Baked Caramel Cheesecake

With a rich mellow flavour this easy cheesecake pairs equally well with the dark chocolate sauce or Salted Caramel Sauce – or both!

Serves: 8-12

INGREDIENTS

Base
300 grams gingernut biscuits
100 grams melted butter
Filling
625 grams cream cheese, at room temperature
395-gram tin caramel sweetened condensed milk
250 grams sour cream
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons golden syrup
3 tablespoons custard powder
3 eggs, size 7
2 egg yolks, size 7
½ teaspoon sea salt, to serve
Chocolate sauce
120ml cream
100 grams dark chocolate, chopped

METHOD

Grease a 23cm removable-base cake tin and line the base and sides with baking paper.

Preheat the oven to 160°C.

Base: Put the biscuits and melted butter in a food processor and whizz to form crumbs the texture of coarse wet sand. Tip the crumbs into the base of the prepared tin, press in firmly, and take the base halfway up the sides of the tin. Finish off by using the back of a tablespoon or the base of a glass to smooth the base and sides. Place in the fridge.

Filling: Wipe out the food processor and chop the cream cheese roughly. Whizz the cream cheese with the caramel condensed milk, sour cream, brown sugar and golden syrup until well incorporated.

Mix the custard powder with 1 tablespoon water to a smooth paste and add to the food processor with the eggs and yolks. Pulse to combine without overbeating. Pour the filling into the chilled base and bake for 70 minutes or until there is still a slight wobble in the centre of the cheesecake.

Open the oven door halfway and leave to cool in the oven for 15 minutes. Once the cheesecake is cold, carefully remove it from the tin and transfer to a serving plate. The cheesecake can be refrigerated, once cold, for up to 6 hours before serving.

Chocolate sauce: Heat the cream in a microwave-proof jug or small pot until just simmering. Remove from the heat, add chopped chocolate and leave to sit for one minute. Whisk until smooth.

Serve the cheesecake sprinkled with the sea salt and a drizzle of chocolate sauce, or Salted Caramel Sauce (see recipe page 60) if preferred. Serves 8–12.