Beachy Lemon Lime Cheesecake

Ahhhh a day at the beach and cheesecake! It is amazing. There’s nothing as refreshing as lemon and lime to cool on a summer’s day and remind you of the beach.

Loaded with silky cream cheese, creamy yogurt and plenty of lemon and lime, the Beachy Lemon Lime Cheesecake is delicious! The tasty cinnamon crust, made with naturally gluten free cereal, compliments the flavors.

Cheesecake can seem intimidating to make, but really, it just takes time, practice and it’s all about the technique. With our step by step guide, it’s easier to tackle.

When baking the actual cheesecake, you can try creating a traditional or faux bain marie, to help avoid a soggy crust. This approach is where you partially fill up a large roasting pan with water and use indirect heat to help gently cook the cheesecake.

See the notes section for all of our tips!

Cheesecake is also the perfect make ahead dessert! Plan it out a few days ahead of time, too.

Useful special tools preferred: stand mixer, 10-inch springform pan, large roasting pan, spouted glass measuring cup, sieve, small icing spatula and optional chocolate mold. Level: intermediate baker.

Important note: cheesecake is best when made ahead and allowed to chill. Allow 1-3 days to make this recipe depending on your experience level. The lime curd can be made 2-5 days ahead of time.

Yield: 12 slices

Author: Stacey Berk

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Ahhhh a day at the beach and cheesecake! It is amazing. There’s nothing as refreshing as lemon and lime to cool on a summer’s day and remind you of the beach. Cheesecake is also the perfect make ahead dessert! Cheesecake can seem intimidating to make, but really, it just takes time, practice and it’s all about the technique.

Prep time: 24 hourCook time: 55 MTotal time: 24 H & 55 M

Ingredients:

Cheesecake Crust

3 cups of cinnamon rice square cereal, crushed to crumbs
3 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 c. unsalted butter, melted

Cheesecake Filling Layer

4 packages of full fat cream cheese, room temperature (leave out the night before)
1 5 oz. full fat vanilla or lemon yogurt, room temperature
3/4 c. granulated sugar
2 tbsp. best quality vanilla, Nielsen-Massey highly recommend
Zest of 3-4 limes (key limes or traditional limes) and one lemon
4 eggs, room temperature, (leave out the night before)

Lime Curd Filling Layer

5 egg yolks, room temperature
3/4 c. granulated sugar
Zest of 3 limes and one lemon
1/2 c. lime juice
Pinch of table salt
1/4 c. unsalted butter, melted
approximately ½- ¾ cup of cinnamon whipped cream (below), once curd has chilled

Cinnamon Whipped Cream and Decoration

2 cups of very cold heavy cream
1 tsp. of cinnamon combined with 1 tbsp. of granulated sugar
1 cup of cinnamon rice square cereal, crushed to crumbs
White chocolate molded seashells or best quality white chocolate chips

Instructions:

Day 1, Crust- Adjust oven racks fitting them to the center and lower levels. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Prepare the outside of a springform pan with several layers of tin foil (see Notes). Mix cereal crumbs, sugar, cinnamon and butter together; press onto bottom of 10-inch springform pan. Bake for 8-10 minutes and cool completely.
Day 1, Cheesecake Filling- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In the stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat room temperature cream cheese for 3-5 minutes. Add the room temperature yogurt, sugar, vanilla and zest with mixer until well blended, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the mixer, mix for an additional 2 minutes. Batter should be smooth and creamy; you should not see any lumps. Add room temperature eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Do not over mix at this point. Pour filling over cooled crust. Fill large roasting pan with about 2-3 inches of warm water, creating a bain marie, see Notes. Place cheesecake on the center rack. Bake the cheesecake for 55-58 minutes, keeping the oven door closed to avoid cracks. Turn oven off and leave cheesecake in oven with the door cracked (you can use a wooden spoon to keep it open) for 3 hours. Remove from the oven, and place on a cooling rack until completely cool. Run a knife around the edges of the springform pan but do not remove the spring until all layers are complete. Carefully discard the faux bain marie. Refrigerate overnight to set covered lightly with parchment paper.
Day 2, Lime Curd Filling Layer- In a medium heatproof bowl, combine yolks, sugar, zest, juice and salt; using a metal whisk, combine and set bowl aside. In a medium-large pot, boil a cup of water to create another bain marie. Place the heat poof bowl over pot, and whisk constantly until thickened, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from the heat and add butter, stirring until smooth. Over a medium glass bowl or jar, using a sieve, separate any solids from the curd. Let cool to room temperature. Once cooled, with a toothpick, you may add a very small amount of green food gel to the curd once cooled, if desired. Store in the refrigerator for 2-4 days with plastic wrap placed directly on top of the curd.
Day 2, Cinnamon Whipped Cream Layer- Using a chilled bowl and chilled whisk attachment, beat the cream until medium-heavy stiff peaks appear. Add cinnamon sugar and mix until it has combined. Add approximately ½- ¾ cup of whipped cream to the lime curd and fold to combine. Place remainder of whipped cream gently into a large plastic zip bag or piping bag. Return to the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
Day 2 Assemble- Place a small amount of whipped cream in the center of a cake pedestal to steady the cheesecake base. Place cheesecake on the cake pedestal. Carefully release the springform pan. With a small straight icing spatula, top the cheesecake with the key lime curd filling. Smooth to flatten. Clean the icing spatula and top the whipped cream on the key lime curd filling. Smooth to flatten. Place crushed cereal crumbs in the middle of the cake so it looks like “sand”. Decorate with white chocolate chips and slices of lemon and lime, or if you are comfortable with making chocolate, white chocolate molded seashells. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Day 2 or 3 Serve- Keep cool until serving. To slice, dip a sharp knife in hot water and dry with a clean cloth.

Notes:

• White Molded Seashells Chocolate Decoration- Place the clean seashell mold on a baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt a 4oz. best quality white chocolate bar in a spouted glass measuring cup or bowl in the microwave for 30-45-minute increments on medium high heat until smooth. Stir in a small handful of dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips until smooth but try to maintain “marbled” look. Working quickly, place chocolate in a small sandwich bag and snip off the very tip at the corner of the bag. Pipe chocolate into the cavity of the mold. Flatten mold with a small straight icing spatula. Allow to cool and harden completely at room temperature, about 5 hours. Once completely set, place mold in refrigerator to harden. Release from the mold. Top chocolate in the center of the cheesecake on the “sand”. Note, you can easily find an inexpensive reusable plastic seashell candy and lollipop mold on the internet. Save the packaging instructions for future use. • How to create a traditional or faux bain marie: o When baking the actual cheesecake, you can try creating a traditional or faux bain marie, to help avoid a soggy crust. This approach is where you partially fill up a large roasting pan with water (1/8-1/4 full) and use indirect heat to help gently cook the cheesecake. o For a traditional bain marie, prepare your pan before you bake the crust with several layers of tin foil wrapped along outside the springform. Submerge the springform, once the filling is placed over the crust, in the large roasting pan. o For a faux bain marie, used if your pan is older or you think it might leak, place the filled roasting pan on the bottom rack, and the cheesecake on the rack above. The water will steam up throughout the oven, but not directly in the cheesecake like a traditional bain marie. The end result should also keep the crust from getting soggy.

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