Fancy a creamy caramel cheesecake? This great American cheesecake with great base and topping tastes simply heavenly!
The excellent American cheesecake is creamy, custardy yet compact. This caramel cheesecake also has a wonderfully sinful topping, a crispy cookie crumb base, and a seductive look. Part of that, for me, is that it has no cracks on the surface.
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Taste and Occasion
This post will tell you how to pull that off without a water bath or other complicated techniques. So, let's start with this American caramel cheesecake recipe with a cookie base and caramel cream. I had to pass on the caramel cheesecake recipe directly three times. Whereby I realized once again what I love so much about baking: experimenting, tinkering with the "perfect" result, and the great feeling when something as delicious as this caramel cheesecake comes out in the end. Often enough, something goes wrong… But I don't want to write about that today.
Ingredients
So straight to the preparation: the foundation of my caramel cheesecake is a cookie crumb base. Most recipes advise a no-bake base and using a water bath to prevent it from caving in or cracking later. The good news is that it can be easier! I recommend you briefly pre-bake the cookie crumb base, so it doesn't get soggy. Leave the finished cheesecake in the switched-off oven for about an hour with the oven door slightly open.
Then it just needs to (unfortunately!) sit in the fridge for a few hours, where it will firm up and set well. So you need to start baking IMMEDIATELY if you've got a hankering for this caramel cheesecake!
How to make the American Caramel Cheesecake
At first, preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C and line a springform pan with baking paper. For the cookie crumb base, grind the cookies with a kitchen chopper or place them in a freezer bag and "rolling" over them several times with a rolling pin. Melt the butter and mix it with the cookie crumbs. Spread the mixture on the bottom of the springform pan and press it down. Pre-bake for about 5 minutes at 350°F/175°C. Then let it cool. Meanwhile, mix the cream cheese with the sour cream until smooth for the filling. Stir in the milk, sugar, flour, and individual eggs well (but not too long!). The cream mustn't be beaten for a long time until fluffy, but only all the ingredients are well mixed.
Now, turn the oven temperature down to 320°F/160°C. Pour the cream cheese mixture onto the pre-baked and slightly cooled base. Bake cheesecake for about 50 minutes. The top should still be light, not browned. The inside of the cheesecake may still "wobble" a bit if you jiggle the pan slightly. Cheesecake is best covered and placed in the refrigerator overnight. Before serving, warm the caramel cream a little and spread it on the cake. Caramel sauce can be used directly without warming. In the end, lightly crumble the chocolate wafers with your fingers and decorate the cheesecake.
Top Tip
I followed the tips from the post "The Best Cheesecake" a bit for my recipe. The result: a perfectly smooth top.
Recipe Card
American Caramel Cheesecake
Equipment
- 1 springform pan (10 in / 26 cm)
Ingredients
For the cookie crumb base
- 200 grams (⅘ cup) butter cookies, or caramel cookies
- 90 grams (⅖ cup) butter
For the cheesecake mixture
- 800 grams (3 ½ cups) cream cheese, creamy!
- 200 grams (1 cup) sour cream
- 50 milliliters (3 ½ tablespoons) milk
- 150 grams (⅘ cup) sugar
- 4 eggs, medium
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, or cornstarch
For the topping
- 5 tablespoons caramel sauce, homemade or store-bought
- 50 grams (3 ½ tablespoons) chocolate wafers, optional, coarsely crumbled
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C and line a springform pan with baking paper. For the cookie crumb base, grind the cookies with a kitchen chopper or by placing them in a freezer bag and "rolling" over them several times with a rolling pin. Melt the butter and mix it with the cookie crumbs. Spread the mixture on the bottom of the springform pan and press it down. Pre-bake for about 5 minutes at 350°F/175°C. Then let it cool.
- Meanwhile, mix the cream cheese with the sour cream until smooth for the filling. Stir in the milk, sugar, flour, and individual eggs well (but not too long!). The cream mustn't be beaten for a long time until fluffy, but only all the ingredients are well mixed.
- Turn oven temperature down to 320°F/160°C. Pour the cream cheese mixture onto the pre-baked and slightly cooled base. Bake cheesecake for about 50 minutes. The top should still be light, not browned. The inside of the cheesecake may still "wobble" a bit if you jiggle the pan slightly. Cheesecake is best covered and placed in the refrigerator overnight.
- Before serving, warm the caramel cream a little and spread it on the cake. Caramel sauce can be used directly without warming. Lightly crumble the chocolate wafers with your fingers and decorate the cheesecake.
Ingredient substitutions
Variations
Are you now also in the cheesecake fever? How about the vegan alternative? Or the low carb cheesecake. The cheesecake brownies are also great.
Nutrition
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About Kathrin & Jan
It's like a little miracle to me every time. Seemingly simple ingredients are made into something that can brighten up your life. Butter, sugar, eggs, and flour melt into an airy biscuit, a fine tart, a juicy cake, or a crispy biscuit. Baking simply makes you happy. Welcome and enjoy our blog!
Kathrin & Jan
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