We love any an all cheesecake in our house, and it is something I really enjoy baking. This recipe has all the good things…. flavorful gingersnap crust, creamy and smooth vanilla caramel filling, and salted caramel sauce on top. SOOO yummy.
I used my favorite (and only one I use) salted caramel sauce for this. It is totally worth the effort to make this sauce as opposed to buying some in a jar because it has the most delicious flavor. Buttery, slightly salted, strong vanilla and caramel notes. It is the best!
I have a few tips to making your cheesecake come out smooth and perfect every time. First, make sure your ingredients are room temp – cream cheese, sour cream and eggs. If they are cold, you will not get this smooth texture. Use a water bath to cook your cheesecake, as this helps even and regulate the temperature, insuring the filling cooks slowly and evenly. Finally, use an instant read thermometer to check the temp of the center. When it hits 150, you can turn off the oven. Overbaked cheesecake is grainy, not smooth. Stopping at 150 guarantees a smooth texture.
Salted Caramel Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 2 cups ground gingersnap cookie crumbs
- 6 tbsp butter unsalted, melted
- 1/4 cup sugar
- pinch of salt
For the filling:
- 4 8 oz bars cream cheese room temp
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp flour
- 4 large eggs room temp
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup full fat sour cream room temp
- 1/3 cup salted caramel sauce
Instructions
For the crust:
- Heat oven to 350. Spray a 9 inch springform pan with baking spray. Combine the cookie crumbs, butter and sugar plus the pinch of salt and mix well. Press into the bottom and sides of the pan and bake for about 6-8 minutes.
- Reduce the oven to 325 and prepare a baking dish to use as a water bath. Place two layers of heavy duty foil around the bottom of your springform pan to make sure no water gets in.
- In a stand mixer, cream the cream cheese, vanilla and sugar and totally combined, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the flour and then the eggs, one at at time, and mix until well combined. Add the sour cream and caramel and mix again.
- Gently press the mix through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl to remove any lumps and insure a smooth filling.
- Pour into the crust and place into the baking dish. Place in the oven and pour boiling water into the dish (make sure you are using a safe dish for this as non tempered glass will shatter). Allow the water to come up about 1/2 way on the springform pan.
- Bake for about 30-45 minutes (don't go based on time, but on the temp of the filling). The center of the filling should be 150 and it should jiggle in the center but be set at the edges. Turn off the oven and crack the oven door but leave the cheesecake for 45 minutes to cool inside, then remove it. Pour additional salted caramel sauce over the top in a thin layer. Allow to cool to room temp then refrigerate overnight before serving.