Margarita Cheesecake

Margarita Cheesecake has all the splendid flavors of a classic Margarita cocktail! A perfect, refreshing, homemade cheesecake for dessert on a hot summer’s eve!

Margarita Cheesecake

Just the thought of Key lime pie, slushy margaritas and Margarita cheesecake make my mouth water. Tart citrus balanced with enough sugar to take away the pucker make all three treats tops in my book. For this cheesecake, the usual cream cheese, sour cream, eggs and sugar are flavored with lime juice, lime zest plus Grand Marnier and tequila. Enough for a little zip…plus, if you didn’t realize, alcohol is a flavor enhancer. Just like salt. So all the additions play a role in making one sweet, tangy and limey dessert. Perfect for our Tex-Mex party today.

Margarita cheesecake is softer and creamier than a typical cheesecake.

I swooned with every cool, luscious bite. I started with a sliver, then went back for another sliver, then another. I should have started with a standard slice…I’m sure I ate my fair share plus some extra! I must have needed some vitamin C. Yeah, that’s my story.

There are a couple of important kitchen tools that you will need to make a margarita cheesecake:

• Electric stand mixer
• 9-inch springform pan

Yield: 12 servings

Margarita Cheesecake

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A dreamy cheesecake with all the flavors of a classic Margarita cocktail

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups vanilla wafer cookie crumbs
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 cups sour cream
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 3 tablespoons Grand Marnier
• 3 tablespoons tequila
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 teaspoons lime zest
• 4 eggs, at room temperature
• Very thin orange and lime slices, to garnish, optional

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Mix cookie crumbs and butter till blended. Press crumbs onto bottom and 1-inch up sides of 9 inch springform pan. Refrigerate while preparing filling.
2. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add 1 cup sour cream, 1 cup sugar, Grand Marnier, tequila, lime juice and lime zest and beat until well blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just until blended.Remove bowl from mixer and use spatula scrape bowl to make sure batter is well mixed.
3. Pour filling into crust. Bake until center is just set, about 50 minutes. Mix remaining 1 cup sour cream, ¼ cup sugar and 1 tablespoon lime juice in small bowl. Pour over cheesecake. Using spatula, smooth top. Bake cheesecake for 5 more minutes. Place pan on rack and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight. Run knife around pan sides to loosen cake. Remove pan sides. Garnish cake with orange and lime slices.

Total time: 8+ hours with cooling and chilling times

Notes

Adapted from The Food Network

Tex-Mex Dinner Menu:

Appetizer

• Cheddar, Olive, Tomato Savory Madeleines – Lifes a Feast

Salad

• Mexican Chopped Salad with Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing – Jeanette’s Healthy Living

Soups

• Creamy Hatch Green Chile and Cheese Soup – Creative Culinary
• White Chicken Chili – Healthy Delicious

Main Course

• Epic Creamy Chicken Enchiladas – Miss in the Kitchen

Bread

• Homemade tortillas – Stetted

Sides/Veggies

• Tex Mex Rice with Bacon – The Heritage Cook
• Vegetable Fajitas – SpiceRoots
• Pinto Beans with Fresh Tomato Relish – Never Enough Thyme

Beverage

• Frozen Virgin Strawberry Margarita – Barbara Bakes

Desserts

• Mexican Spiced Chocolate Flan – Pastry Chef Online
• Margarita Cheesecake – That Skinny Chick Can Bake

Welcome to another edition of Progressive Eats, our virtual version of a progressive dinner party. If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, a progressive dinner involves going from house to house, enjoying a different course at each location. With Progressive Eats, a theme is chosen each month, members share recipes suitable for a delicious meal or party, and you can hop from blog to blog to check them out.

We have a core group of 12 bloggers, but we will always need substitutes and if there is enough interest would consider additional groups. To see our upcoming themes and how you can participate, please check out the schedule at Creative Culinary or contact Barb for more information.

This month’s theme is Tex-Mex hosted by Milisa of Miss in the Kitchen.