White Chocolate Cheesecake w/ Caramel Sauce

I'm not the best with pictures

I wanted to make something for my friends birthday party.  We were all going out to eat at this great Italian restaurant  but I thought it would be nice to have some dessert afterwards.  There was this cheesecake that I wanted to try.  It was a salted caramel cheesecake, but the dulce de leche didn't turn out.  I'm not sure what went wrong because I followed the directions.  They were pretty simple, but I didn't have enough time to try it again.  I will at a later date though because I still want to attempt that cheesecake.  I had planned for this, so I decided to make this cheesecake instead.  Well I thought I had planned for this, but forgot the heavy cream for the caramel sauce.  Luckily my husband got off work just in time to run to the store and get me some.  I did attempt the caramel sauce with substitute for the heavy cream, but for this it definitely didn't work.  It turned out to be too much butter.  Anyway, I was able to get the caramel sauce done in time.  It smelled soooo good in my kitchen when I was making it.  I wanted to just eat it all up then and there, but would have burned my mouth.  I used all the caramel sauce, but I think it might have been a little too much.  With that said the cheesecake was still delicious, and that is what everyone at the party said too. I mean how could it not be.  Sadly, my husband didn't get to try it, but I'm sure it will be make again.  Any flavor of cheesecake would be good.


White Chocolate Cheesecake w/ Caramel Sauce

Caramel Sauce
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 3/4 teaspoons lemon juice
1 pint heavy cream
4 tablespoons unsalted butter

In a medium sauce pan over medium high heat combine the sugar and lemon juice. Stir with a wooden spoon(I used a plastic one) until the sugar is mostly melted then set aside the spoon and swirl the pan over the heat to keep the color even throughout. 

Continue to cook and swirl until the sugar turns a medium amber color. Watch it carefully, the sugar will quickly darken and should it become dark brown or black it will taste bitter and unpleasant. 

When the sauce turns the right color slowly whisk in the cream. If the caramel hardens with the addition of the cream, do not worry. Just continue to add the cream and bring the mixture back to a a boil over medium heat. Continue to stir until the sugar has remelted. Allow to boil for 5 minutes then remove from heat and stir in the butter. 

Pour into a heat safe container and chill until ready to use. 

Crust
10 ounces graham crackers(19-20 crackers), crushed into crumbs
7 tablespoons unsalted butter

Cheesecake Filling
3 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 ounces good quality white chocolate, chopped
5 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
pinch salt

boiling water

Pre-heat the oven to 375°F. Combine the graham cracker crumbs with the melted butter and press into the bottom and 1 1/2 inches up the side of a 10 inch spring form pan.

Bake for 10 minutes and then allow to cool completely on a wire rack. 

Reduce the heat to 325°F and prepare the cheesecake batter. 

Place the chopped white chocolate into a heat safe bowl and set aside. Bring the 1/2 cup of cream to a simmer over medium heat in a small sauce pan. Pour the hot cream over the white chocolate, jiggle the bowl to submerge it and allow to stand for one minute. Stir the chocolate gently until melted completely. 

In your mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until smooth and lump free. Add the sugar and mix, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. 

On medium speed, slowly add the white chocolate ganache. Once combined you can add the eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed until each egg is incorporated. Once you've added all the eggs, mix in the vanilla and salt and pour into your prepared pan. 

Set the pan onto a couple large sheets of aluminum foil and smooth them up the sides of the pan to waterproof. 

Set the cheesecake into a large roasting pan and then place in the oven. Pour the boiling water into the roasting pan, filling to about one inch (no higher than the lowest edge of aluminum foil). Allow to make at 325°F for one hour then reduce heat and bake at 300°F for an additional 60-90 minutes until the center is just set. 

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Once cool chill for at least 4 hours before serving. 

To glaze, gently warm the 1 cup of the caramel sauce on the stove or in the microwave until slightly runny and then pour onto the cheesecake. Smooth the caramel over the cake and you're ready to serve. 


Adapted from Not So Humble Pie