Mary Berry Lemon and Lime Cheesecake Recipe

A lemon and lime cheesecake is noticeably brighter, sharper, and more complex than a plain lemon cheesecake. The lime adds a more fragrant, slightly more tropical note to the citrus flavour — its zest is more vivid and more aromatic than lemon, and its juice has a slightly different, slightly more floral acidity. Together, lemon and lime give a cheesecake filling that tastes more vivid than either would alone.

The decoration plays on the two citrus fruits visually — slices of both lemon and lime arranged over the top of the set cheesecake, a drizzle of lime curd, and a scattering of lime zest. The pale cream filling with the vivid citrus garnish looks genuinely beautiful.

This is the cheesecake for people who love lemon cheesecake but want something with a little more edge.

Ingredients for Mary Berry Lemon and Lime Cheesecake

For the Biscuit Base

• 300g digestive biscuits, crushed to fine crumbs
• 150g unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tbsp golden caster sugar

For the Lemon and Lime Filling

• 600g full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
• 125g icing sugar, sifted
• 300ml double cream, cold
• Finely grated zest of 2 large unwaxed lemons
• Finely grated zest of 2 unwaxed limes
• Juice of 1 large lemon (about 3 tbsp)
• Juice of 1 large lime (about 2 tbsp)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

To Decorate

• Thin slices of unwaxed lemon and lime, halved
• 3 tbsp lime curd or lemon curd — warmed slightly until pourable
• Extra lime zest and lemon zest
• A dusting of icing sugar

How to Make Mary Berry Lemon and Lime Cheesecake

Step 1 — Make the Base

Combine the crushed digestive biscuits, melted butter, and caster sugar. Press very firmly into a 23cm round loose-bottomed springform tin using the base of a flat glass — particularly firmly at the edges. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Step 2 — Make the Lemon and Lime Filling

Beat the room-temperature cream cheese and icing sugar together until completely smooth — two to three minutes with an electric hand whisk.

Add the lemon zest, lime zest, lemon juice, lime juice, and vanilla extract. Beat briefly until combined. Taste — the filling should be vividly citrus, clearly sharp, and well-balanced between sweet and sour. If it seems slightly flat, add a little more lime juice.

In a separate bowl, whip the cold double cream to soft peaks — billowy and holding a gentle shape.

Fold the whipped cream into the citrus cream cheese mixture in two additions — gently, stopping the moment no white streaks remain.

Step 3 — Fill and Set

Spoon the filling onto the chilled biscuit base. Spread evenly with a palette knife. Smooth the surface with a hot palette knife for the cleanest finish.

Cover loosely with cling film and refrigerate overnight — eight hours minimum.

Step 4 — Decorate and Serve

Release the springform tin. Slide onto a serving plate.

Arrange thin lemon and lime slices over the surface of the cheesecake in an overlapping pattern — alternating lemon and lime for a visually striking arrangement. Warm the lime or lemon curd slightly and drizzle over the arranged citrus slices in thin lines. Scatter lemon and lime zest over the top. Dust the edges lightly with icing sugar.

My Top Tips For Perfect Lemon and Lime Cheesecake

Use both zest and juice of both fruits. The zest gives fragrance — the essential oils that give each citrus its specific aromatic character. The juice gives acidity. Using both gives the fullest, most complex citrus flavour. Zest alone gives fragrance without brightness. Juice alone gives sharpness without complexity.

Lime zest is more intense than lemon — use it with confidence. Lime zest is more vivid and more aromatic than lemon. Two limes give the right amount of fragrance to balance the two lemons without the lime overwhelming.

Taste before folding in the cream. The moment to adjust the citrus level is before the cream goes in. The cream will dilute the flavour slightly — if the cream cheese mixture tastes perfectly balanced before the cream, the finished cheesecake will taste slightly mild. It should taste assertively citrus before the cream.

Refrigerate overnight. The combination of lemon and lime juice adds acidity that can slightly affect the setting of the cream cheese filling. The full overnight set gives a properly firm, sliceable cheesecake.

Alternate lemon and lime slices for the decoration. The visual contrast of the pale yellow lemon against the vivid green lime is one of the most striking, most immediately attractive cheesecake decorations. Take a moment to arrange them in a considered pattern.

Serving Suggestions

Cold from the fridge at a dinner party — it looks genuinely beautiful. With extra lime curd served alongside for those who want more citrus. As a summer birthday cake — the citrus flavour is particularly well-suited to warm weather.

How to Store

In the fridge: Store covered for up to 3 days. The citrus flavour becomes slightly more pronounced on the second day.

In the freezer: Freeze without the citrus slice decoration and drizzle for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and decorate fresh.

Mary Berry Lemon and Lime Cheesecake Recipe

Mary Berry's lemon and lime cheesecake combines both citrus fruits in a bright, vivid, no-bake filling — sharper and more complex than a plain lemon cheesecake.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Setting Time 8 hours hrs

Total Time 8 hours hrs 25 minutes mins

Servings: 12 Slices

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: British

Calories: 470

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• Biscuit Base:
• 300 g digestive biscuits crushed
• 150 g unsalted butter melted
• 1 tbsp golden caster sugar
• Lemon and Lime Filling:
• 600 g full-fat cream cheese room temperature
• 125 g icing sugar sifted
• 300 ml double cream cold
• Finely grated zest of 2 unwaxed lemons and 2 unwaxed limes
• Juice of 1 large lemon and 1 large lime
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Decoration:
• Thin lemon and lime slices halved
• 3 tbsp lime or lemon curd warmed
• Lemon and lime zest
• Icing sugar for dusting

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Method

 

1. Press biscuit base very firmly into a 23cm springform tin. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
2. Beat room-temperature cream cheese and icing sugar until smooth. Add both zests, both juices, and vanilla — beat briefly. Taste — should be assertively citrus. Adjust with more lime juice if needed.
3. Whip cold cream to soft peaks. Fold into citrus cream cheese mixture in two additions — gently until just combined.
4. Spoon onto base. Spread evenly. Smooth surface. Cover loosely. Refrigerate overnight.
5. Release tin. Arrange alternating lemon and lime slices over the surface. Drizzle warmed curd in thin lines. Scatter zest. Dust edges with icing sugar.

Notes

Use both zest and juice of both fruits — zest gives fragrance, juice gives brightness.

Lime zest is more intense than lemon — use it with confidence.

Taste before adding cream — it should be assertively citrus at this stage.

Refrigerate overnight — citrus juice can affect setting. Full overnight time is essential.

Alternate lemon and lime slices in the decoration — the visual contrast is striking.

Freeze without decoration for up to 2 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use only lime?

Yes — an all-lime cheesecake is wonderful. Use the zest of 4 limes and the juice of 2. The flavour is more fragrant and more tropical than the lemon and lime combination.

Can I make lime curd at home?

Yes — see the lemon curd recipe on this site and substitute lime juice and zest in exactly the same quantities. Lime curd is marginally more fragrant and slightly more vivid in colour than lemon curd.

Can I use reduced-fat cream cheese?

No — reduced-fat cream cheese has too much water content to set a no-bake cheesecake reliably. Full-fat only.

Why is my cheesecake not setting?

Either low-fat cream cheese was used, the cream was not whipped to proper soft peaks, or the cheesecake was not refrigerated long enough. All three are critical for a properly set filling.