Mojito Cheesecake
This delicious mojito cheesecake is made with real rum, lime juice and mint leaves, just like the cocktail! It's perfect for the summer!
Servings 6 -8, approximately
Equipment
- 1 6-inch springform pan (If you have a large 10-inch (25.5cm) pan, just double all the ingredients).
- hand mixer
Ingredients
For the crust
- 1½ cups (150g / 5.3oz) cookie crumbs (digestive biscuits or graham cracker crumbs)
- 5 tablespoons (75g / 2.6oz) unsalted butter, melted
For the filling
- ¾ cup (200ml) heavy whipping cream with at least 33% milk fat
- a bunch of fresh mint leaves (about 3.2oz/90g) (or more to taste)
- 3 teaspoons gelatin powder
- 4 tablespoons cold water
- 17.6oz (500g) full fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup (130g / 4.8oz) powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 ½ tablespoons lime zest
- ¼ cup (60ml) white rum (or more to taste)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- some sprigs of mint and slices of lime for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Infuse the cream
- Roughly chop or tear apart the mint leaves and add them to the cream. Muddle them together using a muddler or the back of a wooden spoon. Put the mixture in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours or overnight.
- Strain the cream and discard the leaves. Keep the infused cream in the refrigerator while you make the crust.
Prep the pan & make the crust
- Butter the bottom of the springform pan and then line it with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, pour the melted butter over the cookie crumbs and mix until the butter is incorporated. It should be the consistency of wet sand that clumps together when you hold some in your hand.
- Add the crumb mixture to your prepared pan and press it into the base. I like using a spoon to even out the surface, but you could also use the bottom of a small measuring cup or a straight glass.
- Put the pan in the refrigerator while making the filling.
Make the filling
- Stir the gelatin powder with the cold water and let it sit for about 5 minutes. The gelatin will absorb the water and it will thicken. Set it aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with the powdered sugar, vanilla, rum, lime juice and zest until it's smooth. Taste the mixture to see if you want more rum, lime juice, zest, or finely chopped mint leaves and adjust accordingly.
- Heat the gelatin mixture in the microwave for a few seconds to warm it up. Stir the mixture until it's runny. If you don't have a microwave, place the bowl with the gelatin over another bowl of hot water and keep stirring the gelatin until it dissolves and is runny.
- Pour the runny gelatin mixture into the cream cheese mixture and beat until combined.
- In another bowl, beat the infused cream until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes.
- Add the whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture and mix until everything is combined.
- Pour the cheesecake filling over the crust and smooth out the surface. Then put it in the refrigerator for at least 4-6 hours to set or overnight.
- Before serving, run a knife along the edges. Then unlatch and lift the springform ring.
- Garnish with some mint sprigs and slices of lime before serving, if desired. You could also add some more rum on top!
- Cover any leftovers with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store it in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- For a stronger mint flavor, you could add some finely chopped mint to the filling. I have tried this cheesecake with finely chopped mint leaves in the filling, but I didn't really like it and I found it was too herbaceous for me.
- For a large 10-inch (25.5cm) springform pan, you can double all the ingredients.
- For clean slices, dip a straight edge knife into hot water and then wipe it before cutting into the cheesecake.
