It was love at first sight. I saw a post on Instagram of this cheesecake and knew I had to give it a try. And I did. There is no turning back. And to think, I am not a cheesecake fan.
The post belonged to Lindsay Cochran, whom I call the cheesecake queen. This lady bakes amazing desserts and makes such clever cheesecake flavour combinations. I was intrigued by her caramel pecan cheese cake. I used walnuts instead with great results. I followed all her tips about the caramel layer, like adding flour to keep it from being runny. I used my own cheesecake recipe which I have developed over the years.
What you see in the picture is a heavenly dessert. Buttery, nutty, creamy, pure bliss. And as I said, I am not a cheesecake fan. Or was.
Caramel Walnut Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the base:
- 250 grams of crushed digestive biscuits
- 30 grams of coarsely chopped walnuts
- 100 grams of unsalted butter melted
For the caramel layer:
- 420 grams of granulated sugar
- 100 grams of water.
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 125 grams of unsalted butter
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 300 grams of cream
- 40 grams flour
- 30 grams of coarsely chopped walnuts
For the cheesecake
- 50 grams soft brown sugar
- 200 grams of granulated sugar
- 800 grams Philadelphia cheese
- 300 grams sour cream
- 5 large eggs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180° C in the air. Using non-stick paper, line the base of a 23 cm cake tin with removable sides. Wrap the outside of the tin with 3 layers of foil. This will prevent water from seeping into the tin while the cheesecake bakes. This cake is baked in a bain marie.
- Make the base: Mix the biscuits and walnuts with the melted butter until everything is moistened. Press the mixture into the base and sides of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Set aside until needed. Reduce the oven temperature to 160°C.
- Make the caramel layer: Put the sugar, water and lemon juice in a saucepan. Cook over low-medium heat until it starts to simmer. Without stirring, let it simmer until the sugar turns a deep amber color and forms a delicious caramel. Remove from the heat and add the butter, stirring constantly. Attention! The caramel is HOT. Add the salt and cream. Continue to stir until the cream is incorporated. If the caramel solidifies (the cream may be cold), simply return it to the heat for a moment and stir until it dissolves and the mixture is smooth.
- Measure 300 grams of the caramel into an ovenproof jar. Set it aside. Mix the remaining caramel with the flour and chopped walnuts. Pour over the base of the cheesecake. Place it in the refrigerator to cool while you prepare the cheesecake mixture.
- Prepare the cheesecake mixture. Add the sour cream and beat to incorporate. Add the eggs, vanilla and lemon juice. Beat just until the eggs are incorporated and the mixture is smooth.
- Pour the cheesecake mixture over the caramel in the baking pan. Place the pan on a larger baking sheet. Fill the larger pan with boiling water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan. Bake at 160°C for 1 hour and 15 minutes. The cheesecake may be a little unstable in the centre, but it will firm up as it cools.
- Remove the pan from the bain-marie. Allow the cheesecake to cool to room temperature. Pour 2-3 tablespoons of the reserved caramel over the cheesecake and refrigerate for 6 hours.
- To serve: Run a knife around the pan to release the sides. Transfer the cooled cheesecake to a serving platter. Pour chocolate ganache (if using) over the top and sprinkle with walnuts. Serve with pride.
1 Comment
Great Recipe!