Cheesecake ingredient question

[Cheesecakelady]

Hi everyone,

I have a cheesecake recipe web site and I just had someone ask me a question that I don't know the answer to. She wants to know why a lot of plain cheesecake recipes call for lemon juice in the recipe.

I know lemon juice is frequently used and I have been doing searches to find a good answer for why but so far I haven't come up with a satisfactory one. Does anyone know the real reason it is frequently added?

Thanks for your help!

Cheesecakelady

[The Ironic Chef]

I always thought it was added as a tartness of an acid to the cream cheese. I know that now with the fancy zesters it's more popular to add lemon or orange zest now. Cream cheese with just eggs and sugar doesn't really have a zip to it. Even if I make a quick cheese cake, using cream cheese and whipped cream and sugar, I also add lemon or lime juice just to give it that tartness.

[Cheesecakelady]

Thank you for your reply!

Cheesecakelady

[cookie]

Lemon... gives it Zing! Cookie

[jglass]

I always thought the lemon was to brighten up the flavors because the other ingredients are so rich.

[chubbyalaskagriz]

I have always kinda used vanilla and lemon juice interchangably- or even together- YUM! Like janie says- the lemon juice really adds a "brightness".