key lime cheesecake
I can’t believe I haven’t told you yet about this Key Lime Cheesecake; I have some nerve, don’t I? And I suppose I could get into its texture (dreamy), flavor (bright and promising), topping (thin strips of mango tossed in lime juice) but it wouldn’t be honest of me, as I really only made these for one reason last weekend. Take a look at this bottle; could there be a more enticing Wish You Were Here sign? I take one look at it and just want to yell: I’m coming for you!
Alas, it is still quite January outside in New York, this might be the only piece of Key West we’re getting for several months. But not unlike what I was thinking when I made those lemon bars or that anything-but-clementine clafoutis this month, I hoped that a focus on bright, sunny citrus fruits would take some of the drudgery out of mid-winter. Did it work? Perhaps not, but it was delicious nonetheless.
I made it for the first time a few years ago–actually, it was the very first cheesecake I ever baked–and learned one undeniable fact: cheesecake is always a show stopper. People go mad for it, and I haven’t figured out if that is because they rarely allow themselves such unbridled decadence or because they so rarely have homemade, innovative versions of it, but either way, it’s a guaranteed hit, even if it can’t bring summer on sooner.
One year ago: Paula Wolfert’s Hummus
Key Lime Cheesecake with Mango Ribbons
Gourmet, May 2002
In last weekend’s incarnation of this recipe, I finally had a chance to try out my unbearably cute new mini-cheesecake pans. I discovered that halving the recipe made about 12 minis (I had a tad extra), hopefully helpful for future mini-cheesecake endeavors. As for this recipe, I wouldn’t change a thing. However, were I married to someone who didn’t (wrongly) think that coconut is evil, I think adding a little finely-ground coconut to the crust (swapping out graham crumbs, if it is dry coconut) would be delicious, and then you could sing “put thee lime in thee coconut and call the doctor up…” while you cook, even though (again with the husband) not everyone may rejoice at the sound of your afternoon song to a cheesecake crust.
For crust
1 1/4 cups fine graham cracker crumbs (5 oz)
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted
For filling
2 (8-oz) packages cream cheese at room temperature
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup fresh key lime juice (strained from about 1 1/2 lb Key limes) or bottled (Nellie and Joe’s is wonderful, as is Manhattan brand, if you can find it)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
For topping
2 large firm-ripe mangoes
1 tablespoon fresh Key lime juice (strained) or bottled
1/2 cup chilled heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
Special equipment: a 9- to 9 1/2-inch springform pan; a mandoline or other adjustable-blade slicer
Make crust: Preheat oven to 350°F and butter bottom and side of springform pan.
Stir together crumbs, sugar, and butter in a bowl with a fork until combined well, then press evenly onto bottom and one-third up side of pan. Bake crust in middle of oven 8 minutes and cool in pan on a rack.
Make filling: Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer at medium speed until fluffy, then beat in sugar. Add lime juice, sour cream, and vanilla and beat until smooth. Mix in flour and salt at low speed, scraping down side as needed, until just incorporated, then add eggs all at once and mix just until incorporated.
Pour filling into crust and set springform pan in a shallow baking pan. Bake cake in middle of oven until set in center, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes. Cool completely in springform pan on rack. (Cake will continue to set as it cools.)
Run a thin knife around edge of cake and remove side of pan. If desired, transfer cake with a large metal spatula to a serving plate.
Make topping: Peel mangoes and, leaving fruit whole, slice very thinly lengthwise (slightly less than 1/8 inch thick) with mandoline (use caution — peeled mango is slippery). Halve wide slices lengthwise. Gently toss mango slices with lime juice. (I instead cut the slices with a flower-shaped cookie cutter, thinking they’d be a little neater for the miniature cakes.)
Beat cream with sugar in a bowl with electric mixer until it just holds stiff peaks, then spread over top of cheesecake. Bending and curling mango slices, arrange them decoratively over cream.
Cheesecake (without topping) can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. If desired, bring to room temperature. Add topping just before serving.
Ooh, I think those might be the perfect dessert for my Superbowl party! It would require buying my own mini-cheesecake pan, but those look worth it.
Oh those little mango circles are so cute! This looks delicious!! What did you do with all that extra mango?
Looks delicious! I so love those mini cheesecake pans. One of my favorite specialty pans, for sure. I agree about the coconut, but I also have a husband who is determinedly anti-coconut. It’s really quite sad.
Mini cheesecake would help my portion control! Cheesecake is my all time favorite dessert & like you commented, rarely do I eat it! Living alone provides the excuse why I don’t make it often…have to rely on hoping cheesecake is on a restaurant or friend’s dessert menu!
