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Lemon meringue cheesecake — one of Costco’s latest addition to their bakery dessert roster — is a powerhouse of a hybrid dessert. Upon its immediate release, the internet fully rejoiced over the resplendent, nearly four-pound dessert.
Just the premise of a lemon meringue cheesecake is exciting, given that people love both treats with fierce devotion. Costco’s bakery always follows through on their promise of delivering gigantic desserts with a cool price tag — and this cake was no exception. In addition to its hefty weight, it is also 10 inches wide, which is enough to feed a crowd without breaking a sweat.
Armed with cheeky promises that supplies of this seasonal treat would not last, I did what anyone in my situation would do: Procured one, studied it, and developed a recipe so I could enjoy it any time the mood struck.
In this process, I learned a few things. I can tell you that both cheesecake and lemon meringue pie have roots in nineteenth-century Philadelphia, but you probably wouldn’t be interested. I could tell you that as I carried my coveted cake home, the top disc of meringue wobbled strangely as if it wanted to detach and form its own nation, but I imagine that wouldn’t interest you either.
What you are surely dying to know is what all the fuss is about, what each layer contains, and what it tastes like. Let’s break it down.
What’s in a Costco Lemon Meringue Cheesecake?
At the dessert’s base sits a toasty graham cracker crust. On top of that, there’s a layer of dense, New York-style cheesecake that’s thick enough to hold a fork upright.
How to Make the Costco Lemon Meringue Cheesecake
Recreating this marvel was no easy feat. I worked my way from the bottom up, ensuring that my crust was crisp and that my cheesecake was thick yet creamy. The lemon filling clearly needed to stay put, and it should be custard-like, as a true ode to the lemon layer in a classic lemon meringue pie. It also needed to taste distinctly lemony and bright, to contrast the sweet meringue and cheesecake filling.
Finally, in recreating the meringue, I knew I needed to go the route of a Swiss meringue, ensuring that it was stable enough to last several days in the refrigerator, and adhere to the lemon filling without weeping. Any moisture between any of the layers would cause them to slide apart, which was my only issue with the Costco version.
The final recipe that I’ve created is as true an homage as possible (and possibly better?). So go forth and bake! This treat is a true crowd-pleaser, and I can’t wait for you all to make it for yourselves.