Creamy and rich Margarita Cheesecake has all the flavors of your favorite margarita. A New York style cheesecake made with the traditional cream cheese and sour cream then flavored with orange and lime zest and a few shots of tequila and Grand Marnier. The perfect dessert for the warm days of summer and a delicious addition to any Cinco de Mayo celebration.
Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter springform pan on bottom and halfway up sides.
Crust
Place vanilla wafers in food processor and pulse until fine crumbs. You can also use a Ziploc bag and rolling pin to make crumbs if you do not have a food processor.
Stir in 2 teaspoons of lime peel and melted butter until mixture adheres together.
Press into springform pan covering bottom and halfway up sides of pan.
Bake for 15 minutes then let cool completely on wire rack.
Cheesecake
In a large bowl beat cream cheese at medium speed until smooth and creamy.
Gradually beat in the sugar and salt until well blended.
On low speed, add eggs one at a time until well combined.
Add sour cream, Grand Marnier, lime juice and orange and lime zest. Mix until just blended.
Pour cheesecake mixture into cooled crust.
Bake for 45 minutes then turn oven off and leave in the oven for an additional hour. Do not open door to check on it.
Remove cheesecake from oven and cool completely in pan on wire rack.
At this point you can remove the springform pan from around the side. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours prior to serving.
When ready to serve, slice oranges and limes and garnish top of cheesecake for a beautiful tropical presentation.
Notes
This cheesecake will keep very well for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.Additionally, the top can be decorated with cream cheese icing and pastry bag and tip. Just blend 4-ounces cream cheese, softened, with ¼ cup butter and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract until fluffy, about 1 minute. On low speed, add 2 cups powdered sugar slowly until well blended.