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Key Lime Cheesecake

Yield: 12 Slices (9-inch cheesecake)
Prep Time: 12 hours 25 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time: 13 hours 35 minutes

Ingredients

Crust:

  • 1 ½ cups (150 g) graham cracker crumbs, about 14 rectangle graham crackers, crushed
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 6 tablespoons (85 g) salted butter, melted

Filling:

  • 3 packages (8-ounces each) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 1 cup (212 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • Zest from 1 lime, about 1-2 teaspoons
  • ½ cup key lime juice OR 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice + 6 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 3 large eggs

Topping:

  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • ¼ cup (29 g) powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Limes or additional lime zest for garnish, optional

Instructions 

  • 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.

Notes

Plan Ahead: keep in mind this cheesecake needs to chill overnight so plan ahead.
Lime Juice: 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 every day Persian limes in the grocery store.