Browned Butter Cheesecake with Salted Caramel
It was good.
It was very good.
I have been on salted caramel kick lately…mmmm, actually I think I am always on a salted caramel kick.
Especially in the fall when there are pumpkin things just waiting to be combined with caramel. Although I really just love everything combined with caramel. Especially my favorite caramel sauce which is what we will be topping the cheesecake with. It is completely amazing and I am totally obsessed with it.
You will love and be amazed at how light and creamy this cheesecake is. I do not make the heavy sort of cheesecakes, mine always come out so light you could almost have a second piece… ok I admit I am well able to eat a second piece most of the time but I realize that isn’t normal.
So follow the instructions exactly and you should end up with a little piece of cheesecake heaven.
- FOR THE SHORTBREAD CRUST
- ½ cup unsalted butter - very cold, cubed
- 3½ tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1¼ cups plain flour
- 1¼ cups cocoa powder
FOR THE CHEESECAKE BATTER - ½ cup unsalted butter
- 2 pounds cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 4 large eggs
FOR THE CARAMEL SAUCE - 2 cups granulated sugar
- 12 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ teaspoon sea salt (I found this divine vanilla sea salt at my grocery store that I like to use for this but regular will work just fine)
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- TO MAKE THE CRUST
- Line the inside and outside of a 9" spring form pan with foil.
- Combine all the shortbread ingredients in a food processor and pulse until fine crumbs form. Press the mixture into the spring form pan and bake at 350º for about 30 minutes, until done. Drop the oven temperature to 300˚.
- Let cool completely.
TO MAKE THE FILLING - While the crust is baking, place the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt and cook, swirling often until it foams up and turns brown, remove from heat and set aside to cool. I like to put it in the fridge to chill it faster.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the cream cheese and sugar on high.
- Next add the sour cream.
- With the mixer on the slowest speed, add the eggs, one at a time, making sure each one is completely incorporated before adding the next, then add the browned butter
- Fill a large kettle with water and bring to a boil.
- Pour the batter into the spring form pan. Place the spring form pan into a large roasting pan and then place the roasting pan in the oven.
- **NOTE: lately I have actually been putting the cheesecake pan inside my dutch oven and then placing it in the roasting pan and it has been working very well to keep the water out of the cheesecake. but if you use the larger size foil and wrap the pan as instructed you should bee fine.**
- Pour the boiling water into the roasting pan so that it comes about halfway up the sides of the spring form pan.
- Close the oven and bake until just set, about an hour. You want the cheesecake to still be jiggly but just slightly set on the top. Do not remove from the oven after the hour, just turn the oven off and slightly crack the door and leave it there to cool off about another hour.
- Remove from the oven and place on the counter to cool to room temperature, about another 30 minutes. Once it is room temperature, cover with a tea towel and then foil and place in the fridge over night.
TO MAKE THE CARAMEL SAUCE - Place the sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
- Once the sugar dissolves add the butter, one tablespoon at a time and stir until melted, continue until all the butter is incorporated.
- Slowly drizzle the cream in while stirring.
- Add the salt and vanilla and stir until combined then pour caramel into a mason jar and allow to cool to room temperature. If you get some sugar rocks in the caramel, which does happen once in a while simply pour it through a sieve into the mason jar.
- The next day, when the cake and the caramel are cool and ready to eat pour the caramel over the cheesecake and spread evenly over the top.
- Serve and enjoy!
Thanks for the crust recipe: http://www.pigpigscorner.com/2010/09/pillow-cheesecake-with-salted-butter.html
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