I currently find myself in a very unique situation. Where I live, the local fruit vendors have almost exclusively switched out their delicious limes for small green orbs that suspiciously taste like unripe oranges. Thankfully, however, as an erstwhile bar owner, I have contacts in the citrus underworld and have sourced what folks now refer to as ‘old limes.’ This revelation unfortunately comes with its own drawback, meaning that I have to buy them in 5 kilo batches and must find new and inventive ways to use them all up. Therefore, with this spirit of invention ringing in the ears, I’m ready to introduce you to my very own No Bake Key Lime Cheesecake!
No-Bake Key Lime Cheesecake
Equipment
- 1 Food Processor (or plastic bag and mallet)
- 1 Sieve
Ingredients
For the Base
- 250g (9oz) Digestive Biscuits
- 100g (3oz) Unsalted Butter
For the Filling
- 500g (1lb) Full Fat Cream Cheese
- 125g (4oz) Icing Sugar
- 500g (1lb) Whipping Cream
- 4g (1tsp) Vanilla Extract
- 70g (2½oz) Fresh Key Lime Juice
- 4g (1tsp) Lime Zest
To Decorate
- 100g (3oz) Whipping Cream
- 15g (1tbsp) Icing Sugar
- 1 Lime Wheel
- 2 Lime Twists
- Grated Lime Zest
Instructions
A Little Pre-Planning
- Once you've decided you want to make a cheesecake, remove the cream cheese from the fridge, chop it up a little, and leave it in a place where the ambient temperature is around 20℃. This will ensure that it reaches the right consistency when its time to mix
The Base
- Cut a circle of baking paper the same size as your cake tin, and stick it to the base of the tin with a little butter
- Next, pop 250g of Digestive Biscuits in a food processor and decimate until all that's left is crumbs. If you don't own a food processor, pop the biscuits in a bag and go at it with a mallet/hammer/rolling pin/bare fists
- Once crumbled, put 100g of Unsalted Butter in a small saucepan and heat until melted. Then, add the Digestive Biscuit crumbs and stir until completely incorporated
- Pour the resulting buiscuity goodness into the cake tin and press evenly into place with a flat-bottomed glass or similar implement
- Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes
The Filling
- Remember that Cream Cheese from earlier, well it should be ready for mixing now
- Place 500g of Cream Cheese, 50g of Fresh Whipping Cream, 70g of freshly squeezed Key Lime Juice, and 4g of Vanilla Extract in a large mixing bowl. Then sift in 125g of Icing Sugar and beat everything together with an electric hand mixer until it all comes together in a thick paste
- In a separate mixing bowl (you don't need to clean the hand mixer for this), place the remaining 450g of Fresh Cream and whip it into soft peaks
- Once satisfyingly whipped, take a spoonful of the cream and slowly fold it in with the Cream Cheese mix until roughly incorporated. Then, add the rest of the Cream and fold it into the mixture until it reaches an airy and uniform colour and texture
- Finally, carefully remove the zest from 2 Limes (around 4g) by lightly scraping it over the small holes in a grating device so that you end up with flakes of only the green skin (the white part will leave an unpalatable bitter taste) and fold that into the mixture
- When happy, pour the entire thing on top of the Biscuit Base you prepared earlier and smooth the top with the rubber spatula
- Cover the top of the tin with plastic wrap, making sure it doesn't touch the top of the cake, and chill for at least 4 hours
The Decoration
- Now that you have your basic cake, you are welcome to decorate it however you please. But, please read on if you want a little guidance on this matter
- Pop 100g of cold Whipping Cream in a medium-sized mixing bowl and add 15g of Icing Sugar. Then, using a hand mixer, whisk until it resembles stiff peaks
- Put the resulting creaminess into a piping bag, and pipe a ring of evenly-sized dollops around the edge of the cake
- Next, carefully cut 2 long, thin strips of Lime Peel, then tightly twist them around a chopstick secure them with a clothes peg, and leave them like that for 3 or 4 minutes
- Meanwhile, cut a wheel out of a Lime, chop it in half, and place the two pieces in the centre of the cake. Then, using the small part of the cheese grater, grate some lime zest over the top of the cake without being too zealous
- Finally, remove your lime peel strips from the chopstick, pull them apart a little, then stylishly place them on the delicious looking cheesecake
- Once complete, soak a tea-towel in hot water, then run it around the side of the cake tin making sure no water gets on the cake itself, then remove it from its metal confinement
- Transfer the cake to a suitable plate, then slice up and enjoy!
Nutrition
What are Key Limes?
In the dessert ridden world, it seems like “key lime” is something of a buzzword designed to make a dish sound more exotic, and to be honest, this one is no exception. A key lime is essentially a form of citrus fruit named after the Florida Keys, where it has found fame in dessert making circles. Despite this, however, it traces its actual origins to Southeast Asia, a place where I spend a lot of my time. In other parts of the world, folks will also refer to it as a Mexican or West Indies lime. It has found favour in the culinary realm due to its intense sour taste and abundance of tasty lime juice.
The Decoration Game
I should point out that I am not the greatest decorator of cakes this world has ever seen, and therefore tend to lean towards simplicity when trying to make my creations look pretty. For this Key Lime Cheesecake, I generally go for a crudely piped outer rim of cream while adding an additional spark of colour with the application of lime zest and slices. Those wanting to go a little further however, can add some extra garnishes such as Mint, or add a striking contrast with the application of a few raspberries.
A Few Uses for Key Limes other than Cheesecake
Due to its incredible flavour, the Key Lime has established itself as a powerhouse in the kitchen and has many uses in the culinary world. As such, folks can use them when cooking a multitude of southeast Asian dishes, they make a great sour condiment for potatoes, and will work perfectly in an ice cold glass of Mojito or a magnificent Margarita. In addition, key limes will taste fantastic as an addition to a fruit based soft drink and a whole array of alcoholic beverages.
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