Summer Lovin’: A Birthday (Cheese) Cake
Eatinist Bitch hails from Queens, NY and loves food almost as much as she likes to talk. She’s been blogging since Summer 2010, and is currently interning for Robicelli’s Cupcakes in Brooklyn, NY. Check out her blog and like her on Facebook to get recipes, reviews, and other tasty nibbles. Also be sure to read her first entry in the Summer Series: Little Ghost Girl.
My good friend,Tana (aka Eatinist 2), has had a hand in making my birthday cake/dessert for the past two years (Guinness chocolate cake w/Baileys frosting and chocolate strawberry ricotta tart), so I knew that when she requested a cake from me, I had to step up my game. She has an affinity for anything key lime, so I knew a cheesecake would be perfect…but how to jazz it up?
I did a little research online, and found a pretty basic lime cheesecake recipe. I did some tweaking, and as I was tasting the batter, I knew I had stumbled upon something extra delicious. Follow along!
Instead of using graham crackers for the crust, I used these:
These speculoos (Belgian spice) cookies are amazing. I had them for the first time on a flight to Georgia — a pack of them were included with my in flight snack. Crispy and just a little bit spicy, they go great with coffee and tea. They’re kind of similar to gingerbread, and I knew the gingery kick would compliment the lime perfectly. The recipe called for a 1 1/2 cup of crumbs, and I upped it to 2 because I was using a rectangular pan. Didn’t want to run the risk of not having enough to cover the bottom of it… and I really like a thick crust on cheesecakes.
Pulse until you have coarse crumbs. If you don’t have a food processor, put the cookies in a large, heavy duty zip top bag, close it up, and either crush the cookies with your hands or use a rolling pin.
Combine the crumbs with 2 tablespoons of sugar, and 3/4 of a stick of melted butter…
and press them in a greased 13 x 9 metal pan. Now we’re gonna blind bake (bake with no filling) the crust in a preheated 375 degree oven so that the crust sets and gets golden brown. If you skipped this step the crust would fall apart when you cut into the cheesecake! This takes 5-8 minutes, so don’t walk away from the oven. Set the crust aside to cool while you work on the filling.
Since there were no more key limes at my supermarket, I was cruelly forced to use the regular kind. I zested 4 limes, which came up to a tablespoon of fragrant green zest, and the juice from them yielded about a 1/3 of a cup of liquid.
Take 3 - 8oz packages of softened cream cheese with 3/4 cup of sugar, and use either the paddle attachment on a stand mixer (like on my brand new Kitchen Aid, swoon!) or hand mixer/strong arm to whip it up til it’s fluffy.
Instead of using sour cream, I subbed with Greek yogurt, which I adore. It’s a little less tangy than the sour cream, but it still adds a silken texture and lightness. I prefer the Fage brand, b/c it doesn’t have additives, just the milk and yogurt cultures. I used 1 cup, and also threw in 3 tablespoons of flour. More mixing ensued.
Next up, 4 eggs, added in one a a time. Mix completely before you add the next egg, please!
A teaspoon of vanilla extract, the lime juice, a pinch of salt, and the zest, finishes your filling. Mix until it’s blended, and when the taste of it makes your heart go pitter-pat, you know you have it right.
Pour that voluptuous mixture into the pan and smooth it evenly over the crust. Doesn’t this look insane already?
Now, what I want you to do next may sound a little weird…maybe unorthodox. But trust in me! This is the secret to smooth, delicious cheesecake that isn’t dry and doesn’t crack on the surface. Get another pan that is the same shape that is a little larger than the cheesecake pan (a roasting pan works well). Nest the cheesecake inside. Take some hot tap water and fill up the roasting pan about half way, so the water comes up the side of the cheesecake pan. I do this on the oven’s rack or on the open oven door, so I don’t risk spilling hot water all over myself carrying the pan to the oven.
This little technique is called a bain marie (water bath). The hot water allows the cheesecake to cook slowly and evenly, which gives you a great texture with no dry bits and no cracks! Get your cheesecake in the oven and bake it at 375 for 15 minutes, then drop the temperature to 250 and bake for another 50.
You’ll know it’s finished when the cake is only slightly jiggly, and the surface is firm. Let it cool completely on a wire rack, then throw some plastic wrap on it so you can put it in the fridge to chill overnight (or 4-6 hours works too, if you make this early enough in the day).
Why, hello there, you smooth and creamy thing, you.
This cheesecake has everything going for it. It’s light, fluffy, zingy and sweet: all of the tastes that remind me of how fleeting summer is.
And Tana’s face when she took her first bite? Well, I think she definitely had a happy birthday.
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A Birthday (Cheese) Cake is part of our Summer Series.
