Super Sharp, Super Silky Lime Cheesecake
Lime, lime, and more lime!
I’m personally not a fan of super sweet desserts, so when I bake for myself I usually swing towards sharp lemon/lime flavours (like my Lemon Meringue French Toast or Homemade Limoncello). Citrus tends to cut through sweetness and give your cheeks a delicious pucker – and this lime cheesecake is no exception!
This recipe was adapted from a classic key lime pie recipe I found on Cooking Classy, however I found the original recipe to be lacking in lime flavour, so when I attempted the recipe again I doubled the lime juice and added the lime zest for extra zing. I have also adjusted the ratios to give this recipe a creamier consistency while adapting it for a smaller group size of 6-8 people.
How to setup an at-home “bain marie”
A bain marie or water bath is a cooking method that insulates your cheesecake and ensures it will be cooked evenly and at a low consistent temperature. Using a bain marie can also help prevent the dreaded crack that can happen when a cheesecake is over baked or dry. To setup a bain marie at home, use a standard 9 x 12 cake pan lined with a dish cloth/tea towel to absorb the water and prevent your cheesecake from sliding around as you move it from counter to oven. One thing to remember is that a bain marie is usually quite heavy, so this is definitely a two-hand job.
Creamy Lime Cheesecake
A tart, addictive lime cheesecake with a light creamy texture. A small slice of this cheesecake is more than enough indulgence, so this recipe is perfect for a group of 6-8 people.
Equipment
- 7" spring form cake pan
Ingredients
Crust
- 150 grams graham cracker crumbs
- 20 grams granulated sugar
- 80 grams butter, melted
Lime Filling
- 130 grams granulated sugar
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 16 oz. full fat cream cheese
- 3 eggs
- 100 grams sour cream
- 50 ml 18% heavy cream
- 2 limes, zested
- 125 ml fresh lime juice
- 1 tsp vanilla paste or vanilla extract
Garnish
- 125 ml 35% whipping cream
- ½ tbsp icing sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla paste or vanilla extract
- Fresh whole raspberries, lime zest, mint leaves, graham cracker crumbs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven for 350°F.
- Grease and line the base of a 7" spring form pan.
- In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Melt the butter in the microwave and then add to the graham cracker crumbs mix and stir to evenly distribute the butter.
- Press the graham cracker crumbs into the bottom of the pan just slightly going up the sides. Try your best to make the crumbs an even height up the wall.
- Bake the crust for about 10 minutes and then set aside to cool on a wire rack.
Filling
- Reduce your oven temperature to 325°F.
- Place the cream cheese in the base of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment and cream until light and smooth. Add the sugar and cornstarch together and continue whisking until combined. Add the sour cream & whip cream and whisk, then add the eggs one at a time. Finally, add the lime juice, lime zest, heavy cream, and vanilla and whisk until combined and smooth.TIP: The goal of adding the ingredients one at a time is to prevent big lumps from forming, so you're adding ingredients from thickest to thinnest.
- As your batter has been whisked, bang the bowl on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles, this is the key to super creamy smooth cheesecake.
- Bring a pot or kettle of water to a boil to prep for your bain-marie baking vessel.
- Tightly wrap your cooled spring form pan with aluminum foil. Make sure the foil has no holes, you don't want any water to leak in.
- Pour your cheesecake filling on top of the crust and give the pan a few taps on the counter to pop any lingering bubbles.
- Make a bain-marie by placing a tea-towel in a standard 9x12in cake pan. Place your cheesecake on top of the tea-towel (the towel will hold the cheesecake in place and avoid it slipping around), then pour your boiling water into the pan to create a water bath about half-way up the sides of the cheesecake.
- Make at 325° for 50-55 minutes, until the cheesecake is just set and there is a gentle wobble in the middle. Carefully remove the pan from the oven and lift the cheesecake out of the bain-marie and onto a cooling rack.
- Let the cheesecake cool to room temperature and then chill for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Decoration
- With an electric mixer, whip the whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla until almost firm. Fill a piping bag fitted with a star tip and pipe 6-8 even swirls on top of the cheesecake. Decorate with fresh raspberries, lime zest, mint leaves, and a little sprinkle of graham cracker crumbs.
Notes
Adapted from Cooking Classy
