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Passover Lemon Cheesecake

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Ingredients

For cheesecake crush

  • 3/4 cup blanched almonds, toasted and cooled
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 2/3 cup matzo cake meal
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 8 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

For filling

  • 3 8 oz packages cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 tsp grated lemon zest
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract or 1 package vanilla sugar

Instructions

For the crust

  • Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • Pulse almonds, sugar, matzo cake meal, and salt in a food processor until finely ground.
  • Transfer to a bowl and stir in butter until combined well.
  • Press the dough onto bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a springform pan.
  • Bake until crust is firm, 12 to 15 minutes. Check at 12 minutes to see if it has become slightly darker; if not, continue baking another 3 minutes.
  • Place the pan on a rack and allow the crust to cool completely.

For the filling

  • Reduce oven temperature to 300°F.
  • Beat together cream cheese and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Reduce speed to low and add eggs 1 at a time, mixing until incorporated.
  • Mix in zest and vanilla.
  • Put the springform pan into a shallow baking pan. Pour the filling into the cooled crust.
  • Bake until the filling is set but the center is wobbly, around 45 to 50 minutes. The filling will continue to set as it cools.
  • Place the pan on a rack and immediately run a knife around the edge of the cake, then remove the side of the pan. Cool the cake completely, 2 to 3 hours.
  • Refrigerate when cool.