The BEST Key Lime Cheesecake
Squares of the best key lime cheesecake you’ll ever have, topped with fresh whipped cream and lime wedges
I’m a late bloomer to key lime pie love. I was in my twenties when I realized all the deliciousness that is the sharp, creamy, graham cracker-y balance of key lime pie. Been hooked ever since.
While living in New York City, my most frequented bakery in the Upper West Side, was Magnolia Bakery. I love so many things there but one of my favorites is their key lime pie cheesecake. Normally with a plain cheesecake, I need something on it - like cherries, but not with this bad b. The sharpness from the limes perfectly balances against the creamy sweet of the cheesecake, plus they top it with a whipped cream that I don’t believe has any sugar in it (or at least I can never taste it). All in all, a perfect dessert. So I figured, why can’t I make it at home? I can, I will, and I’ll make it even better.
This key lime cheesecake might be my greatest baking accomplishment ever (and I’ve conquered a bunch of pastries ok?). It has just the right amount of graham cracker crust - crust is a cheesecake requirement in my book - where you taste it in every bite, the absolute best balance of lime to cheesecake per forkful, and a very lightly sweetened fresh whip cream to go on top. Honestly, genuinely, absolutely, so impressed with myself.
Go impress yourself and all your people with this absolutely PERFECT recipe.
Equipment:
Yields: 1, 9x9 cheesecake
Ingredients:
FILLING:
24oz Cream cheese, softened
¾ cup Key Lime or Lime juice
½ cup Sour Cream
1 cup Sugar
1 tbsp flour, sifted
3 large Eggs
CRUST:
1 ½ cups Graham Cracker crumbs
6 tablespoons Butter, melted
2 tbsp brown sugar
TOPPING:
¾ cup Heavy Cream (Double Cream)
1 tbsp Powdered Sugar, sifted
1 Key Lime or Lime, cut into thin wedges
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325F and grease and line a 9x9 baking dish with parchment paper.
For the crust, blitz your graham crackers in a food processor until finely ground and then combine in a bowl with melted butter and brown sugar. Press the mixture evenly into your greased and lined baking dish, using the flat bottom of a glass or measuring cup to press down firmly into the bottom of the pan. Freeze the crust for 15 minutes before placing it in the oven to bake for 15 minutes, until the crust is deeply golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
For the cheesecake, add your cream cheese to the bowl of a standing mixer and beat on medium-high until smooth. Add in your sour cream and lime juice and mix to combine.
In a small bowl, combine your sugar and flour with a whisk. This will help ensure there are no clumps of flour in your mixture. Pour over cheesecake batter and mix until incorporated.
Crack your eggs into your batter, one at a time, mixing between each egg until combined.
Pour your cheesecake batter over your cooled graham cracker crust; spread evenly in the pan with a spatula.
Bring 4-6 cups of water to a boil. Place your cheesecake on the center rack in the oven. Place a large casserole dish on the rack below where your cheesecake will be and immediately (but carefully!) pour in your boiling water until it reaches about halfway up your dish. Shut the oven as soon as possible, once you pour in your water. You want to trap all of that steam inside the oven!
Bake your cheesecake at 325F for 45 minutes. When it’s done, there will be a slight wobble in the center of the cheesecake but the edges will look set. Turn the oven off but crack the door slightly, leaving the cheesecake in the oven for another hour.
After an hour, remove the cheesecake from the oven and allow to cool completely at room temperature before covering it with foil and refrigerating it overnight.
If needed, use a knife to loosen the cheesecake from the sides of the pan before pulling the cheesecake, by the parchment paper, up and out of the baking dish. Slice into 3”x3” squares.
For the whipped cream, add your heavy cream to a bowl, sift in your powdered sugar, and whisk until thickened. Add your whipped cream to a piping bag with a round nozzle.
With your nozzle hovering centered and parallel above a cheesecake square, squeeze with even pressure for 3-4 seconds, pulling the piping bag upwards, to form a dollop of whipped cream on the square. Repeat for all squares.
Top with lime zest and a thin wedge of lime, if desired
Enjoy!
If you loved this recipe, tag @accentgolden on social so I can see your bakes!
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