Lemon Curd Cheesecake Tart
Inspired by bees and honeycomb pattern I embellished my delicious Lemon Curd Cheesecake Tart with pretty glazed decorated cookies.
HOW TO MAKE LEMON CURD CHEESECAKE TART
My lemon curd cheesecake tart features nutty almond cookie crust, creamy cheesecake filling and tangy homemade lemon curd topping. Adorned with almond cookies decorated with a simple glaze this delicious tart will leave your guests wanting an extra slice.
- TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Almond Tart Shell and Lemon Curd
- Cookie Decorations
- Glaze for Cookie Decorating
- Paint with Edible Gold Paint
- No-Bake Cheesecake Filling
- Fill Almont Tart Shell
- Decorate Tart with Cookies
ALMOND TART SHELL AND LEMON CURD
To make an almond tart shell I used a variation of my delicious recipe for mini tarts shells. Follow my step by step instructions on how to make an Almond Tart Shell.
Both, tart shell and Lemon Curd can be prepared several days in advance. Lemon curd is especially delicious when allowed to rest for a day or 2. My homemade lemon curd recipe is super easy to make and I hope you’ll give it a try. You can use a store bought lemon curd if you are in a hurry.
HONEYCOMB COOKIE DECORATIONS
To decorate the top of the tart I created honeycomb pattern with cookies. I used hexagonal cookie cutter and a bee cutter to cut out shapes from the leftover almond tart cookie dough. This dough is wonderful to work with, bakes beautifully and tastes scrumptious.
Roll cookie dough to about 1/8inch thick, cut out shapes, (steps 1-3). Transfer them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, (steps 4-8).
Cut out middle from half of the hexagonal cookies. Bake cookie at 350F for about 7 minutes, (steps 4-5) Allow to cool completely before decorating, (step 6).
TIP : Cut out middle of hexagonal cookies only after you transfer unbaked cookies onto a baking sheet. Don’t move cookies once you cut out the middle, it can distort shape of the cookie.
GLAZE ICING FOR COOKIE DECORATING
- To decorate I used super simple glaze icing consisting of :
- Powdered sugar
- Water
- Corn syrup or Invert Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
Pour all the ingredients into a bowl an whisk to combine. Don’t add too much water all at once. I thinned glaze to about 10-15 second consistency.
What is 15 second consistency?
To achieve flood consistency add few drops of water to stiff icing, stir and gradually add more water until you reach 15 consistency icing. To test if your icing is the correct consistency run a spatula thru icing. Watch and count how long it takes for the separation line to disappear. It should take about 15 seconds.
COLOR GLAZE ICING WITH GEL FOOD COLORS
- Divide glaze into 3 small bowls and color each with gel color :
- Lemon Yellow with a touch of Orange
- Lemon Yellow
- Purple (use Regal Purple by Americolor Brand or blue and pink to make purple)
DECORATE COOKIES
Spread a thin layer of glaze onto cookies. Use both, lemon yellow and golden yellow glaze to ice hexagonal cookies, (steps 1-6).
Use food only paint brush to ice bee cookies with purple glaze. Allow icing to dry for 5 hours, (steps 1-5)
Let icing dry at room temperature.
PAINT COOKIES WITH EDIBLE GOLD PAINT
To pain metallic color onto cookies and icing I used Edible Art Cake Paint. You can also use gold luster dust mixer with alcohol.
Pour couple of drops of edible paint onto a wax paper. Dip food only paint brush into gold paint and paint the hexagonal cutouts, (steps 1-4).
I used the same gold paint to paint details onto bees’s wings.
TIP : Use a fine tip food only paint brush to paint the details on the wings.
CHOCOLATE LAYER
Brush back of the cookies with melted white chocolate. Place each cookie chocolate side down onto a wax paper and let chocolate harden, (steps 1-6).
Let me explain why I brushed back of the cookies with chocolate. When you place cookies onto lemon curd layer, moisture from the lemon curd will seep thru the cookies, possibly making cookies soggy. To help prevent this you can add a layer of chocolate on the back of the cookies. Let the chocolate harden. This layer of chocolate will act as a barrier between lemon curd and a cookie, not letting moisture affect the cookie as quickly.
Once chocolate hardens carefully remove cookies from the wax paper.
CREAM CHEESE FILLING
This no bake cheesecake filling is super easy to prepare. This filling doesn’t use eggs or any starch.
NO BAKE CHEESECAKE FILLING INGREDIENTS
- No-bake Cheesecake Filling :
- Cream Cheese
- Heavy Cream
- Powdered Sugar
- Yogurt or Sour Cream
- Vanilla Extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest – optional
This no-bake cheesecake filling consists of 2 mixtures: whipped cream and cheese filling.
In a clean bowl whip cold heavy cream until stiff peaks are formed. Set whipped cream aside.
To prepare cream cheese filling use original cream cheese, not fat free or low fat version. Beat room temperature cream cheese until smooth and then add powdered sugar, sour cream or plain yogurt and lastly beat in Vanilla Extract, (steps 1-8).
TIP : Use full fat cream cheese, not fat free or low fat alternatives.
To lighten plain cream cheese filling gradually fold whipped cream into cream cheese filling. Start small and gradually add more whipped cream and fold it into cream cheese filling, (steps 1-4). Fold in 1 tablespoon of lemon zest (optional).
