Key Lime Cheesecake

This key lime cheesecake has a tangy, sweet, and creamy- with a perfect graham cracker bottom. Top with a bit of sweetened whipped cream for the perfect special occasion cheesecake.

I still remember the first time I had cheesecake. We had a big family dinner out at some restaurant, and the finale to the dinner. Cheesecake. And. I hated it.

I would spent the rest of my childhood and well into my early adulthood avoiding the stuff. The next time I had a cheesecake was working at some high end restaurant. And guess what. I loved it. I mean absolutely loved it. What the heck? I mean all these years I had harbored this absolute hatred towards it.

And then it hit me. That cheesecake I had as a kid. Cherry cheesecake. Those big red cherries drizzled over the cheesecake. I hated cherries. Not cheesecake! All those years wasted. Cheesecake-less.

How To Make This Key Lime Cheesecake

This cheesecake starts with making a perfect buttery graham cracker crust. You can crush the graham crackers by placing them in a zip-loc bag and using a rolling pin to smash them to smithereens. Had a bad day? Then this is totally your method. In a bit of a rush? Well, then the food processor is your going to be your go to.

After those graham crackers have been reduced to crumbs. It’s time to add melted butter, a pinch of salt and a bit of sugar. Then press into your springform pan. I like to use the bottom of a measuring cup to press down the crumbs and a bit up the sides of the pan. You want to then bake the crust for 10 minutes in the lower third of your oven.

Once you have pre-baked your crust, you will need to wrap the outside of the pan in 3-4 layers of tinfoil. This is going to protect your cheesecake while it bakes in a water bath. Another great alternative to wrapping in tin-foil is to use a slow cooker liner. Here is a great tutorial on how to use these liners to protect your cheesecake while it bakes from Life Love And Sugar.

Now for the filling. Ok, so I have to admit I guess that this is technically a lime cheesecake and not a key lime cheesecake. I don’t know about but I am rarely able to find key limes or key lime juice in my supermarket. And if I was to find key limes, I really don’t feel like juicing a whole bunch of those tiny limes. For me? I simply grabbed about 4 limes and juiced and zested those instead.

I make my filling in my stand mixer for quick easy work. Simply combine your cream cheese and sugar for about 4 minutes until smooth. Be sure to not continue to mix beyond that point because otherwise you will be just adding in unwanted air that will cause your cheesecake later to crack in the oven. Then mix in your salt, vanilla, eggs and sourcream. After that is all incorporated then add in your heavy cream. Give your bowl a scrape down.

Throw in your lime juice. And your zest. And voila! You’re ready to make your water bath and bake your cheesecake.

What Is A Water Bath?

A water bath is essentially a slow way to cook the cheesecake. A cheesecake is type of custard and we want it to cook slowly so the texture is smooth and creamy. To achieve that, we place the cheesecake pan into a second larger pan with water.

The water surrounds the cheesecake allowing it cook slowly.

How Do You Make A Water Bath? 

You want to place the springform pan (it’s all wrapped in foil or a slow cooker liner right?) into a large heavy duty roasting pan. And go ahead and pour your filling into the pan.

Then add in hot boiling water into the roasting pan so it comes halfway up the sides of the cheesecake.

The cheesecake will bake for about 1 1/2 hours. But once that timer goes off, don’t take that cheesecake out yet. It will seem like the cheesecake isn’t quite baked in the center. But that just means your’e doing it right. You want to crack open the door to your oven and let the cheesecake cool in the oven for about an hour with the heat off.

Is it time to eat it yet? No sorry. Patience friend. That cheesecake now needs to cool for about 4 hours. Cheesecake is the perfect make ahead dessert. 

When you are ready to dig in, remove the foil from the outside. Run a knife along the inside edge and remove the outer ring to the pan. I topped my cheesecake with a bit of sweetened whipped cream before serving.

Basically it was absolute perfection.

What causes my cheesecake to crack?

There is nothing more frustrating than taking your cheesecake out of the fridge only to reveal a giant crack down the middle! Simply put, your cheesecake cracked because it was either overcooked over overmixed.

How do you avoid this? Be sure to use room temperature cream cheese so you do not have to mix the batter that much.

Also avoid opening the door while baking. Big temperature changes like this can cause your cheesecake to crack.

Be sure to bake in that water bath! That slow cooking method will help to prevent your cheesecake from cracking.

And although the cheesecake may appear still jiggly in the center when the timer goes off, it is done. Do not continue to bake the cheesecake because this will cause it to become overcooked. It will firm as it cools.

 So what do you do if the cheesecake is still cracked? Top with some homemade whipped cream or fresh fruit and no one will be the wiser! 

Tips For Making This Key Lime Cheesecake

• Make sure all your ingredients, especially your cream cheese is at room temperature. Cold cream cheese will not incorporate into the rest of the ingredients, so be sure that you leave at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. This may take longer depending on the temperature of your kitchen!
• Do not overmix your ingredients. Over-mixing your cheesecake will result in TOO much air incorporated into the batter which results in a cracked cheesecake!
• Use a waterbath or bain marie as the French call it. Wrap your cheesecake pan several times in tinfoil on the outside of the pan and set the pan inside a larger pan (like a roasting pan) that has been filled with hot water. The key here is make sure your pan is completely covered by tinfoil so no water seeps into the cheesecake, which would result in a soggy crust! I wrap my cheesecake in 3 layers of foil and use a good quality springform pan.
• A great alternative to the waterbath is placing a pan of boiling water on the rack below where your cheesecake is baking. The steam from the hot water will gently cook your cheesecake and you do not have to worry about a soggy bottom! 
• Allow your cheesecake to cool in the oven with the heat off for an hour. It will appear that it is not done, and be a bit wiggly in the middle. Just allow the cheesecake to sit in the oven for an hour. Then be sure to refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 4 hours (up to overnight) at which point your cheesecake will completely set up.

So the long cheesecake drought is over.  I have seen the light. And its a bright green key lime light. So don’t be like me. Don’t wait years to make this. Heck, don’t waste another second. Make this key lime pie cheesecake now.

To Make This Key Lime Pie Cheesecake You Will Need:

• Stand Mixer
• 9- inch Springform pan
• Slow Cooker Liner (or just triple up on some heavy duty aluminum foil for the water bath)
• Food Processor – for the graham cracker crust (or just place the crumbs in a zip-loc bag and use a rolling pin to smash the crackers into crumbs)
• Roasting Pan (for the water bath)