My daughter Jennifer loved my recent post for a White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake, and asked if I could make it in a KEY LIME version. I thought my creamy, delicious white chocolate cheesecake would be perfect, blended with veins of tart and sweet key lime curd running through it! I used a graham cracker crust – and well, it did come out perfect! This one is for you, Jennifer!
You will want to make this cake the day before you want to serve it. It will need to spend the night in the refrigerator, for the best texture and taste.
Key lime curd:
1/2 c sugar
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temp
1/2 tsp lime zest
1/2 c key lime juice (fresh-squeezed is best!)
1 large egg
Add all ingredients to a med microwave safe bowl. Make sure it is tall enough for the mixture to DOUBLE in size as it cooks. Microwave on high, for 1 minute intervals, blend well with a whisk after each minute – for a total of 6 minutes. Pour mixture through a fine mesh strainer, and cool completely in the refrigerator. (I added a TINY amt of bright green food coloring at this point, to make my curd the color of the limes).
Graham cracker crust:
1 1/4 c graham cracker crumbs
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 Tbsp light brown sugar
1/2 c finely chopped walnuts (optional)
5 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
Combine all ingredients, stir together til blended. Pour into a prepared 8 – 9″ springform pan, sprayed with cooking spray and lined with a parchment paper circle. Press into the bottom, and up the sides using a measuring cup. Set aside.
Cheesecake:
3 – 8oz pkgs full fat cream cheese (at room temp)
1/2 c granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 c white chocolate chips
1/2 c heavy cream
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Melt white chocolate chips and heavy cream in a double boiler, over low heat. Stir til melted and smooth. Set aside.
In a stand mixer, using a paddle attachment, blend the cream cheese and sugar til very smooth – no lumps allowed! Completely softened cream cheese is essential here. Add eggs, 1 at a time. Blend between each addition, just til incorporated. Add vanilla, and white chocolate mixture. Blend to combine.
The best way to bake a cheesecake is in a water bath. It creates the most even baking for sure. You can bake it on a sheet pan if you prefer – but it may not come out quite as “perfect”.
Wrap the outside of your spring form pan with a single large piece of foil – to prevent any water from getting into the crust on the bottom. (Don’t overlap 2 small pieces of foil, as water WILL GET IN!) Place the foil-covered pan into a larger pan. Pour 1/2 of cheesecake mixture into the crumb-lined pan. Top with 3-4 Tbsp of the lime curd, then swirl gently using a sharp knife. Top with the remaining cheesecake mixture, completely covering the curd. Add another 3-4 Tbsp of the curd, and swirl again – making a final beautiful pattern.
Pour about 1″ of water into the pan, making sure it stays well below the top of the foil. Bake at 325 degrees for about 60-70 minutes. It will be done when the edges are set, and the center is just a little jiggly.
Remove pan from water bath, and run a sharp knife close to the inside edges of the pan, to loosen the cake. Allow to cool completely at room temp, then refrigerate overnight.
Remove the cheesecake from the pan – you may need to run a sharp knife again around the edges. Place on a serving plate.
Decorate with whipped topping, white chocolate curls, and some additional lime zest.
