Creamy salted Caramel Cheesecake

Salted caramel cheesecake? Oh my god, grab me and I won't resist

The festive season can be an ordeal for those watching what they eat. This blog is probably my diet's worst enemy. I'm constantly on the lookout for different, original and delicious recipes. I only ever come across temptations like this one, introduced to me by casalmisterio who discovered it on  In the Midnight Kitchen  blog. Creamy and fluffy, this cheesecake is an irresistible sin. I already love cheesecakes, but with this salt caramel sauce, so… Oh oh oh.
You will need chocolate Maria biscuits and melted butter for the base. For the cheesecake, you'll need mascarpone cheese and whipping cream, 3 eggs plus an egg yolk, sugar, vanilla extract, and Greek yogurt. For the caramel sauce, you need more sugar, salted butter, cream and fleur de sel.
This beautiful baked cheesecake is super creamy and silky smooth. A cheesecake is meant to be decadent and this one is certainly not going to disappoint. The biscuit base is light and not too sweet and the caramel drizzle on top is not only perfect for this cheesecake but one of the best and easiest salt caramels I have ever made.

Creamy salted Caramel Cheesecake

Biscuit Base

250g chocolate Maria Biscuits 

50ml melted butter

Cheesecake

500g Mascarpone cheese

3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk

1/4 cup granulated sugar 

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 tbsp. yoghurt

1/4 cup whipping cream

Salted caramel

1 cup granulated sugar

6 tbsp. salted butter, cubed

1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. heavy cream

1 tsp. Flor de sal

Biscuit Base

Preheat your oven to 320F/160C, line an 8-10″ round baking tin. Add a layer of parchment paper to the base if you want.

In a food processor, add in the biscuits and blitz for 5-8 seconds until fairly crumbly. 

Then add in the melted butter and sugar, blitz again until combined. The mixture should hold

it's shape when you put some in your hand and make a fist. If it does not, add 2 more tablespoons of melted butter.

Press the crust into the prepared tin, use the back of a glass to make sure it is even and comes up the sides evenly too. Bake for 7 minutes and then remove from the oven.

Salted caramel

In a medium sized pot, add in the granulated sugar and set the heat to medium high. 

Don't touch the sugar with a wooden spoon, simply tilt the pot and the sugar can even coat itself. 

Once the sugar starts to turn brown, watch it carefully and keep moving the pot around. 

There will be a few sugar particles that are stubborn, those can be broken up to dissolve quicker with a wooden spoon. This should take about 10-15 minutes, depending on the heat.

once most of the sugar has melted, turn the heat to low, the sugar should be very hot at this point. 

Add in the butter, if it bubbles it means it is working! If not, increase the heat to help it combine. Stir with a wooden spoon until all the butter has melted. Then add in the salt and cream and keep stirring. It will keep bubbling Once everything is combined, set aside and make the cheesecake.

Cheesecake

In a stand mixer, add the creaming tool and add in the cream cheese. Make sure to scrape down the sides and mix for about 3 minutes.

Then add in the eggs one at a time, and scrape down the sides after each one. 

Continue to add in the sugar and then beat for 5 minutes until the sugar has broken down a bit. 

Continue to add in the vanilla, yoghurt and whipping cream. 

Mix for 5 minutes, there will be some lumps but this is normal and it will bake that away. 

Pour into the baking tin, tap it a few times and bake at 350F/176C with the fan on for 50-60 minutes. The middle of the cheesecake should be slightly wobbly but not completely stiff. Then turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door slightly ajar for 30 minutes.

When you're ready, cut a slice, reheat the caramel and drizzle on top. Remember the caramel will harden after a while so eat up!

This a medium sized cheesecake and not a large one, therefore, it won't rise above the top of the baking tin.The cheesecake can be stored for up to a week in the fridge in an airtight container. Do not add the caramel to it when storing. Only add the caramel when you are ready to serve.