Recently, I read somewhere that 2008 was a big year for salted caramel. I don’t think I’m in any position to agree or disagree with that, but I will say that I had a little love affair with it myself. (Hello, salted caramel hot chocolate!)
This cheesecake is a prime example of salted caramel at its finest. I actually found the recipe while looking for something else. Of course, once I found this I was immediately so smitten that whatever I was looking for was quickly forgotten.
I’m not a big fan of candy-making, and that includes making caramel. It’s all too temperamental for me, and I’m much too temperamental for it. Luckily, I can usually talk Quinn into doing these kinds of things. So, he was responsible for that portion while I made the cheesecake.
On its own, there is nothing exceptional about the cheesecake. The difference is the caramel. The salt portion is sprinkled on top, so you can use as little or as much as you like. Keep in mind whether or not the pecans are salted when adding the sea salt. I used unsalted, so I added a little extra salt for our tastes.
Ingredients
- 1 & 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 32 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
- 1 large pinch sea salt
Instructions
To make the crust:
Preheat the oven to 325°. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan.
Mix graham cracker crumbs, butter, and sugar in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined. Press into the bottom of prepared pan. Set aside.
To make the filling:
Mix cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed until light, airy, and smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing completely after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and mix until blended.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake about 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean and the center of the cheesecake is just set. Turn off the oven, leave door slightly ajar, and let cheesecake cool completely.
To make the caramel:
Stir together sugar and 1 tablespoon water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Let boil until amber in color, about 3 minutes. Immediately stir in butter. Remove from heat and stir in cream. Set aside and let cool to room temperature.
Pour caramel over cooled cheesecake. Sprinkle with pecans and sea salt.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Chow.
February 18th, 2009 at 11:20 am
This looks amazing! I think I could eat this for lunch instead of my salad, the caramel sauce looks so decadent.
February 18th, 2009 at 11:31 am
This cheesecake was so good. It is not your normal cheesecake but the saltiness is not overwhelming–just right! Thanks for making this for us!!!!!
February 18th, 2009 at 11:32 am
Oh geez. I really need to make some of that.
February 18th, 2009 at 11:40 am
Yum–this looks incredible. Awesome photos! I’ll have to try this out!
February 18th, 2009 at 11:41 am
Carmel and Cheesecake – 2 very temperamental items! Good thing you guys broke it down.
February 18th, 2009 at 11:44 am
Wow. I have yet to try the salted caramel (both making it and eating it), but this may change that. Looks awesome!
February 18th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Salted caramel grew on me (not literally of course) in 2008 in the form of dark chocolate filled with burnt caramel and sea salt. It was heaven and you’re cheesecake looks even better. Bravo!
February 18th, 2009 at 12:07 pm
You certainly do not look like an amateur baker to me, your dishes look absolutely amazing and decadent. I need to add this to my blogroll, it is a great site!!
February 18th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
I’ve had salted caramel recipes bookmarked FOREVER but haven’t made them because I’m afraid of … the candy thermometer.
I need a Quinn so I can have some of this cheesecake, too!
February 18th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
Looks and sounds decadent. Thanks for the recipe.
Michelle
http://oneordinaryday.wordpress.com/
February 18th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
This truly looks amazing!!
February 18th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
I’ve noticed that Nan and Jim and SURE lucky when you bake! This looks amazing.
February 18th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
I meant ARE sure lucky…
February 18th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
MMmmm…carmel. The cheesecake ingredients sound like it will be just the way I like cheesecake…very dense. I’m with you on the carmel-making…ask someone to help…actually this recipe looks a little more success-oriented than most others …thanks for sharing!
February 18th, 2009 at 1:53 pm
How do you manage to keep these kinds of treats in the house! This would be our downfall. Way, way down. Looks gorge and delish!
February 18th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Gracious, that top picture is gorgeous!
February 18th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
Wow. I’m gawking at that almost indecently. I loooooooooooooooooooooooooooove salted caramel. (as you can see from this: http://www.foodess.com/2009/02/whoopie-pies-with-salted-caramel-buttercream/)
~jenn
February 18th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
I always come to your site for any cheesecake recipe I am going to make, so I can’t wait to try this one out. Thanks for sharing!