Those are darling! Beautiful work with the mango! Imagine all the different fruits you could adorn the cake with. I might try pineapple. My boyfriend always thinks I’m trying to poison him when I bring out something with mango. Tragic.
I have one of these mini cheesecake pans too and love it! I haven’t used it in awhile but you’ve inspired me! Cheesecakes look yummy!
Delicious decadence without so much guilt! These smaller servings are so cute and I can limit myself to one serving and put the rest away…or give them away as mini gifts.
I love you, I love you, I love you.
And if I were to become gay, and you were too, we could be happily obnoxious coconut lovers together for I am a lover of all things key lime, cheesecake-y, mango, and coconut. (Now, add some rum to that, and it would be a pretty good cocktail.)
Might I suggest you look into dessicated coconut? I don’t know where you would find it here, but considering you live in NYC, the mecca of all things food, I’m sure you could get your hands on it. In Australia it is the be-all and end-all of coconut produce. It’s very finely shredded and dried coconut, used often in baking. I’m not one for American dried coconut because there are times those little slivers are stuck down the back of my throat and making those thwoahhhrrrghoaaaa sounds at the dinner table aren’t particularly appealing to surrounding guests, nor is sticking my finger down my throat.
So, try sneaking in some dessicated coconut. And now I’m going to have to find some worthy mangoes here in the Midwest because cheesecake sounds like the most appealing thing for dinner.
In a word - DIVINE!!! Lime and cheesecake in 1, what more could you want?!?!?!?!?
Oh my those look tempting…something about mini anything….like it wouldn’t be quite so shameful to eat 5 or 6 or 9 in a sitting….*sigh*
I have never made a baked cheesecake, I so far can not bring myself to do it. I LOVE cheesecake but the one my family always made was an unbaked one that was really creamy and if I am craving cheesecake that’s what I want….though you are tempting me…and I have a b-day coming up…all the more reason to splurge on desserts!
It’s pouring rain here today and if I were not so afraid of melting I’d be half way to the store for cheesecake fixins by now….haha
You’re doing a grand job of conjuring up the summertime!!! Keep up the good work. These look divine!!!!!
Mmm I like the idea of dried coconut in the crust… do you think half coconut, half graham cracker would work?
I can’t take it! I try all your recipes and they are fan-damn-tastick!!!!!! Just made the leek tart for lunch today and brought a slice to a friend sitting in an open house this afternoon. HUGE HUGE HIT! Now what am I going to do with all this cheesecake???? I love all your recipes!!!!!
That’s it! I’m moving to NYC! (Or I’ll find key lime juice here in Houston.)
Rachael — It went right in our bellies. Nom, nom…
Jennifer — See, I think the problem is that they hate the shredded, suede-like sweetened moist coconut. But the flavor–like coconut flan, guuh, so good–offends at least Alex less. But then, still, every time I suggest it he’s all “noooo! dooooon’t!” and I cave. Because he washes dishes. I’m such a sucker.
Joy — I also think a little curly-q of lime peel/zest–esp. if candied–would be really pretty. I wanted to try that but the dessert was already too fussy to watch a football game, thus I called it quits.
Ellen — You know, I think it is dessicated coconut I had in mind, because it is dry and would shred powdery. I have some I bought a while ago in the fridge, and while it is sweet, it is not sticky.
Clumsy — Because I haven’t tried it, I’d be a little worried about half-halving it but it doesn’t mean it won’t work, just that I might start with a lower proportion of coconut. However, because it is a crumb crust, all that matters is that it clumps a little, so it might just work.
I’m on a diet, but I have a whole bunch of calories left over today due to lack of any real interest in dinner. So I think I’m about to go into the kitchen and 1/3 the recipe, then cook it in ramekins since I have no mini pans, then eat as many of them as I dare. Thank you for reviving my interest in dinner. I think crushed ginger snaps might make a particularly fine crust for this little gem. I love ginger with key lime…
I’m so excited! I have a kick-ass key lime cheesecake recipe that I’m known for in my ‘circle’…It’s the one I save for when I want to wow ‘em. You just gave me the ingredients to take it over the culinary edge! Thanks!!!
The key lime cheesecakes are precious! I just purchased 2 of the mini pans from Amazon. Thanks for the idea- I love them!
So saving this in the ‘to try’ folder! And I, too, am with someone who detests coconut… it just doesn’t make sense. It’s so good!
:)
These look wonderful, but the bit of mango on top is a tease. I have long wondered if the flavor of a ripe mango could be captured in cheesecake form. Maybe we’ll never way.
By the way, I mentioned you in my amateur blog.
I totally made these tonight and they totally rocked.
FTW.
