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Baked Lime Cheesecake (18 cm)
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Baked Lime Cheesecake (18 cm)

A tangy, creamy baked lime cheesecake with a digestive biscuit base. Makes 4 generous slices. Best made ahead and chilled so the flavours develop fully.

Prep:25 min
Cook:50 min
Total:75 min
Servings:4
medium
dessert
baked
cheesecake
lime
citrus

Ingredients

  • •150 g Digestive biscuits
  • •75 g Unsalted butter, melted
  • •300 g Full-fat cream cheese
  • •75 g Caster sugar
  • •2 large Eggs
  • •200 g Soured cream (for filling and topping)
  • •1 tbsp Plain flour (to stabilise)
  • •2 medium Limes (zest and juice)
  • •1 tsp Vanilla extract
  • •1 tbsp Icing sugar (for topping)
  • •1 medium Extra lime or lime zest, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

  1. 1.Preheat the oven to 160°C fan (180°C conventional / Gas Mark 4). Grease the base and sides of an 18 cm loose‑bottom or springform tin and line the base with baking parchment.
  2. 2.Make the base: place the digestive biscuits in a food processor and blitz to fine crumbs, or put them in a sealed bag and crush with a rolling pin. Mix the crumbs with the melted butter until evenly combined.
  3. 3.Press the crumb mixture firmly and evenly into the base of the prepared tin (and slightly up the sides if you like). Chill in the fridge while you make the filling (about 10 minutes) to help it set.
  4. 4.Make the filling: in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer (or whisk) until smooth and free of lumps. Add the caster sugar and beat again until combined.
  5. 5.Add the eggs one at a time, beating briefly after each addition. Do not overwhip — you want a smooth mixture, not lots of air.
  6. 6.Stir in 100 g of the soured cream, the plain flour, the vanilla extract, the finely grated zest of both limes and the juice from the limes. Mix until smooth and evenly combined.
  7. 7.Pour the filling over the chilled biscuit base and smooth the top with a spatula.
  8. 8.To bake gently and reduce cracking, place the tin inside a larger roasting tin. Carefully pour hot (not boiling) water into the roasting tin until it reaches about halfway up the outside of the cheesecake tin (this is a bain‑marie/water bath). Wrap the base of the cheesecake tin in a double layer of foil first if it’s not leakproof.
  9. 9.Bake in the oven for 45–55 minutes. The edges should be set and the centre should still have a slight wobble — it will firm up as it cools.
  10. 10.Turn the oven off, crack the door open and leave the cheesecake in the oven to cool gradually for about 1 hour (this helps prevent the top from cracking). Remove from the water bath, take off the foil if used, and leave to cool to room temperature on a wire rack.
  11. 11.Make the topping: mix the remaining 100 g soured cream with the icing sugar and 1 tsp of finely grated lime zest. When the cheesecake is at room temperature, spread the topping over the top. Chill the cheesecake in the fridge for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, until completely set.
  12. 12.Run a thin knife around the edge of the tin before releasing the springform. Garnish with extra lime zest or thin lime slices, slice with a hot, dry knife and serve chilled.
  13. 13.Storage: keep refrigerated for up to 3 days. You can freeze slices wrapped well for up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.