Key Lime Cheesecake
Key Lime Cheesecake
The Gourmet Goddess visits The Chocolate Goddess this week to fulfill the demands of those clamoring for a summer cheesecake - let no dessert lover’s needs be forgotten. This key lime cheesecake strikes the perfect balance between tart and sweet - a harmony of taste for the discriminating palette.
When spoken, the words ‘key lime’ sound so refreshing that the mere utterance alone conjures up feelings of summer breezes and visions of palm trees swaying while you gaze at blue waters. Thoughts of key limes also takes you to the Florida Keys, where this lime was cultivated in the beginning of the 1900’s. Key Lime Cheesecake seems like just the right cheesecake for summer, pleasing those aficionados who need their cheesecake dessert year round.
The key lime is smaller and rounder than the Persian lime and it has more juice and more seeds. It is slightly more acidic so one has to compensate in a cake with more sugar, but it is so much more flavorful. It is preferred by chefs and bartenders worldwide.
This key lime cheesecake is accompanied by a strawberry sauce, an adornment of whipped cream and dustings of lime rind and strawberries dipped in pink granulated sugar. Although this cheesecake is perfect for warmer months, it can be enjoyed year round. Also consider Key Lime Cheesecake as a pleasing dessert for Mother’s Day.
Happy baking!
And Remember
Always Stay in Touch with Your Inner Goddess!
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
2 cups Nabisco Honey Made Graham Cracker Crumbs
¼ cup Granulated Sugar
½ teaspoon Cinnamon
½ cup (1 stick) Butter
Key Lime Cheesecake
½ cup freshly squeezed Key Lime Juice (2 -3 limes)
3 – 8 ounce packages Philadelphia Cream Cheese (room temperature)
1 – 8 ounce container of Sour Cream (not low fat)
3 Large Eggs (lightly whisked)
2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
1 ¼ cups Granulated Sugar
2 tablespoons Flour
1 tablespoon Cornstarch
Homemade Strawberry Sauce
1 pint Strawberries Hulled
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons Granulated Sugar
2 teaspoons Fresh Lemon Juice
Easy Strawberry Sauce
1 – 16 ounce jar good quality Seedless Strawberry Preserves
Garnish
1 Lime for slicing
1 Lime for grating
5 Large Strawberries Sliced in Half
Granulated Sugar or Pink Granulated Sugar
Whipped Cream
½ pint Heavy Cream
3 tablespoons of Powdered Sugar
Baking Instructions
A few hints before you begin ...
Make sure to bring cheesecake to room temperature at least an hour.
Wash and dry, then juice your limes, be sure to strain out both pulp and seeds.
Have a roasting pan ready for a hot water bath for cheesecake.
Graham Cracker Crust
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix graham cracker crumbs with sugar and cinnamon.
Melt butter and combine well with crumbs and cinnamon.
Press into the bottom of the spring form pan bringing it up on the sides a bit.
Bake for 8 minutes and remove promptly.
Set aside to cool, so a bit later you can wrap with aluminum foil without burning your hands.
Key Lime Cheesecake Filling
Beat cream cheese until very smooth and creamy.
Add sour cream and completely combine.
Add granulated sugar and vanilla incorporating well.
Mix in eggs.
Add lime juice and blend thoroughly.
Add flour and cornstarch.
Set batter aside and prepare pan.
Wrap the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan with heavy duty Reynolds wrap bringing wrap over sides to nearly the top in order to prevent water from seeping in. (If a bit of water does seep in it will be absorbed by crumbs, so all is not lost.)
Pour batter into crust.
Place spring form pan inside the roasting pan.
Carefully pour in hot water about half way up cheesecake pan.
Bake for 1 hour and 5 minutes. Cheesecake will be a bit jiggly in the center.
Turn off oven, open door and let cheesecake sit in oven for another 15 – 20 minutes.
Peel down aluminum foil carefully and slowly, so as not to crack cake or to release any water. Pull foil off bottom extra carefully.
Cool on wire rack one hour.
Refrigerate overnight.
Run thin knife around edge of pan.
Carefully release spring form.
Go around edges of cake and loosen slightly.
Have plate ready right next to cake and lift cake onto plate. If you are afraid to lift it you can leave it on the pan but you might scratch your spring form cutting it.
Garnish with grated lime rind and strawberries dipped in sugar.
Chill until read to serve.
Strawberry Sauce (Strawberry Coulis) Instructions
Wash and hull strawberries and place in medium pot.
Add sugar and lemon juice and cook until simmering stirring frequently.
Continue simmering for 10 minutes on very low heat stirring, until sauce begins to thicken.
Puree in blender and refrigerate overnight.
Easy Strawberry Sauce Instructions
This can be made a few hours before serving cake ahead and left to stand at room temperature.
Microwave strawberry preserves in a glass bowl on low power stirring every 20 seconds. You can leave strawberries or strain out whole pieces.
Whipped Cream Instructions
Combine Heavy Cream and Powdered Sugar and whip on high speed with a hand mixer until soft peaks form.