You don’t know how much I was drooling reading this recipe– even reading the TITLE of this recipe. It looks delicious, although slicing and cutting the mango looks a little . . . overboard. ^.^ I don’t have the patience for the mango peeling and cutting (so STICKY) but I would love to try the lime-cheesecake part. Any recommendations for making it in a 7-inch cheesecake pan instead of individual pans, which I don’t have?
Those look awesome. Cheesecake is one thing, key lime another (a favorite of mine–I can never turn down a good key lime pie!), but to get it in convenient single-serve portions that look so good–wow. Great work!
The picture showing the finished products makes the crusts look very dark, and I thought, “CHOCOLATE CRUST WITH KEY LIME WOW!” before reading the recipe. I definitely have a potentially dangerous idea in my head now.
These look amazing! My current key lime recipe is one from a restaurant called Mangrove Mama’s in Key West, and I believe they use this juice. The only thing is that I would probably leave the mango off because I love it so much… one little slice would drive me nuts.
Please, please tell: How do you remove the cheesecakes from their individual pans without smooshing the soft, delicious middles?
When you try it with coconut, please record your version of one of my favorite songs and send it to me so I can see if you sound like Nillson…………………
I love Nellie & Joe’s key lime juice! It’s the best! Thank you for yet another excellent recipe. Nellie & Joe in cheese cake, in pie, in diet coke….
I would certainly rejoice at the sound of that song! I may have to insist however on using the two coconut halves as some sort of percussion instrument…The cheesecakes look divine. I agree that perhaps it isn’t something people allow themselves to indulge in, you know that whenever you are stuck for a dessert or you have to whip something up that you know will turn out perfect every time, cheesecake is your friend. Great colour too.
Nellie and Joe’s is the best! When I make the pie, I mix a double batch and put it in a deep dish pie crust. Cut in thin slices, it makes a more elegant “tall” slice.
However my latest turn on it is to mix up the filling and bake it in ramekins, using a water bath. Cooks Illustrated just had a wonderful water bath technique–put your filled ramekins in the empty pan, place it on the oven rack, and put the boiling water in straight from a tea kettle. I remove ramekins with a spatula and let the water bath cool before dumping out.
I chill and garnish with a perfect puff of whipped cream. I adore not have to cut into it to serve, and I like a reprieve from a crust.
I’m salivating just thinking about a serving of lime silkiness…..
Deb, How long do you bake the mini-cheesecakes? Do you bake at 325F also? Can’t wait to try this one out.
Kate — The way the mini-cheesecake pans work, and why they’re better than cupcake pans, is that they have tiny removable bottoms (little coins, actually) which hover over a gap in the base. You put these guys up and out from the bottom. It’s still a little tricky, but they do come out, and a lot better than they would in cupcake pans. They’re more like mini removable-bottom tart pans.
Laura — They baked in half to 2/3 of the time, if I remember correctly. I baked them at the same temperature.
why don’t i have these mini-cheesecake pans? i need these pans, so i can make a not-quite-as-good version with plain old non-key limes. maybe with some mango curd on top?
Cheesecake is one of those things that people who don’t cook/bake think is hard, like chocolate truffles, and it always gets applause. which is why i like to make it when i need lots of bang for my buck. and this version gets special bonus points for being so freaking adorable.
Those look so delicious!
You sure do know how to make a pregnant lady who is constantly craving fruit and sweets drool! This has definitely just been added to my “to bake” list.
yum. but did you know that you don’t have to peel your mango before slicing it on a mandoline? You may have to make one slice to get things started, but after that, a properly sharp mandoline will do the job. You’ll have a thin strip of mango peel around the edges, but especially if you’re using cutters to make shapes, or even if you trim the slices afterwards, it’s much easier–and less slippery than using a completely peeled fruit. I like the cream topping the best!
Sigh. This is why I stopped coming here too often- my waistline thanks me not to stroll over while I’m having afternoon tea and decide to eat cookies with the pictures. Bleh, delicious looking as always Deb.
You’ve been tagged.
http://feistybento.blogspot.com/2008/01/not-bento-but-meme.html
wow … key lime and cheesecake are two of my favorites! i will definitely have to try this out. i think i’m falling in love with mini tart/cake/pie delectables!
i know this sounds weird, but i made this AMAZING cake that had sauerkraut, of all things, in it (though not an overwhelming amount). i heard about it on npr. you rinse and drain the sauerkraut so it loses its intensity, and you chop it up pretty fine. anyhow, you end up with a bittersweet chocolate cake that is super moist (i think it has something to do with the acid in the kraut?) with a ganache-like frosting and not a hint of kraut taste or texture. honestly, all of my skeptical friends loved it. alex will love it (chocolate and sauerkraut? come on!)
now that you’re curious
check out the recipe
http://www.scharffenberger.com/re0209.asp
you won’t regret it!
