Creamy Salted Caramel Cheesecake
The oven timer beeped from across the kitchen while I dropped the last pretzel onto the counter and reached for the butter. Making a proper Salted Caramel Cheesecake takes a little patience on a Sunday afternoon, but my kids know it is worth the wait.
Prep: 30 minutes · Cook: 1 hour 25 minutes · Total: about 9 hours 45 minutes (with cooling and chilling) · Serves: 12
How do you keep a cheesecake from cracking? Baking the cheesecake at 325°F in a water bath stops the edges from setting too fast, which is the main reason cheesecakes crack.
Cooling it right in the turned-off oven for 45 minutes keeps the sudden temperature drops from splitting the top down the middle.
What You’ll Need
- 190 g digestive biscuits, finely crushed
- 60 g mini pretzels, finely crushed
- 90 g butter, melted
- 32 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 to 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup heavy cream, room temperature
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon flaky salt
Picking the Right Ingredients
The crust relies on a single-sourced blend of digestive biscuits and pretzels. The crisp biscuits and salty pretzels balance the heavy sweetness of the filling, and you need to crush them finely so the base holds together once you slice it.
The filling uses four large eggs and a full cup of sour cream, which keeps the texture dense and velvety. Softened cream cheese is non-negotiable here because cold blocks leave lumps in the batter that will not bake out in the oven.
The salted caramel is entirely single-sourced and requires close attention while the sugar melts on the stove. Using room temperature heavy cream and butter prevents the hot sugar from seizing up into hard rocks when you pour it in.
How I Make It
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and wrap the outside of a 9-inch springform pan tightly in heavy-duty aluminum foil so no water can leak inside.
- Mix the crust by stirring the crushed digestive biscuits, crushed pretzels, and melted butter together in a bowl until the mixture feels like wet sand.
- Bake the crust by pressing the crumb mixture firmly into the bottom and slightly up the sides of the pan, then bake for 7 to 10 minutes until set and fragrant. Cool the crust completely before adding the filling.
- Beat the filling by whipping the room temperature cream cheese and granulated sugar in a large bowl on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating just until incorporated after each addition so you don’t beat too much air into the batter.
- Blend the dairy by mixing in the sour cream, heavy cream, and vanilla extract until the batter looks uniform and glossy.
- Assemble the cake by pouring the cream cheese filling over the cooled crust and smoothing the top with a spatula.
- Set the water bath by placing the foil-wrapped springform pan inside a larger roasting pan, then pour boiling water into the outer pan until it comes 1 to 1 1/2 inches up the sides.
- Bake the cheesecake at 325°F for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 35 minutes until the edges are set and the center still has a slight jiggle.
- Cool the cake by turning off the oven, cracking the door, and leaving the cheesecake inside for 45 minutes so it cools down without shrinking too fast.
- Chill the cheesecake in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours until completely firm and cold through the middle.
- Make the caramel by melting the sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until it turns amber, then whisking in the butter and heavy cream until smooth.
- Finish the caramel by stirring in the flaky salt and cooking for about one minute more before letting it cool slightly and pouring it over the chilled cheesecake.
How to Store It
Keep the cheesecake stored in the refrigerator in a cake dome or wrapped securely in plastic wrap for up to 5 days. You can freeze the baked cheesecake without the caramel topping for up to two months.
Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and foil before freezing, and thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before adding fresh caramel.
More Family Favorites
- Bubbling Blackberry Cobbler
- Bubbling Blueberry Cobbler
- Chewy Snickerdoodles
- Classic Apple Crisp
- Classic Apple Pie
- Classic Blueberry Cheesecake (Baked)
- Classic Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Classic Chocolate Cake
- Classic French Apple Cake
- Classic Lemon Bars
Creamy Salted Caramel Cheesecake
Course: DessertCuisine: American12
servings30
minutes1
hour25
minutesIngredients
190 g digestive biscuits, finely crushed
60 g mini pretzels, finely crushed
90 g butter, melted
32 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup sour cream, room temperature
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 to 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1/2 cup heavy cream, room temperature
1/2 to 1 teaspoon flaky salt
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and wrap the outside of a 9-inch springform pan tightly in heavy-duty aluminum foil so no water can leak inside.
- Mix the crust by stirring the crushed digestive biscuits, crushed pretzels, and melted butter together in a bowl until the mixture feels like wet sand.
- Bake the crust by pressing the crumb mixture firmly into the bottom and slightly up the sides of the pan, then bake for 7 to 10 minutes until set and fragrant. Cool the crust completely before adding the filling.
- Beat the filling by whipping the room temperature cream cheese and granulated sugar in a large bowl on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating just until incorporated after each addition so you don’t beat too much air into the batter.
- Blend the dairy by mixing in the sour cream, heavy cream, and vanilla extract until the batter looks uniform and glossy.
- Assemble the cake by pouring the cream cheese filling over the cooled crust and smoothing the top with a spatula.
- Set the water bath by placing the foil-wrapped springform pan inside a larger roasting pan, then pour boiling water into the outer pan until it comes 1 to 1 1/2 inches up the sides.
- Bake the cheesecake at 325°F for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 35 minutes until the edges are set and the center still has a slight jiggle.
- Cool the cake by turning off the oven, cracking the door, and leaving the cheesecake inside for 45 minutes so it cools down without shrinking too fast.
- Chill the cheesecake in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours until completely firm and cold through the middle.
- Make the caramel by melting the sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until it turns amber, then whisking in the butter and heavy cream until smooth.
- Finish the caramel by stirring in the flaky salt and cooking for about one minute more before letting it cool slightly and pouring it over the chilled cheesecake.
