Lemon Juice In Cheesecake | Ask Nigella.com (2024)

Our answer

Nigella's White Chocolate Cheesecake (from AT MY TABLE) is rich but not cloying. This is partially due to the light, almost mousse-like, texture and partly due to the sweetness of the chocolate being tempered by other ingredients.

Cream cheese is itself slightly acidic and this will help to offset the sweetness of the chocolate. Also the cheesecake has no extra sugar added so the white chocolate is the only ingredient providing sweetness, slightly enhanced by the vanilla extract. Nigella found that adding just 1 teaspoon of lemon juice gave the right balance. You could add a few drops extra if you wish but be careful as too much acid could start to curdle the other ingredients. If you wanted something sharp to act as a foil then you could always serve the cheesecake with a sauce made from slightly sharp berries, such as raspberries or blackberries.