Make this. Make this
cheesecake soon. Today, if possible. But I suppose tomorrow will do
as well.
As a lover of
cheesecake
in all its flavors and forms, this key lime version
has completely stolen my heart. It’s downright incredible.
Light and creamy and perfectly tangy, it solidifies the fact that
while chocolate is my soulmate and first dessert of choice, there are
a handful of non-chocolate desserts (this cheesecake and another
creamy lime pie, in particular), that are so
delicious, little ol’ dark chocolate should maybe start to look
over its shoulder a bit more often.
On a side note, if
you’ve ever been frustrated by making a cheesecake only to have
it crack in the oven, you aren’t alone.
It’s widely known
that the following two tips can help quite a bit with the cracking
issue:
Don’t overmix the batter,
especially after the eggs have been added (incorporating lots of air
contributes to lots of cracks and we can’t be having that) and
Use a water bath.
Except, I personally
hate baking cheesecakes in water baths. I’ve had way too many
soggy, wet crusts thanks to putting my precious cheesecake in a water
bath and having the water leak through the 40 layers of meticulously
crimped foil.
How that happens, I
don’t know, but it annoys me to no end, so I gave up on water
baths a long time ago, and decided to live with a few cracks here and
there, especially since many cheesecakes I love have toppings to
cover any imperfections.
I know there are some
clever methods online to combat water bath issues, but since I’ve
declared myself anti-water bath and am too stubborn to change my
mind, today, I have an even better way. All credit goes to my friend,
Mel, who sent me this recipe.
Her method is probably
the most revolutionary thing to happen to cheesecakes this decade.
And it’s so simple, you don’t have to worry about lining
pans with foil, making sure you have a pan big enough to set the
cheesecake in, worrying about water infiltrating your masterpiece,
etc.
I’ve used this
more-steam-than-water-bath technique a couple times now and sure
enough, no cracking. No cracking whatsoever. I’m sold.
So get to it! Make this
luscious key lime cheesecake and delight in absolute cheesecake
perfection – both looks and taste.
Key Lime Cheesecake Yield: Makes a 9-inch cheesecake
Keep in mind this
cheesecake needs to chill overnight, so plan ahead.
Also, if you can't find
key lime juice, the substitution in the ingredient list works great
(2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice + 6 tablespoons fresh lime juice)
using lime juice from everyday Persian limes in the grocery store.
Ingredients
Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 14 rectangle graham crackers, crushed)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted
Filling:
3 packages (24-ounces total) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Zest from 1 lime, about 1-2 teaspoons
1/2 cup key lime juice OR 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice + 6 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 large eggs
Topping:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Limes or additional lime zest for garnish, optional
Directions
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
Position the oven racks so one is just above the middle position and
the other is in the bottom third of the oven. Lightly grease a
9-inch springform pan.
In a medium bowl, stir together
the graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Add the melted butter and mix
until the graham cracker crumbs are evenly coated in sandy in
texture. Press the mixture into the bottom and 1/2-inch or so up the
sides of the prepared pan.
Bake the crust for 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let cool while you prepare the filling.
In a large bowl with an electric
mixer (or in the bowl of an electric stand mixer), whip the cream
cheese, sugar, cornstarch and lime zest together until smooth and
creamy, 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add the lime juice (or lemon + lime juice) and mix until combined.
Add the eggs and mix until just combined (over-mixing can cause the
cheesecake to crack while baking, thanks to all the extra air beat
into the filling).
Pour the cheesecake filling over
the crust and spread evenly. Place a metal 9X13-inch or
similar-sized pan on the bottom rack of the oven and pour in 2-3
cups of boiling water. Immediately place the cheesecake on the upper
rack and bake for 50-65 minutes until the cheesecake is set around
the edges. A slight jiggle in the center of the cheesecake is fine.
Turn the oven off and prop the
oven door open about 4 inches. Keep the cheesecake in the oven for
30 minutes. Remove and let cool completely.
Refrigerate the cheesecake
overnight.
When ready to serve, whip together
the cream, powdered sugar and vanilla until thick and creamy. Either
spread the whipped cream evenly over the cheesecake or pipe it
around the edges with a large star piping tip or just dollop a
spoonful on each individual piece. Garnish with lime slices or lime
zest, if desired.
Recipe Source: adapted slightly from my friend Mel B. who always sends me the most amazing recipes
Melanie Gunnell is a food-loving, chocolate-obsessed mom who has a desperate need to share
her favorite tried-and-true recipes with the world. In a past life she graduated from Brigham
Young University with a degree in public health, but for the past ten years, stay-at-home
motherhood has been her job along with blogging-from-home for the past five.
She resides in the brilliantly cold tundra of Northern Minnesota with her husband and their brood
of five children: four boys and one tiny, bossy girl. Dark chocolate (particularly the act of
shoving chocolate chips in her mouth whilst hiding in the pantry) is her coping skill of choice for
both the never-ending winters and the never-ending wrestling matches in her front room.