Lemon Cheesecake
Baking and decorating a Robin’s Egg Cheesecake Cake is a fun and delicious way to celebrate spring!
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
Lemon Cheesecake
- 2 packages (16 ounces) cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon McCormick® Lemon Extract
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
Cake
- 1 box white cake mix, baked in two 8-inch circle cake pans, per package instructions
Buttercream
- 1 cup (2 sticks or 226g) butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 32 ounces confectioners' sugar, sifted
- 2 tablespoons whole milk, up to 1/2 cup
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon Color From Nature food coloring
Speckle Liquid
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sky blue Color From Nature food coloring
Instructions
Lemon Cheesecake
- Heat oven to 350°F.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon extract until well blended.
- Add eggs; mix just until blended.
- Pour into a prepared springform pan. (line with parchment and spray with non-stick spray)
- Bake 40 minutes or until the center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 3 hours or until firm.
Cake
- Follow package instructions to bake two 8-inch round cakes. Let the cakes cool before assembling.
Buttercream
- Beat butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).
- Add vanilla and almond extract. If frosting is too thick to spread, gradually beat in additional milk.
- With the mixer on low, slowly add in confectioners sugar , milk, and salt; frequently scrape sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Once incorporated, whip frosting for at least 3 minutes on medium-high to high. (My mixer went for about 5 minutes.)
- Add 1 teaspoon of Sky Blue Color From Nature®. You can add more or less to reach your desired color. Set aside.
Liquid Speckle
- Whisk together the water, cocoa, and teaspoon blue Color From Nature*. Whisk until smooth.
Assembling the Cheesecake Cake
- Place the first layer of white cake on a cake stand.
- Carefully place the lemon cheesecake directly on top.
- Set the final layer of white cake on top of the cheesecake.
- Cover cake in robin's blue buttercream and smooth with a small offset spatula. Go back with a bench scraper to get extra smooth sides and top.
Adding Speckle
- Place cake outside or on a table lined with newspaper.
- Dip a clean paintbrush into the cocoa water and then hold it in your left hand near the cake.
- With your pointer finger of your right hand, run your finger along the bristles of the paintbrush. (The first time you do this, try to be a little farther away just so you are able to gauge how much pressure you can use, how much liquid you need on your brush, and how close you need to be.) Do this all over the top and sides of the cake. If you get a big spot or an area you don't like, you can carefully dab a clean paper towel onto the cake and it will remove most of the brown and still blend in with the cake. (Another good reason to use the Sky Blue Color From Nature in the cocoa water!)
- When done, clean off the edge of the cake stand.
- Let chill before cutting and serving.