Adorable little cheesecakes! I’m fortunate to have a friend with a key lime tree in her yard. Time to grab my basket and go begging!
I think I need to buy a mini-cheesecake pan! I’ve used the Nellie & Joe’s lime juice with good success too. These look great!
Lori
http://TheRecipeGirl.blogspot.com
This looks so great! I love key-lime anything. Question though, where did you get your mini-cheesecake pan? I’ve done a quick search online and come up with nothing at Williams-Sonoma, Bed Bath & Beyond, or Sur la Table. Any suggestions for stores or websites would be appreciated! Thanks :)
Ditto on the “where did you get your pan?” I can’t find it either!
I’ve made mini cheesecakes in regular minimuffin pans - it can be done!
Mini-muffin tins would make very cute, bite-size cheesecakes. Love the idea! Any thoughts on how doing the cheesecake in mini-muffin tins would affect the cooking time? I’m guessing that an hour would be too long. Suggestions would be appreciated, thanks everyone!
I lurve me some Nellie and Joe’s! It’s always in my fridge. Your mini cheesecakes are some scumptious looking. I can’t wait to try out this recipe:)
An answer and a question:
For Rebeka — I think you can probably get those cheesecake pans at The Bakers Catalogue. And if not there, at Sweet Celebrations.
My question — to make the little flower shaped pieces of mango, did you use your mandoline first and then use the cutter? Or did you just cut the mango in slices and then use the cutter? I wasn’t clear. They look very dramatic that way.
Looking forward to trying your delicious cheesecake recipe. One of my favourites. Nathalie, South Australia.
These look delicious! Citrus is the antidote for winter!
Ha! What a funny thing I saw upon returning from vacation. Suffering from from too much sun light, warm air and great food (Yes, I lie!) I log on to my favorite site of all time to catch up on what Deb has been up too - and she has a Key West recipe. We were just there yesterday! -Only to come back to 29 degrees weather. Thanks for this recipe - I think I will try it tomorrow for the Super Bowl. Go Giants!
I was/am so excited to try these! I thought them to be the _perfect_ S-bowl delectible and prepared 48 of the monsters yesterday afternoon. Full disclosure: using mini cupcake liners and mini muffin tins. *However* I did not have the bakers’ skills to adjust properly the time/temp for this modification and burned the hell out of them. I’m determined to make it work though and was wondering if anyone had suggestions for how long and at what temp. to cook the mini-cupcake variety of these little precious?
I can’t wait to make this! I LOVE key lime pie. I can make them small enough that I can have one all to myself and I don’t have to share!
Oh man, those look so amazing. Key lime is my boyfriend’s favorite, I may have to whip these up as a special Valentine!
Oh this is delicious! Sweet and cheesecakey without being cloyingly sweet, and with that wonderfully tart flavor. I substituted a shortbread crust instead of graham crackers, and it was delicious. My professor and labmates loved it.
Thanks, Deb!
This sounds simply delicious! I can’t wait to try it out. The mini-cheese cakes look wonderful as ever; what a great idea to make them small like that, would suit me perfectly. Just one question, and this might be a bit daft but:
*2 (8-oz) packages cream cheese at room temperature*
Does that mean 2 times 8 oz packages, or 2 packages equals 8 oz?
Hi Elina — 2 packages, 8 ounces each, so 16 ounces total. Not daft! I do the same double-take reading recipes all the time.
This looks lovely. I like lime and ginger as a combination, myself - I just made a key lime pie (technically a Persian lime pie, I suppose) and for crust I used 135g crushed ginger biscuits mixed with 60g chopped roasted hazelnuts, mixed with 75g melted butter.
(Sadly, my little brother attacked it with an iceberg lettuce as it was chilling in the fridge. But it still look edible.)
OHmygosh.
so i’m behind, as always, but i finally got around to making this one for my friend’s birthday, and you’ve done it again!
i usually tinker with the recipes but after having gone to a friend’s birthday party last night and arriving home at 11 with still a cheesecake to bake for my friend at the office today… no time for tinkering.
i miraculously found the nellie & joe’s at my supermarket - and thank heavens for that, it is so delicious i drank a glass of just lime & water while i was baking!
anyhow, i can still feel the delicious bright tart mango/lime combo in my mouth half an hour after birthday cake for breakfast, which is how we roll around this office.
here’s the result: http://www.flickr.com/photos/abbsmcnabbs/2440666201/
thanks again deb!!!