Delicious salted caramel Cheesecake

Preparation time: 45 minutes    
Cooking & Baking time: 1 hour 45 minutes    
Serves: 12 pieces

This mouth-watering Caramel Cheesecake is a wonderful combination of caramel and cheesecake. It features a biscuit base, a velvety smooth caramel cheesecake filling and a generous topping of homemade salted caramel. This dessert is bursting with flavour that will put you straight in the autumnal mood.

Ingredients:

SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE (can be replaced with shop-bought caramel sauce)

• 140 g granulated sugar
• 1 ½ tablespoons water
• 40 g butter
• 150 g thick single cream
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste

BISCUIT CRUST:

• 250 g digestive or Graham crackers
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 75 g butter
• A pinch of salt

CARAMEL CHEESECAKE:

• 800 g full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
• 150 g granulated sugar
• 100 g caramel
• 200 g double cream (14–18%), at room temperature
• 1 ½ tablespoons cornflour
• 2 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs

Directions:

1. SALTED CARAMEL: In a large saucepan or frying pan, add the granulated sugar and water and stir them together until all the sugar is dissolved. Spread it out in an even layer so that it melts evenly. Melt it over a medium to high heat until it turns golden. As soon as you see it start to turn a light brown colour, stir it every now and then so that it melts evenly.
2. 140 g granulated sugar, 1 ½ tablespoons water
3. Once the caramel has turned golden brown, reduce the heat to medium and stir in the butter until it has melted into the caramel. Next, add the thick double cream, a little at a time, stirring after each addition until it is incorporated. It will foam up vigorously, so be careful with your fingers. Stir continuously until it thickens.
4. 40 g butter, 150 g double cream
5. Turn off the heat and add a pinch of salt and the vanilla pulp, then stir. Transfer it to a shallow bowl to cool more quickly and leave it in the fridge to cool. It takes about 30–60 minutes to reach room temperature.
6. ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
7. BISCUIT CRUST: Before you start, preheat the oven to 160ºC (conventional oven). Prepare a 23 cm springform tin lined with baking paper on the base.
8. In a food processor, add the biscuits and granulated sugar and blend everything together until it has a fine, sandy texture. Melt the butter. Add the melted butter to the food processor and mix it in with the biscuit mixture.
9. 250 g Digestive or Graham biscuits, 2 tablespoons caster sugar, a pinch of salt, 75 g butter
10. Add the biscuit crumbs to the springform tin and press them down with the base of a glass, working your way up the sides of the tin, so that they are firmly packed and level.
11. Bake for 10 minutes. Leave to cool whilst you make the cheesecake filling. Keep the oven on.
12. CARAMEL CHEESECAKE: Using a hand mixer or a food processor fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese for 1 minute on a low speed. Then add the caster sugar and caramel and mix for 1 minute on a low speed or until smooth.
13. 800 g full-fat cream cheese, 150 g caster sugar, 100 g caramel
14. In a small bowl, mix together the double cream and the cornflour until smooth. Add this to the cream cheese along with the vanilla extract and mix until smooth.
15. 200 g double cream (14–18%), 1½ tablespoons cornflour, 2½ teaspoons vanilla extract
16. Next, add two eggs at a time and mix on a low speed until the mixture is smooth. Once all the eggs have been incorporated, scrape down the sides of the bowl and give the mixture a final stir to ensure all the ingredients are fully incorporated.
17. 4 large eggs
18. Pour the cheesecake mixture into the springform tin.
19. Bring the water to the boil in a kettle. Place the springform tin in a 25 cm cake tin. Place the cake tin inside another baking tray or roasting tin and fill it with hot water to a level of one-third of the baking tray’s height. This method will prevent water from seeping into the crust.
20. Alternatively, wrap a triple layer of aluminium foil around the cake tin to seal it securely against the water before placing it in a water bath. There is a chance of water leaking, so make sure it is well covered if you choose this method.
21. Bake for 1 hour and 10–15 minutes.
22. Once the time is up, shake the baking tin very gently. The cheesecake should still wobble slightly in the centre. Switch off the oven, leave the oven door slightly ajar, and leave the cheesecake to cool in the oven for 1 hour.
23. Next, take it out of the oven and remove it from the bain-marie. Remove the aluminium foil, if used, and place the cheesecake on a cooling rack. Leave it to cool completely for about 1 hour at room temperature.
24. Finally, once it has reached room temperature, place it in the fridge and leave it to set for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight, before serving.

Tips & Notes:

• Use kitchen scales: The default setting for my recipes is grams. It’s the most accurate way to measure your ingredients, so I strongly recommend using kitchen scales.
• Don’t over-mix your batter: I always use a spatula once everything has been mixed together to give it one final gentle fold. This ensures that everything at the bottom of the mixing bowl is incorporated into the batter.
• Light-coloured and dark baking tins: For best results, use an aluminium baking tin, greased with butter and lined with baking paper on the base. Aluminium tins are light in colour and therefore absorb less heat. This means it bakes more gently, resulting in a softer cake. If you use a black baking tin, it will absorb much more heat. This will then produce a darker crust, which can lead to a dry cake.
• Store the Caramel Cheesecake in the fridge, covered with cling film or in an airtight container. Best enjoyed within 3 days.