Key Lime Cheesecake With Coconut Crust And Tequila Lime Curd

This creamy rich cheesecake has a very fresh and tropical taste. From the coconut filled crust to the lime infused creamy rich filling and finally the tequila lime curd. Like any cheesecake, this one is a fabulous make ahead dessert and also perfect for entertaining.

I love cheesecake but in moderation. I like small junior sized pieces because cheesecake is usually a rich and decadent dessert perfect for sharing. That’s my take on it but not everyone feels that way about cheesecake, like my husband for example. I literally only make cheesecake when we are having a big group over. I do this purposely because if I make it just for us, my husband eats the entire cheesecake, spread over a week but still, a whole cheesecake! Anyways where I’m getting at with all that is- I can only have a bite or two and I’m done-too rich after that. Well folks not with this one, as soon as the shoot was over I had to taste it, as with all the food I shoot. That actually annoys my husband so much. He is always telling me,’ Why don’t we clean up and then eat?’ And I reply ‘impossible!’ And carry on eating. I couldn’t stop at one bite of this cheesecake and neither could he. There were no words about cleaning up. We sat quietly enjoying 1 and then for some of us 2 pieces of this cake.

It’s still rich and decadent but the lime in the cake and curd really brighten it up and cut through the richness somehow. This curd, by the way, is adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe and is by far the best curd recipe I have tried! It’s very hard to screw up. I added the tequila and citrus liqueur to my usual recipe to add a bit extra flavour to it and it was the perfect addition to this cheesecake.

The stabilized whip cream on top really lightens it up and is a perfect balance to the sweetness of the cake. I love to pipe it on if I’m making it for a celebration but on other occasions I will just dollop and swirl it straight onto the cheesecake. The crust is made with graham crackers and shredded coconut and just the right amount of coconutty flavour adding another layer of goodness to the cake

I think I have said enough about it. There is soo much yumminess in this cheesecake and I hope you give it a whirl! You won’t be disappointed. Not a fan of citrus cheesecakes? Hmm, that’s what I thought too but apparently, I am. So no excuses - give it a try and you will see!

Recipe

Ingredients

For the crust

• 1¼ cups of graham cracker crumbs
• ¼ cup melted butter plus more if needed for mixture to be moistened
• ½ cup sweetened flaked/shredded coconut
• 1 tsp pure coconut extract
• 1 pinch of salt

For the filling

• 4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
• 1⅔ cups sugar
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tbsp freshly grated lime zest
• ½ cup lime juice
• 1 cup of lime curd
• 1-2 cups of stabilized whip cream to top or pipe onto the cake (optional)

Directions

For the crust

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir until crumbs are moistened and can hold together if pressed into side of bowl
3. Transfer mixture to your springform pan and press evenly across the bottom of the pan
4. Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden
5. Once done remove from oven and set aside
   

Cream Cheese Filling

1. Place one 8-ounce package of the cream cheese, ⅓ cup of the sugar, and the cornstarch in a large bowl.
2. Beat with an electric mixer on low until creamy, about 3 minutes, then beat in the remaining 3 packages of the cream cheese one at a time until smooth.
3. Increase the mixer speed to high and beat in the remaining 1⅓ cups of the sugar, then beat in the vanilla.
4. Blend in the eggs, one at a time, beating the batter well after each one.
5. Blend in heavy cream, lime zest and lime juice. At this point mix the filling only until completely blended. Be careful not to overmix the batter.
6. Gently spoon the cheese filling on top of the baked crust layer.
7. Place the springform pan in a large shallow pan containing hot water that comes about 1 inch up the side of the pan - water bath is optional but helps prevent the cheesecake from cracking (make sure you wrap your pan tight with a few layers of foil to prevent water from seeping through).
8. Bake the cheesecake until the centre barely jiggles when you shake the pan, about 1 hour.
9. Cool the cake on a wire rack for 1 hour.
10. Then cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until it’s completely cold, at least 4 hours or overnight.
11. Top the cheesecake with lime curd 10-20 minutes to set before serving
12. Remove the sides of the springform pan. Slide the cake off of the bottom of the pan onto a serving plate. Or, if you wish, simply leave the cake on the removable bottom of the pan and place it on a serving plate.
13. Top with stabilized whip or pipe it on decoratively along with extra lime wedges. Then slice and serve
    

Recipe Note

This cheesecake can be made with any citrus fruit and any cookie base. THe same goes for the curd. The curd and the whip are optional but adds a really nice flavour.