Half key lime pie, half cheesecake. This lime cheesecake with meringue is essentially inspired by the famous American key lime pie you may already know from the blog, but with the addition of Philadelphia-style cream cheese, making the dessert even creamier and more irresistible without losing any of the freshness and vibrant citrus flavour of the limes. A perfect recipe for bringing a little spring into your kitchen and impressing your guests. Highly recommended!
Ingredients for the base:
- 60 g walnuts or pecans
- 140 g digestive biscuits
- 20 g desiccated coconut
- 70 g butter, melted
Place the biscuits, nuts, coconut and melted butter into a food processor and blend until the biscuits are finely crushed, the nuts ground and the mixture resembles wet sand. If you do not have a food processor, place the biscuits into a sturdy bag (such as a zip-lock bag) and crush thoroughly with a rolling pin. Then mix with the melted butter, desiccated coconut and finely chopped nuts.
Line the base of a 23 cm springform tin with baking parchment. Press the biscuit mixture firmly into the base of the tin.
Bake at 175°C for about 12 minutes, or until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool while preparing the cheesecake filling.
Wrap the outside of the tin twice with aluminium foil — the cheesecake will be baked in a water bath*
Ingredients for the cheesecake filling:
- 280 g Philadelphia-style cream cheese
- 410 g sweetened condensed milk
- 6 egg yolks (120 g), from large eggs
- finely grated zest of 2 limes
- 200 ml freshly squeezed lime juice
All ingredients should be at room temperature.
Place the cream cheese into the bowl of a mixer and beat briefly until smooth and creamy. Add the condensed milk and egg yolks and whisk until combined. Add the lime zest and juice and mix until smooth. Pour the cheesecake mixture over the prepared biscuit base.
Bake at 160°C in a water bath* for about 40 minutes. The surface of the cheesecake should be fully set and firm to the touch. If necessary, bake slightly longer. Remove from the oven, leave to cool completely, then chill for at least 3 hours.
Ingredients for the meringue:
- 3 egg whites (120 g), from large eggs
- 210 g caster sugar
- a large pinch of salt
Prepare the meringue on the day of serving.
Place the egg whites, sugar and salt into a heatproof glass or metal bowl. Whisk with an electric mixer for about 1 minute. Bring a small amount of water to a simmer in a saucepan. Place the bowl over the pan, ensuring the bottom does not touch the water. Continue whisking the egg whites over the steam for exactly 12 minutes. The meringue should reach approximately 70°C. If you do not have a sugar thermometer, do not worry — whisking continuously for 12 minutes over the water bath will ensure the correct temperature is reached. The meringue will become noticeably thicker and glossier as you whisk.
Transfer the meringue into a piping bag fitted with a decorative nozzle and pipe onto the chilled cheesecake. Toast the meringue with a kitchen blowtorch. Alternatively, place the cheesecake under a hot grill for 1–2 minutes, watching carefully so the meringue browns without burning.
Decorate with extra lime zest if desired.
The lime cheesecake with meringue should be stored in the fridge, though it also keeps surprisingly well at room temperature for some time.
* Baking in a water bath: place the cheesecake tin inside a larger baking dish filled with boiling water reaching halfway up the sides of the cheesecake tin. The steam creates high humidity, helping the cheesecake bake evenly throughout, preventing cracks and ensuring an exceptionally creamy texture.
Enjoy!
Recipe source — Sweet by Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh, with my own adaptations.
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