but wonder if it would be good to add a citric jam on the side instead. Martin
Hi, Martin. So happy you tried and enjoyed the recipe. I appreciate your feedback! I think citric jam would be a great addition. And if you thin it and drizzle it over, it’d be even better.
Are there any alterations for high altitude? I’ve made it before, at sea level and it came out beautifully. Recently moved to Manitou in Colorado and live above 6000 feet now.
Hi, Jessica. Thank you so much for your feedback. So glad you liked the cheesecake.
Unfortunately, I’m not familiar with high altitude baking, so I can’t give a good advice. But I just found this article with great information: https://www.bettycrocker.com/how-to/tipslibrary/baking-tips/baking-cooking-high-altitudes. I’d suggest the recipe as is, and then adjust from there if you run into any issues.
Thanks for sharing! Does it freeze well?
Hi, Vanessa. I wouldn’t recommend freezing this cake.
This looks so good! I love that the ingredient list is so simple! Can the lemon be switched for another citrus?
Absolutely. You can use any kind of flavoring! Let me know what variation you try, if you do, Suzanne.
Mine was a disaster. Rose up in the oven and looked good but got flatter and flatter as it cooled. Wont be making that again!
Hi, Yvonne. What size pan did you use? This cake doesn’t actually stay tall, and it’s totally normal for it to fall back to its original height. If you used the correct size pan (8-inch pan), then your cake should have been still pretty tall. But I really hope you at least enjoyed the flavors. Thank you for your feedback.
Hi, what is the texture supposed to be like? Is it suppose to be like a very very moist souffle? That’s what mine was…. I feel it may have been underbaked….
Hi, Trinh. It sounds like yours was a little underbaked. The texture should be firm and custurd-y on the bottom and light and fluffy on the top.
You mentioned to refrigerate it etc.. would it be better to serve right from the oven without refrigeration?
I highly recommend to refrigerate the cheesecake for at least couple of hours, or overnight. Some people report that it’s eggy when served without refrigeration.
I just baked this. The top is not brown like yours. Is my temp too low? Also when u say let cake cool in oven, do you open the door ajar slightly or closed? Thanks.
Hi, Helen! It maybe a bit too late, but yeah, it sounds like your oven temp is a bit low. You may have needed to bake longer. When I cool the cheesecake, I don’t leave the oven door ajar. I keep it closed. Hope your cheesecake turned out. Let me know how you liked it. Thanks for trying my recipe.
Shinee have you ever tried making this in individual soufle cups? I’m wondering how this may turn out that way.
No, I’ve never tried that, Janel. Now I’m curious myself. Let me know if you try it that way.
Hi Shinee, I made this cake today and it tasted great! However, my cake came out looking like it’s got two layers: the top half is light and fluffy, like yours in the pictures, while the bottom half has the texture of a custard cake. Any ideas on what I did wrong? I would love to give it another go. Thanks
Hi, Vicki! So glad you tried this. Actually what you’ve described is normal. While the bottom half of my cheesecake isn’t really custard-like, you can definitely notice the difference in texture. I’d describe the bottom a little denser and more like cheesecake. Not sure what exactly causes it though.
Can i use a regular 8 inch baking pan? Making it tonight!
Hi, Julia! Sorry for late response. I’ve never made this in 8-inch baking pan, but I don’t see any problem with that. As long as it’s at least 2.5 inches deep, you should be good. Let me know how it turned out.
This looks so yummy! I’m going to make it this weekend. Could I double the recipe and put it in a 12 in. pan?
Hi, Wendy. I think you can, but I can’t be 100% sure, as I haven’t tested it that way. You might need to adjust the baking time. Hope you enjoy it.
Did this yesterday, it did not rise but it still taste good! Any opinion why didn’t it rise?
Hi, Rallyn! So glad you made it. This cheesecake may rise during baking, but it doesn’t stay. It goes back to its original heigh during baking. So you didn’t do anything wrong. Hope you enjoyed it!
I followed this recipe exactly and in the end I was very disappointed. Unfortunately, it looks better than it tasted.
Too many eggs! It tasted like eggs…I wanted a cheesecake not a frittata!