February 18th, 2009 at 5:05 pm
Your pictures are always so mouthwatering and this recipe looks just as good as your others!
February 18th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
Oh. My. Gawd. This recipe is right up my alley. SOOO something that I would make with all of that lovely caramel. The salt addition sounds tantalizing.
February 18th, 2009 at 8:13 pm
This looks like a perfect dessert! I have to make this
February 18th, 2009 at 11:42 pm
Hello heaven! This is my perfect dessert – yummmmm.
February 19th, 2009 at 11:22 am
This dessert has it all!! Looks divine!
February 19th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
While I love caramel and salt together, but it has to be really simple like your cheesecake. I recently shared some smoked salt caramels with a friend from a smallish mass-produced retailer and I wasn’t impressed.
I’m not sure if you’ve see it yet, but I found a salted dark chocolate candy bar at Cost Plus World Market recently that was really good. I want to play with that flavor combination soon.
I know you’re probably over hearing folks gush over your photos but… sigh. Your photos are so exquisite! I wish I could take lessons from you. Bravo!
February 19th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
this sounds fabulous, and looks even better!
February 19th, 2009 at 8:44 pm
This looks amazing! We’ll have to try it!
February 20th, 2009 at 11:09 pm
Now that’s a cheesecake. YUMMY!
February 21st, 2009 at 1:58 am
You’ll be the death of me. That looks fantastic!!
February 21st, 2009 at 6:12 pm
OMG, I think I have gone to heaven. Those pictures are soooooooooooo tempting!
February 21st, 2009 at 11:20 pm
I’ve never tried salted caramel before! I guess I’ll have to try it real soon =)
February 22nd, 2009 at 1:34 am
really well done, you make it look so inviting. Like the salted caramel, i´ve tryed it with flur de sel which worked fanstasticly well, also good with chocolate truffles.
February 22nd, 2009 at 1:35 pm
I love using salty caramel in my recipes. I will never tire of it. Thank goodness it’s getting popular.
February 23rd, 2009 at 11:52 am
Truly, I have never seen a more luscious dessert photo than the one leading this post. If that doesn’t sell you on trying this recipe, or at least the caramel portion of it, I don’t know what would! My mouth is watering.
February 23rd, 2009 at 10:34 pm
I’m a big fan of salted caramel too, although like you, I don’t necessarily love making it.
February 25th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
your pecan pie looks amazing. i never tried salted caramel or even thought of the idea but nontheless sounds incredible. thanks for this new concept (for me anyways).
February 25th, 2009 at 6:51 pm
Oh, your opening picture is tantalizing! I’d like to crawl into your cake and pull that blanket of caramel right up over me. I recently had my own delicious encounter with salted caramel in the form of salted caramel ice cream. Loved that combination of sweet and salty!
February 25th, 2009 at 9:13 pm
Looks & sounds wonderful. Fantastic photos,
too!!
I’ve yet to try salted caramel. One day soon I hope!
~ingrid
February 27th, 2009 at 2:54 am
I like your blog because you bake recipes that I would choose too — simple, good, and nothing over the top. This cheesecake looks like a winner!
February 28th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
Hi! I just found your website. Oh happy day! I think the first recipe I’ll try is the Brown Sugar Cinnamon Biscotti cookies. They sound so good, plus I love cinnamon. Love it. My question: What are the Cinnamon Chips you ordered like? Are they just tiny cinnamony crunchies, or are they chocolate covered cinnamony crunchies? Would you put them in an apple pie? (The pie you did with the leaf cut-outs looks amazing!)
Another question. I was reading your post on Martha Stewart’s Crumb Cake and like, a, where is the recipe? Looked high and low on the page and no luck. I have to say with Martha’s recipes it’s a hit and miss for me too. Either they’re great or awful or someone didn’t reread the recipe and left something out or wrote 2 TBL when it should have been 2 tsp. Not a good thing, Martha.
Thanks!
