Nigella's Chocolate and Lime Cheesecake

The other week Mikl (or Fun Uncle Mikl as Astrid likes to call him) had a birthday so we decided to bake him a cake.  Mikl likes cheesecake and we currently have an abundance of limes from our trees so we agreed upon a baked lime cheesecake.

I found this recipe from Nigella that looked pretty good.  I find Nigella to be a little bit over the top but she does make some nice food and I've adapted a few of her recipes over the years.  I had a giggle at some of the descriptions throughout the recipe. Nigella seems keen that you are "able to detect, below the skin, the slightest, sexiest hint of a quiver within" the cheesecake.  She is so full of helpful advice!

Anyway, if you want to try the recipe or have a giggle it is linked above. It does work well, so I can recommend giving it a go. Here is our attempt at Nigella-ing it up........

First we liberally wrapped the springform pan in foil as instructed by Nigella. Then we crushed the double choc chip bikkies and added the butter and pressed it into the pan.  Astrid taste tested the base mixture and approved! The base went into the freezer to set while we worked on the filling.

Next we beat the cream cheese with the sugar and added the lime juice. I varied from the recipe slightly here and added some vanilla bean paste as well as I like the flavour it adds.

Once the filling was in the tin we put it into a baking tray and added boiling water and popped it in the oven for just under an hour. Astrid had been chomping at the bit to get to the cheesecake mix and was happy to declare it very tasty, despite earlier telling me she didn't like limes!

Our oven tends to cook fast so it took slightly less than the designated hour to brown on top and show me it's sexy quiver and I declared it done.  It even held it shape well once out of the oven, no dips in the middle today!

After the cheesecake had cooled I again varied from the recipe and added some chocolate ganache to the top. You can never have enough Chocolate!!! Once decorated we popped it in the fridge and then commenced waiting until it was time to enjoy it.

Astrid had been beside herself with excitement about Uncle Mikl's birthday.  She had been preparing all week for his 'party', which was dinner out at a local Indian restaurant.  She thoroughly enjoyed that and then was excited to come home for cake.  Apparently all birthdays require you to blow out a candle and sing 'Happy Birthday' so that is what we did........

Then the best bit, time for cake!!!  I can confirm the cake was delicious. We served it with double cream and strawberries and it had just the right balance of sweetness and tartness and it even had the sexy quiver!