Baked Homemade Key Lime Cheesecake

This recipe for key lime cheesecake delivers the perfect balance of tangy and
sweet, inspired by the classic key lime pie. It starts with a homemade graham
cracker crust, layered with a rich and creamy key lime cheesecake filling, then it's
baked to perfection. Once chilled, finish it with fresh whipped cream and a
sprinkle of key lime zest as a final touch.

If you know me you know that cheesecake is a favorite, I love to bake it and I love to eat it. On CBQ you will find tons of homemade cheesecake recipes. There is just something about the smooth, thick, creamy, chilled texture of a cheesecake I cannot resist.

The other day I found myself with half a bag of key limes needing to be used, and since I know I love a super tart lemon cheesecake I was sure I would love a key lime cheesecake.

Let me tell you it is so tangy delicious, every bite is seriously a dream. Cheesecake with a graham cracker crust and a lime zing is truly perfection.

Why Key Lime & Cream Cheese Make a Perfect Pair

• Graham Cracker Crust A classic base made from graham crumbs, brown sugar, and melted butter. It bakes into a sturdy foundation that complements the creamy filling.
• Cheesecake Filling Made with room-temperature cream cheese, granulated sugar, heavy cream, sour cream, fresh key lime zest and juice, and eggs plus an extra yolk. The mix yields a smooth, tangy texture with a clean lime finish.

Adding some key lime curd on top would be delicious!

Bake, Chill, Slice & Savor

I recommend scraping the bottom of your bowl a few times throughout the whole process to ensure no lumps.

Decorating a baked cheesecake is one of my favorite things, I almost always top with fresh homemade whipped cream and then I love to add visual cues as to what flavor the cheesecake is, hence the lime zest on this one. I add a homemade blackberry sauce to my baked blackberry cheesecake.

Tips for preventing cracks

• Not over mixing the cheesecake batter, using a water bath while cooking and getting rid of the air bubbles are your first steps in preventing cracks.
• Once the cheesecake has cooked turn the oven off and let the cheesecake cool in the oven for 1 hour then take out of roasting pan and let cool on the counter for 45 minutes to an hour. Finally, wrap the cheesecake plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight. 
• This slow cooling process will help the cheesecake reduce its internal temperature slowly, helping to prevent any cracks. This is especially helpful in cheesecake recipes that don't have something covering the top, like my baked mascarpone cheesecake.

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★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!

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Baked Homemade Key Lime Cheesecake

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This recipe for key lime cheesecake delivers the perfect balance of tangy and sweet, inspired by the classic key lime pie. It starts with a homemade graham cracker crust, layered with a rich and creamy key lime cheesecake filling, then it's baked to perfection. Once chilled, finish it with fresh whipped cream and a sprinkle of key lime zest as a final touch.

• Total Time: 7 Hours 40 Minutes
• Yield: 8-10 Slices 1x

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

Crust 

• 1 cup Graham Cracker Crumbs
• 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
• 3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted

Cheesecake

• 16oz Cream Cheese, very soft at room temp.
• 150 grams (¾ Cup) Granulated Sugar
• 1 oz (2Tablespoons) Heavy Cream
• 2 oz (4 Tablespoons) Sour Cream
• 1 Tablespoon Fresh Key Lime Zest
• 2 oz (4 Tablespoons) Fresh KeyLime Juice
• 3 Large Eggs, at room temp.
• 1 Large Egg Yolk, at room temp.

Topping 

• 1 cup Whipped Cream Homemade or Store-bought
• Zest of 1 Key Lime

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Instructions

Crust 

1. Grease a 6-inch springform pan set aside. Preheat oven to 325F/162C. In a food processor, crush the graham crackers till they become a fine crumbs. In a large bowl add the graham crackers and brown sugar mixing to combine then add the melted butter and press into the bottom and slightly up upsides of the prepared pan. Place in the oven to bake for 5 minutes, until slightly golden brown. Let cool while you make the filling. 

Cheesecake

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment beat cream cheese for 2 minutes on medium to high speed. Add granulated sugar and beat for another 2 minutes. Add heavy cream, sour cream, lime juice, and lime zest mixing until fully combined. Add in eggs one at a time and mix until just combined, do not over mix. You should have a creamy batter with no lumps.
2. Pour into prepared pan. Create a water bath by placing the 6-inch pan in a 9-inch cake pan- place the cake pan in the roasting pan (and fill the roasting pan with hot water halfway up the sides of the cake pan. This prevents ANY water from getting in the cheesecake and you don't have to wrap everything with foil.
3. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes, the middle of the cheesecake should jiggle just a little bit, if you use an internal thermometer the internal temperature should be 145F/63C. Turn the oven off and let cool in the oven for 1 hour then take out of the roasting pan and let cool on the counter for 45 minutes to an hour. Finally, wrap with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight. 

Topping

1. Take the cheesecake out of the fridge and use an offset spatula to gently loosen the crust from the side of the pan, then release the springform pan. 
2.  Top with fresh whipped cream, I used my homemade recipe and piped with a Wilton 1M tip. Use a zester to sprinkle more lime zest on top. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days. 

Equipment

Cordless Hand Mixer

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KitchenAid Stand Mixer

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OXO Kitchen Scale

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Small Springform Pan

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Wilton 1M

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Notes

• You can double the recipe for a 9-inch cheesecake, just add on 30 ish more minutes baking time, you want the cheesecake to still jiggle in the center but be set on the edge* If you press the 2X button on the recipe card above it will double the first quantity but not the second quantity you will need to manually calculate the cups or tablespoons.
• Freezing: Let the cheesecake cool completely if you want to freeze it on the bottom of the springform pan you're good to go if you want to remove it using a spatula to help you transfer the cheesecake to a foil-lined cake board or piece of cardboard. When cooled place in the freezer uncovered. Once the cheesecake has begun to freeze most of the way 3hours later or so wrap the cheesecake in two layers of plastic wrap then a layer of foil. Do not freeze a cheesecake with any toppings, thaw and then add toppings.
• To thaw a cheesecake, place the frozen cheesecake in the fridge overnight to thaw. I remove all but 1 layer of plastic wrap while the cheesecake is thawing.

• Author: Elizabeth Waterson
• Prep Time: 25 Minutes
• Cook Time: 75 Minutes
• Category: Desert
• Method: Bake
• Cuisine: American

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