Layerd Lime Cheesecake

A good friend of mine, Jesse, had just celebrated his birthday the day before our Ugly Christmas Sweater Party. Since we were already having a party what better than to make a birthday cake to celebrate with all our friends. Now what kind of cake to make??

Dilemma! 
 He does not like cake... uhmm, okay. 

Approach:

He loves mint, lime, cheesecake, and pies. 

Possible Remedies: 

 Key Lime pie  

(too summer-y)

Andes Mints inspired something or other

(wait, he doesn't like chocolate)

Cheesecake  

(too obvious)

Pie 

(nothing Birthday-ish about it...
can you even put a candle in a pie??)

Ah Hah! Got it...

A Key Lime Pie Cheesecake hybrid

Key Lime Cheesecake

P E R F E C T I O N !

I have no reservations about bragging on this recipe... it was absolutely luxurious.

The crust itself was incredible - just a simple graham cracker crust. Everyone loves this. On top of that a lime custard. On top of that a lime cheesecake layer. And to top it all off a layer of sweet sour cream. (Honestly, I was kind of turned off by this idea at first but the reviews swore by it so why not?!)

The criteria for this recipe search was that it must be: unique, do-ahead, have an impressive presentation and bold flavor, and required an intermediate skill level at most, so I stumbled upon this recipe on Epicurious and it was exactly what I was looking for.

I do not even like cheesecake but this was incredible!

I have provided you with a modified version of the recipe below. I simply tweaked it to include some of the recommendations that the Epicurious reviews provided.

Ingredients

Lime custard

• 6 large egg yolks
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 6 tablespoons fresh Key lime juice or regular lime juice (I used regular limes)
  
• 1 teaspoon grated Key lime peel or regular lime peel

Crust

• 1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 12 whole graham crackers)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Filling

• 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature (I used 1/3 less fat)
  
• 2/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons fresh Key lime juice or regular lime juice (I used regular limes)
  
• 1 tablespoon grated Key lime peel or regular lime peel

• 1 16-ounce container sour cream

Recipe

For lime custard:
Whisk all ingredients in heavy small saucepan over medium heat until custard thickens and boils for 30 seconds, this will take about 8 minutes. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally (mixture will thicken).
For crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter an 8 inch spring form pan. Stir first 3 ingredients to blend in medium bowl. Mix in butter until moistened. Press crumb mixture evenly onto bottom and 1 1/2 inches up sides of prepared pan. Bake just until set, about 5 minutes. Cool completely. Maintain oven temperature at 350F.
For filling:
Place cream cheese, 2/3 cup sugar, lime juice, and lime peel in processor; blend well. Add eggs and blend until just incorporated. (You may have some smaller lumps but this is okay.)

Spoon custard into crust; smooth top. Carefully spoon cheesecake filling over the custard.

Baking instructions:
Fill a brownie pan half full with water. Place on a rack directly beneath the middle rack in your oven. Set the cheesecake on the middle rack. Bake until almost set but not completely puffed and center moves slightly when pan is gently shaken, about 45 minutes.


Meanwhile, stir sour cream and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar in medium bowl to blend. (I ended up using about 4 or 5 tbs. I guess it depends on your taste.) Carefully spoon sour cream mixture over hot cheesecake; smooth top. Bake until topping sets, about 10 more minutes. Cool cheesecake completely. Cover and refrigerate overnight. I would not recommend serving this immediately after cooled. Let the flavors settle over night and it is just fabulous!  

Do ahead Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated. Release pan sides from cheesecake; transfer to platter. Garnish with lime slices and serve.



Nutritional Stats: (makes 12 servings)
Calories 463, Fat 33.6g, Carbs 34.9, Sugars 22.6g, Protien 7.4g
Vitamin A 23%,  Vitamin C 6%, Calcium 9%, Iron 8%

Ps. This cake will serve WAY more than 12 people so don't completely freak :)  Just eat a sliver of cake (not a lot of slivers- I had to immediately leave the room after finishing my second sliver because this is just that good.)