Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Biscuit Crust
- 200 g graham crackers or digestive biscuits
- 100 g unsalted butter, melted
- 1 g sea salt, fine
Vanilla Cheesecake Filling
- 500 g cream cheese, full-fat block style, room temperature
- 300 ml heavy whipping cream, cold, at least 35% fat
- 120 g icing sugar
- 10 g vanilla bean paste
- 15 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
Spiced Caramel Sauce
- 150 g caster sugar
- 40 ml water
- 90 ml heavy whipping cream, room temperature
- 30 g unsalted butter, cubed
- 2 g ground cinnamon
- ½ g ground nutmeg
- 3 g flaky sea salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Place the biscuits into a food processor and process until they resemble fine breadcrumbs.
Transfer the crushed biscuits to a mixing bowl and combine thoroughly with the melted butter and fine sea salt until evenly moistened.
Transfer the crumb mixture to a 20cm springform pan. Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the pan using the flat bottom of a glass or measuring cup.
In a clean mixing bowl, whip the cold heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Set aside in the refrigerator.
In a large bowl, beat the room-temperature cream cheese, icing sugar, vanilla bean paste, and lemon juice together until entirely smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Remove the whipped cream from the refrigerator and gently fold it into the cream cheese mixture in three additions, using a flexible spatula. Use a sweeping under-and-over motion to avoid deflating the air.
Spoon the cheesecake filling over the prepared biscuit crust. Smooth the top into an even layer using an offset spatula.
Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight, to allow the filling to set completely.
To make the caramel, combine the caster sugar and water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Swirl the pan gently to dissolve the sugar, but do not stir once it begins to boil. Cook until the syrup turns a deep amber color and reaches approximately 175 C / 350 F.
Remove the pan from the heat immediately. Carefully whisk in the heavy cream, followed by the butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, and flaky sea salt. Caution: the mixture will bubble up violently and steam.
Allow the spiced caramel sauce to cool completely to room temperature before serving. It will thicken as it cools.
To serve, carefully release the outer ring of the springform pan. Cut the chilled cheesecake into slices and generously drizzle with the cooled spiced caramel sauce.
Chef's Notes
- Using full-fat block cream cheese is absolutely critical. Spreadable tub varieties contain a higher ratio of water and air, which will prevent a no-bake cheesecake from ever fully setting.
- The tiny amount of lemon juice serves two purposes: it brightens the rich dairy flavors, but more importantly, the acidity mildly coagulates the dairy proteins, aiding in setting the filling without the need for gelatin.
- When cooking the caramel, use a light-colored saucepan if you have one. It makes judging the color change of the sugar syrup significantly easier, reducing the risk of burning.
- To cut perfect slices, heat the blade of a sharp chef's knife by running it under hot tap water or dipping it in a tall glass of hot water. Wipe the blade entirely dry before making a clean cut, repeating this process for every single slice.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Keep tightly covered to prevent the dairy from absorbing refrigerator odors. Store caramel separately.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze the cheesecake naked, wrapping tightly in plastic wrap and foil. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
