This Caramel Apple Pie Cheesecake is a creamy, lightly spiced cheesecake baked in a gingered graham cracker crust, covered in sauteed cinnamon apples, topped with crunchy streusel topping,... and then drizzled with caramel sauce. This is the bomb of calorie bombs!
Prep Time20 minutesmins
Cook Time1 hourhr15 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr35 minutesmins
Course: Dessert
Keyword: apple pie, caramel, cheesecake, streusel
Servings: 16servings
Author: Trish Cowper | www.infinebalance.com
Ingredients
Crust
400ggraham cracker crumbs1 box
1stick unsalted butter
½cupgranulated sugar
½teaspoonkosher salt
1teaspoonginger
1tablespooncinnamon
Cheesecake:
5 8-ouncepackages cream cheese
1teaspoonginger
1 ½cupssugar
3vanilla beansscraped
4eggs
2tablespoonsof all-purpose flour
2tablespoonfresh lemon juiceapproximately juice from half a lemon
Streusel Topping:
¾cupbrown sugarpacked
½cupall-purpose flour
¾cuprolled oats
2teaspooncinnamon
1teaspoonginger
½teaspoonsalt
1stick unsalted buttermelted
Apple Pie Topping:
3apples
½stick unsalted butter
2tablespoonlemon juiceapprox the juice of ½ a lemon
½cupbrown sugarpacked
1tablespooncinnamon
1cupbutterscotch or caramel sauceI used Hersey's TopScotch
Instructions
For the Crust:
Preheat your oven to 425 F.
Mix the crust ingredients* and press into a 9" spring-form pan, going up the sides. Wrap the outside of the pan with aluminum foil. Set crust aside while you make the filling. (You will want an oven-safe baking dish that will hold the spring-form pan and deep enough to hold about an inch of water).
For the cheesecake:
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, sugar, ginger, flour and vanilla. Beat until smooth and creamy. Pausing the mixture and scraping the sides at least once. Then add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping bowl. With the mixer still running slowly add the lemon juice and mix until smooth.
Pour the filling into the prepared crust and place into a water bath. (Place cake pan (which you already covered with aluminum foil) into the bottom of a deep baking dish. Then pour boiling water into the larger pan so that it reaches about half up the cake pan. Then place the whole thing into the oven).
Bake for 15 minutes at 425, then reduce the heat to 350 and bake an additional 50-60 minutes or until the cheesecake is set on top but still jiggles slightly. Don't over bake.
Turn off the oven, crack the door open and let the cheesecake sit and come to room temperature for 30 minutes, then remove from the oven and the water bath and place cake a wire rack to cool 30. The cake can then be placed in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Make ahead: Leave the cake in its spring form pan until you are ready to serve it. It keeps nicely in the refrigerator for up to two days covered with plastic wrap.
For the Apple Pie Topping.
Peal and slice the apples and toss with the sugar, lemon juice, and spices.
Melt the butter in a large skillet and add the apples. Stir occasionally until apples are tender. Set aside until ready for topping the cheese cake. Make ahead: Allow to cool slightly then place in a microwave safe container with a cover and refrigerator for up to a day ahead.
For the streusel topping:
Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Mix all streusel ingredients in a bowl and arrange in a thin layer on the prepared cookie sheet.
Bake 20-25 minutes until crunchy, stirring and checking frequently. This stuff goes from ready to burnt in less than a minute. So watch it carefully. Make ahead: Allow to cook completely then place in an air tight container and set aside until ready to serve the cheesecake.
To assemble the cake:
Remove spring from around the cake and place cake on a serving platter (leaving bottom of spring form pan under the cake).
Warm apple topping a minute or two in the microwave if needed. Just enough so the apples are warm, not cold, and the sauce loosens. Mound the apples in the middle of the cake. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the apples. Drizzle the whole cake with caramel sauce. Sever with whipped cream if desired.