FILL ALMOND TART SHELL
Spoon filling into the tart shell and spread it smooth with a spatula. Chill for 4 hours, (steps 1-3).
TIP : Though not necessary I keep my baked tart shell in the pan and I remove it shortly before serving.
LEMON CURD TOPPING
Now it’s the time to layer silky smooth lemon curd on top of the cheesecake layer.
Carefully spread and smooth about 1 cup and 1/2 cup of lemon curd over chilled cheesecake filling and allow to chill for additional 3-4 hours, (steps 1-8).
DECORATE LEMON CURD CHEESECAKE TART
Carefully arrange decorated hexagonal cookies and bees on top of the lemon curd layer.
TIP : Use some melted white chocolate to glue the bee cookies onto the honeycomb design.
This beautiful delicious tart can be prepared several days in advance, up to 3 days ahead. Store in the fridge until ready to serve.
CREATIVE TART IDEAS FOR YOU TRY
- Make Marbled Cheesecake Filling : swirl 2 tablespoon of lemon curd into the filling.
- Decorate Tart with fresh fruit : think raspberries or blueberries.
- Make Cheesecake filling with melted white chocolate : fold in 1/4 -1/3 cup melted and cooled white chocolate into the filling.
- Bake individual mini tarts using smaller tartlet molds.
- Make chocolate leaves decorations or other chocolate decorations to decorate the tart.
- Use creative fruit decorations.
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TO MAKE LEMON CURD CHEESECAKE TART YOU NEED
- RECIPES
- Almond Tart Shell
- Lemon Curd
- TOOLS
- Get all the Tart Making Tools in my Amazon Shop
- 9 inch to 10 inch Tart Pan with a removable bottom
- Hexagonal Cookie Cutters
- Bee Cookie Cutter
- Food Only Paint Brush
- Edible Art Gold Paint or Gold Luster Dust
- Food Gel Colors : Lemon Yellow, Orange, Purple ( I have been happy with Regal Purple from Americolor Brand, or I often also use sky blue and pink to make purple)
- Hand Held Mixer
- Mixing Bowls
- Spatula
- Wax Paper
MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES
- Raspberry Curd
- Succulent Wreath Cake
- Raspberry Mousse Dream Catcher Tart
- Hot Chocolate Bombs
- Lemon Meringue Cheesecake
- Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix
Lemon Curd Cheesecake Tart
Ingredients
LEMON CURD CHEESECAKE TART
- 1 baked 9 to 10 inch Almond Tart Shell, and leftover cookie dough to make cookie decorations/honey comb pattern and bees cookies
- 1 batch of Lemon Curd
Cheesecake Filling
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 3/4 pkg full fat cream cheese
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup Sour Cream or plain Greek Yogurt
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 tbsp lemon zest (optional)
Glaze Icing for Cookie Decorating
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp corn syrup
- 1-2 tbsp water, room temperature
- 1/8 tsp Vanilla Extract
Chocolate Cookie Layer
- 1/4 cup white chocolate, melted
Instructions
LEMON CURD CHEESECAKE TART
Cheesecake Filling
- Beat cold heavy cream ( 3/4 cup) in a clean bowl until stiff peaks are formed. Set aside.
- In another bowl cream room temperature full fat cream cheese ( 1package and 3/4 package) until smooth, about a minute or 2. Then add powdered sugar (1 cup ). Then beat in sour cream or plain Greek Yogurt ( 1/4 cup) and Vanilla Extract (1 tsp).
- Now gradually fold whipped cream into the cream cheese filling. Start with just a small amount of whipped cream and then gradually rest of it into the cheese filling. Add lemon zest , if using.
- Spoon no-bake cheesecake filling into a baked and cooled almond tart shell. Smooth the filling with a spatula. Loosely cover tart with a food wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours. Then spread lemon curd ( 1cup and 1/2 cup over the cheesecake filling). Refrigerate again for 3-4 hours, best to leave it overnight.
Glaze Icing for Cookie Decorating
- Prepare glaze icing. In a bowl whisk together powdered sugar (1 cup), corn syrup (1 teaspoon ), Vanilla Extract (1/8 teaspoon) and tap room temperature water ( up to1 to 2 tablespoons.) Whisk till smooth and about 10 second consistency.
- Divide glaze into 3 small bowls, color glaze with yellow lemon, yellow lemon and little bit of orange and purple gel food coloring.
Decorate Cookies with Glaze Icing and Edible Gold Paint
- Follow instruction included in the blog post on how to decorate cookies with glaze and gold edible paint.
Decorate Lemon Curd Cheese Cake Tart
- Before you decorate curd with cookies, spread little bit of white melted chocolate on the back of the cookies. Place cookies chocolate side down onto the wax paper. Allow chocolate to harden. Then peel off parchment from the cookies. Decorate top lemon curd layer with hexagonal cookies and bees. Use melted chocolate to glue bee cookies onto the hexagonal cookie pattern.
Notes
- Can I use store bought Lemon Curd? – Yes, you can.
Did you make this recipe? Tag @hanielas on Instagram and hashtag it #hanielas
This looks amazing! My favorite ( lemons curd) AND cheesecake! The wings are so beautiful on those little bees. Very pretty dessert!
Thank you so much June. It really was so delicious!