From DN Recipes by David Nagy · Food & Beverage

Crème Brûlée Cheesecake

Published

Crème Brûlée Cheesecake
This Crème Brûlée Cheesecake combines the creaminess and richness of a traditional cheesecake with the crunchy caramelized sweetness of creme brûlée. This decadent dessert features a buttery graham cracker crust, a rich cheesecake filling with vanilla bean speckles, and a layer of crunchy caramelized sugar on top.

PREP TIME 40 minutes COOK TIME 1 hour hr 20 minutes TOTAL TIME2hours hrs

INGREDIENTS
Graham Cracker Crust
  • 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs 180 grams, or digestive biscuits
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar 55 grams
  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter melted 85 grams
Cheesecake batter
  • 907 grams cream cheese softened 4 packages of 8 oz.
  • 1 1/3 cup granulated sugar 266 grams
  • 2 vanilla bean pods see notes
  • 1/2 cup sour cream 120 grams
  • 4 large eggs room temp
  • 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • For the topping
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar 50 grams

INSTRUCTIONS
Graham Cracker Crust
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 325ºF.
  2. Place the graham cracker in a food processor and process to obtain fine crumbs.
  3. Add the brown sugar and mix to combine.
  4. Melt the butter and mix with the crumbs and sugar.
  5. Press the mixture on the bottom of an 8” or 9” cheesecake pan. If using an 8” springform pan, it must be deep.
  6. Bake the crust in the oven for 10 minutes.
  7. Remove it from the oven and let it cool down.

Cheesecake Batter
  1. Grease the sides of the cheesecake pan. (Read notes)
  2. Beat the cream cheese for 3 minutes with a mixer at medium speed, until creamy.
  3. Add the granulated sugar to the bowl.
  4. Split the vanilla bean pods in half with a pairing knife then open them and scrape the seeds from into the bowl with the sugar and cream cheese.
  5. Beat the cream cheese, vanilla bean seeds, and sugar for 2 minutes at medium speed.
  6. Scrape the bowl and beat for another 30 seconds.
  7. Add the sour cream and mix to combine. Scrape the bowl.
  8. Make sure to scrape the bowl a few times during the mixing process, to avoid the cream cheese from forming lumps in the batter.
  9. Add the eggs one at a time to the bowl, mixing until incorporated before adding the next one.
  10. Avoid over mixing once the eggs are added, to prevent cracking of the cheesecake.
  11. Add the vanilla extract (and or vanilla bean paste), salt, and mix briefly.
  12. Pour the cheesecake batter in the pan, over the baked and cooled crust.
  13. Wrap the bottom of the pan with a few layers of foil.
  14. Place the pan in a larger roasting pan, and add hot water to the roasting pan, to form a water bath. This is very important so the cheesecake doesn’t crack.
  15. Bake the cheesecake in the pre-heated 325ºF oven for 60 to 75 minutes.
  16. To check if the cheesecake is done baking, give the pan a little wiggle, it should jiggle slightly in the center, but the edges should look set.
  17. Turn the oven off, and leave the cheesecake in there for 1 hour.
  18. Remove the cheesecake from the oven, let it cool down. Don’t remove the ring of the pan yet, place the cheesecake in the fridge to chill for at least 6 hours.

To decorate
  1. After the cheesecake has been done chilling, remove from the fridge. Remove the ring from around the pan.
  2. Sprinkle the sugar on an even layer on top of the cheesecake. Use a torch to caramelize the sugar on top. I like to use my torch on the lowest setting and do this step slowly, to avoid burned spots on the surface.
  3. Use a circular motion, and don’t hover over one spot for too long, keep it moving, trying to get the whole surface of the cheesecake evenly.
  4. Allow for the caramelized sugar to harden up on top, which should take a few minutes. Slice and serve.
  5. If you have cheesecake leftovers, the caramelized sugar on top will become soft. I found that if you take the torch and toast the top of the cheesecake again, using a low setting, it should harden the sugar up again. It won’t be as crunchy as it was when you first did it, but it will do the trick.

NOTES
Storage: You can store the Crème Brûlée Cheesecake in the fridge for up to 4 or 5 days, covered in an air tight container. The cheesecake can also be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months. Make sure to place it in an air tight container. You can also freeze the cheesecake first, then once it’s frozen, wrap it with plastic wrap very tightly and then place in an air tight container. This will extend its freezer shelf life.
Crust: You can use digestive biscuits instead of graham crackers.
Vanilla Bean Pod: In place of the vanilla bean pod, you can use 1 tbsp of vanilla bean paste. If using the vanilla bean paste instead of the vanilla bean seeds, add it at the end, when adding the eggs.
Greasing the cheesecake pan: I like to grease the sides of the pan after baking the crust, because if I grease the cheesecake pan before adding the crust in, first I have a hard time making the crust stick to the sides of the pan, and also, it makes the crust soggy.
Electric mixer: I prefer to use a hand mixer to make cheesecake, because the bowl of the stand mixer is too deep and not wide enough, and the paddle doesn’t have a good reach around the bottom and sides of the bowl, so often times the cheesecake can become lumpy if you don’t scrape the bowl enough times while making the recipe.
Oven temperature: If using a convection oven, you may have to use a lower baking temperature, around 300ºF instead. And baking time may also vary. Bake until the cheesecake is slightly jiggly in the center, and set around the edges.
Oven thermometer: It’s best to have an oven thermometer to ensure the oven temperature is accurately measured. Often times, ovens are not accurate, and if the oven is off and the actual temperature is too low, the cheesecake can take way longer to bake. And if the temperature tends to be higher than what you actually set it to, the cheesecake can crack because of being baked at too high of a temperature.