Tropical Lime Cheesecake with Mango Sauce

A buttery coconut crust is the perfect carrier for a zesty lime-cream cheese filling topped with a tangy mango sauce.  The key to a creamy cheesecake is using room-temperature cream cheese, blending it until completely smooth and baking the cake in a water bath.

Tropical Lime Cheesecake with Mango Sauce Recipe

Tropical Lime Cheesecake with Mango Sauce

Crust:   ¾ cup flour

1/3 cup unsweetened finely shredded coconut

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

½ cup unsalted butter, chilled, cut up

1 egg yolk

1 tsp. coconut extract

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Filling:   4 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

6 Tbsp. lime juice

2 Tbsp. grated lime peel

1 cup sour cream

Sauce:   12 oz. frozen cubed mango, thawed, or 1 ½ cups chopped fresh mango

3 Tbsp. sugar

2 Tbsp. lime juice

1 tsp. dark rum, if desired

Pulse flour, coconut, powdered sugar and salt in food processor until combined and coconut is finely chopped.  Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.  Add all remaining crust ingredients; pulse briefly until mixture is moist and crumbly.  Shape into flat round; cover and refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes.

With lightly floured hands, press dough into bottom of 10 inch springform pan, working from center out.  Prick all over with fork.  Freeze at least 15 minutes or refrigerate overnight.

Meanwhile, heat oven to 375 F.  Bake crust 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown around edges and pale golden brown in center.  Cool on wire rack.  Reduce oven temperature to 300 F.

Pulse cream cheese and 1 cup sugar in food processor 30 to 60 seconds or until creamy and no lumps remain.  With processor running, add eggs one at a time.  Add lime juice and peel; process until smooth.  Add sour cream; process 5 seconds.

Wrap bottom and sides of springform pan with heavy-duty foil.  Pour filling into springform pan; place in large baking pan.  Place pan in oven; pour about 1 inch hot tap water into baking pan.

Bake at 300 F. for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes or until edges are puffed and top is dry to the touch.  Center should move slightly when pan is tapped but should not ripple as if liquid.  Remove cake from water bath; remove foil.  Cool on wire rack to room temperature.  Refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.

Puree mango in food processor until smooth.  With processor running, add all remaining sauce ingredients; process until smooth and well-blended.  Serve cheesecake with sauce.         12 servings

 

(Recipe for Tropical Lime Cheesecake with Mango Sauce was in Cooking Club magazine, April/May 2011)