Posted by Tracy
One of my favorite cheesecakes at The Cheesecake Factory is the Key Lime. I couldn’t find a recipe that created that same sweet & tart flavor, so I created my own with a creamy, rich texture you don’t have to drive miles for…that just may surpass the original. You be the judge.
Crust Ingredients:
2 packages graham crackers, crushed (about 16 whole crackers)
3 T. sugar
½ c. + 2 T. melted butter
Filling Ingredients:
1 c. sugar
1 T. corn starch
3 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, softened
4 eggs (best if allowed to come to room temperature)
2/3 c. sour cream
1/3 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. freshly squeezed key lime juice
1 ½ t. pure vanilla extract
Crust Instructions:
Combine crushed graham crackers with melted butter and mix well. This works well in a mixing bowl or large Ziploc type bag. Press mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9” spring form pan. Bake at 350 in preheated oven for approximately 12 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Filling Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325 (note, a different temperature than crust).
In a small bowl, stir together sugar and corn starch. Set aside.
Place softened cream cheese in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the sugar mixture and blend until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until each one is just combined. Add sour cream and heavy cream, mixing again until combined. Stir in lime juice and vanilla.
Pour over cooled graham cracker crust.
Place large pan, such as a 9 x 13 cake pan, on the lowest oven rack. Fill the pan about two-thirds full with water and leave the pan of water in the oven. This provides moisture as the cheesecake cooks and avoids the sometimes messy water bath suggested by some cheesecake recipes.
Place the cheesecake on the middle oven rack and bake at 325 for approximately 60 minutes. Cheesecake should still have a slight ‘jiggle’ to the center when removed from oven.
Turn off the oven and leave the door ajar. Allow cheesecake to cool slowly while still in the oven. After cheesecake is cool, remove from oven and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
Serve with whipped cream and your favorite fruit garnish.
Makes approximately 12 servings.
Ingredients
Crust Ingredients:
- • 2 packages graham crackers, crushed (about 16 whole crackers)
- • 3 T. sugar
- • ½ c. + 2 T. melted butter
Filling Ingredients:
- • 1 c. sugar
- • 1 T. corn starch
- • 3 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, softened
- • 4 eggs (best if allowed to come to room temperature)
- • 2/3 c. sour cream
- • 1/3 c. heavy cream
- • 1/2 c. freshly squeezed key lime juice
- • 1 ½ t. pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Crust Instructions:
- Combine crushed graham crackers with melted butter and mix well. This works well in a mixing bowl or large Ziploc type bag.
- Press mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9” spring form pan.
- Bake at 350 F in preheated oven for approximately 12 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Filling Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 325 (note, a different temperature than crust).
- In a small bowl, stir together sugar and corn starch. Set aside.
- Place softened cream cheese in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the sugar mixture and blend until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until each one is just combined. Add sour cream and heavy cream, mixing again until combined. Stir in lime juice and vanilla.
Assembly Instructions:
- Pour filling over cooled graham cracker crust.
- Place large pan, such as a 9 x 13 cake pan, on the lowest oven rack. Fill the pan about two-thirds full with water and leave the pan of water in the oven. This provides moisture as the cheesecake cooks and avoids the sometimes messy water bath suggested by some cheesecake recipes.
- Place the cheesecake on the middle oven rack and bake at 325 for approximately 60 minutes. Cheesecake should still have a slight ‘jiggle’ to the center when removed from oven.
- Turn off the oven and leave the door ajar. Allow cheesecake to cool slowly while still in the oven. After cheesecake is cool, remove from oven and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
- Serve with whipped cream and your favorite fruit garnish.
- Makes approximately 12 servings.