Caramel Cheesecake
This delicious Caramel Cheesecake is a wonderful combination of caramel and cheesecake. It has a cookie crust, a velvety smooth caramel cheesecake filling, and a generous topping of homemade salted caramel. This dessert is full of flavor that will send you straight into a fall mood.
Equipment
- 30 cm /12 inch cake pan optional for the water bath
Ingredients
SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE (can be replaced with store-bought caramel sauce)
- 140 g granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoon water
- 40 g butter
- 150 g heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
COOKIE CRUST
- 250 g digestive or graham crackers
- 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 75 g butter
- A pinch of salt
CARAMEL CHEESECAKE
- 800 g full fat cream cheese room temperature
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 100 g caramel
- 200 g sour cream 14-18% room temperature
- 1 ½ tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
The US customary cup measurement serves as a rough estimate, as it can have uncertainties, so for precise results, it's recommended to weigh your ingredients using a digital scale in grams. Baking is both an art and a science, which most often requires precision and accuracy.
Instructions
SALTED CARAMEL
- In a large saucepan or frying pan, add the granulated sugar and water and stir it together so all of the sugar is wet. Flatten it out into an even layer, so it melts evenly. Melt it over medium/high heat until golden brown. Once you can see it starts slightly brown, give it a stir once in a while so it all melts evenly.140 g granulated sugar, 1 ½ tablespoon water
- Once the caramel is golden brown, reduce the heat to medium heat and stir in the butter until it has melted into the caramel. Then add the heavy cream, a little at a time, stirring in each addition until incorporated. It will bubble up strongly so be careful of your fingers. Stir constantly until it has gathered.40 g butter, 150 g heavy cream
- Turn off the heat and add a pinch of salt and vanilla paste and stir it in. Transfer it to a shallow bowl, so it can cool down faster, and let it cool down in the fridge. It takes about 30-60 minutes to become room temperature.¼ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
COOKIE CRUST
- Before starting, preheat the oven to 160ºC/ 325ºF conventional oven. Prepare a 23 cm/9-inch springform tin lined with parchment paper in the bottom.
- In a food processor, add the cookies and granulated sugar and blend it all together until a fine sand-like texture. Melt the butter. Add the melted butter to the food processor and blend it together with the blended cookies.250 g digestive or graham crackers, 2 tablespoon granulated sugar, A pinch of salt, 75 g butter
- Add the cookie crumbs to the springform and press the cookie crumbs down with the bottom of a glass, and up against the side of the pan, so it’s well packed together and flattened out.
- Bake it for 10 minutes. Let it cool down while making the cheesecake filling. Keep the oven turned on.
CARAMEL CHEESECAKE
- With a hand mixer or in a stand mix using the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese for 1 minute on low speed. Then add the granulated sugar and caramel and let it mix for 1 minute on low speed or until smooth.800 g full fat cream cheese, 150 g granulated sugar, 100 g caramel
- In a small bowl, mix together the sour cream and cornstarch until smooth. Add it to the cream cheese with the vanilla extract and let it mix until combined.200 g sour cream 14-18%, 1 ½ tablespoon cornstarch, 2 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Then add two eggs at a time and let it mix on low speed until combined. Once all the eggs have mixed in, scrape down the sides of the bowl and give it a final mix to make sure all the ingredients have incorporated.4 large eggs
- Pour the cheesecake batter into the springform.
- Boil up water in a kettle. Place the springform in a 25 cm/10 inch cake pan. Place the cake pan in another baking pan or roasting pan and fill it with hot water ⅓-2/3 up the side of the pan. This method will prevent water from getting into the crust.
- Alternatively, add a triple layer of aluminium foil around the cake pan to safely seal it from the water before placing it in a water bath. There might be a possibility of water leaking in, so make sure it's covered well if choosing this method.
- Bake for 1 hour and 10-15 minutes.
- Once the time has passed, give the tray a very gentle shake. The cheesecake should still be a small wobble in the middle. Turn off the oven and have the oven door slightly open and let the cheesecake cool down in the oven for 1 hour.
- Then take it out of the oven and remove it from the water bath. Take off the aluminium foil, if added, and place the cheesecake on a cooling rack. Let it cool down fully for about 1 hour to room temperature.
- Finally, once at room temperature, place it in the fridge and let it set for at least 6 hours, preferable overnight before eating.
ASSEMBLING
- When ready to serve, add the caramel on top of the cheesecake and optionally sprinkle it with a bit of sea salt.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 55gProtein: 9gFat: 43gSaturated Fat: 24gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 167mgSodium: 507mgPotassium: 202mgFiber: 1gSugar: 40gVitamin A: 1516IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 129mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!