Hi, Ashley! I’m sorry to hear it didn’t meet your expectations. My family and I didn’t find the cheesecake to be egg-y, and I use rich, farm eggs too. But I understand everyone has different taste buds. Thanks for giving your feedback though.
Love this recipe. It looks so pretty, Shinee.
Thanks, Barbara!
Hi, I couldn’t wait to make this cake! I must have done something wrong because it cracked on the top. I’m sure it will be good, though:)
Hi, Nancy! So glad you tried the recipe, and hope you enjoyed it! As for the crack, it’s ok. I get those too. Usually sudden temperature change causes it.
Oh my goodness this looks sinfully delicious, I especially love your photography! Totally pinning, have a great day xo
I liked your recipe so much, I commented twice hahahaha!
Thank you, Jess!
Just out of curiosity, would the recipe need to be altered if adding a graham cracker crust? That’s my family’s favorite part of a cheesecake, but I’d rather not risk the beauty and buoyancy of the cake for it if it wouldn’t bake right!
Hi, Olivia! I wouldn’t suggest adding a crust. It won’t bake properly. Hope you and you family enjoy it. 🙂
I’ll take a plate of this stat please and thank you! Looks so yummy, totally pinning! Have a great day xo
Thanks, Jess!
I just made my first souffle last week and now I am dying to try my hand at more and this looks like the perfect recipe for my next one. I have family coming over for dinner on friday so I think this is going to be dessert 🙂
Yay, how exciting! I bet that souffle was amazing! Hope you give this cheesecake a try, Julie!
This just went to the top of my “to bake” list! Can’t wait to try it! Thanks!
–G
gingerwroot.com
Let me know how it turns out, Ginger! Thanks for stopping by!
I am making this today! I am so excited I just happen to have everything I need, including a brick of cream cheese that needs to be used up soon! Thank you 🙂
Yay, hope you’ll enjoy it as much as we do, Kati! Let me know how it turns out. 🙂
Saw this on FoodGawker this morning (?) or maybe it was Pinterest… eep. I’ve been around the block this morning! Lol. I just HAD to come on by and see what creamy lemony goodness you dreamed up!
That’s an interesting point you make about cream cheese and different brands. I never actually thought about that. Guess I’ll be springing for the name brand in future.
This cheesecake looks like something I could make and hide from my family and eat entirely on my own, in the closet (can you tell I have kids?!)
Very nice, Shinee!
Thanks so much, Kylee! I learned about the difference in quality of cream cheeses the hard way. 🙁 And I’d totally agree with you on eating the cake by yourself! Luckily my son is too small to understand sweets! But good luck hiding it from your kids. Hehe
This looks awesome…and so easy. Pinning for Easter. Visiting from Work It Wednesday.
Thank you, Victoria!
My kind of desert! Yum!
Amalia
xo
Thanks. Amalia!
This looks incredible! I can imagine throwing together as an easy dessert for a summer get together. I would never have thought about using sweetened condensed milk either. Thanks for the tip.
It’s a wonderful crowd-pleaser, Natalie! Thanks for stopping by.
Looks and sounds delicious!
Thanks!!
What a special special dessert! Thanks so much for sharing with us at Weekend Potluck.
You’re welcome! Thanks for stopping by!
This looks SO delicious! And not nearly as intimidating as I would have thought!
Thank you, Margan!
This looks delicious. Can’t wait to try it, thanks for sharing.
Thank you!
Yum! This souffle cheesecake looks SO light, fluffy and delicious. I never have tried a cheesecake like this before – and with only five ingredients, I think I need to Xx
Oh yeah, you do, Thalia! It’s really good. Thanks for stopping by!
This looks divine!! Pinning so I can give it a try!
Thanks, McKenzie! Hope you enjoy it, if you give it a go!
This looks so delicious Shinee!!! What a perfect Spring dessert – Beautiful!
Right? Great for Spring! Thanks, Erin!
Shinee, this looks like the lightest, fluffiest, cheesecake ever!! LOVE it!!
It is indeed, Kristen! So good! 🙂 Thanks, Kristen!