February 28th, 2009 at 3:22 pm
Part II. Oops. I found the recipe for Martha’s Classic Crumb Cake. Sorry.
But I forgot to ask about the size of the cinnamon chips. Are they the size of mini-chocolate chips or the regular size Nestle’s Chocolate Chips? Again, thanks.
February 28th, 2009 at 8:06 pm
Marie, welcome! The cinnamon chips I’ve used are mini-sized, like mini-chocolate chips.
February 28th, 2009 at 9:19 pm
Hey girl, I made the cheesecake tonight–it is cooling as we speak. I think I may have over cooked the caramel, but as soon as it is cooled a little I’ll taste it–if it’s burnt, I have enough cream for another go at it.
Nothing like cleaning burnt sugar out of your cookware!
Hope mine turns out as well as yours!
Catherine
March 2nd, 2009 at 9:43 pm
That looks so good!
March 3rd, 2009 at 8:03 am
Wow you definitely are an authority when it comes to cheesecakes!This looked so lovely and mouthwatering!
March 9th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
OMG, I Have an affair with Starbuck’s salted caramel hot chocolate too. It’s the BEST drink in the world!!!!!
I have a clone recipe on my blog, which is still pretty-darn good, if I do say so myself! Check it out,
http://bakingbarista.wordpress.com/2009/01/14/salted-caramel-hot-chocolate/
March 10th, 2009 at 6:27 pm
I absolutely love salt and sugar together, this looks wonderful and it’s begging me to make it!
March 10th, 2009 at 10:18 pm
oh wow, that cheesecake looks divine! worth every calorie!
March 20th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
Just found your site today…doesn’t look like that is going to be a good thing for the non-dessert lovers in my house. Out with the savory and in with the sweet…and salty! Yum!
March 23rd, 2009 at 10:43 am
Wow! That looks divine! I love the sweet / salty combo, not used enough! Thanks for the recipe!
March 23rd, 2009 at 10:44 am
Wow! That looks divine! I love the sweet / salty combo, not used enough!
March 24th, 2009 at 2:52 am
This blog BLOWS my mind.
Amazing photography of amazing food from amazing recipes. What more could a boy ask for?
Mind if I pop you on my blogroll?
March 30th, 2009 at 9:02 am
this looks so good… Caramel and salt..
A must try … thanks for posting the recipe
June 11th, 2009 at 7:31 am
This sounds amazing…I loved salted caramel and made some recently so it is my current obsession!
July 24th, 2009 at 8:42 pm
Woww, this looks amazingg. I love the contrast from the sweet caramel with the salt. Delicious!
July 29th, 2009 at 8:58 am
I love anything with salted caramel! I just made salted caramel custard pots and now I want this! Its looks delicious!
September 18th, 2009 at 10:37 am
Mmmm. Yum. I went to graduate school in Texas and worked in New Orleans for a long time. Pecans were an everyday part of my life (or so it seemed). I love New Orleans and I love chocolate too! I had a friend in grad school who shared my love of chocolate. Whenever I make chocolate cheesecake, I always smile as I remember New Orleans those times together. Here’s my friends’ recipe for the most delicious chocolate amaretto cheesecake, hope you enjoy it: http://www.fivehens.com/chocolate-memories/
November 17th, 2009 at 9:09 am
Love this recipe! Cheesecake is my favorite and I always love the combination of caramel and pecans!
December 6th, 2009 at 8:23 am
For the caramel … Ingredients list cream, instructions indicate butter. Which are we to use?
December 6th, 2009 at 9:49 am
kidchan, the caramel ingredients and instructions list both butter and cream.
August 22nd, 2012 at 1:17 am
Oh look at this beautiful creamy caramel! Wow, I need to make this cake this weekend for my man! He will love this!
December 27th, 2012 at 6:13 am
I made this for Christmas using my own cheesecake recipe with a brown sugar graham cracker crusts It was beautiful and delicious. The caramel sauce was easy to make and I have already received requests to make it again. Love this!!
March 11th, 2013 at 10:42 am
My daughter made this dessert last night and I have to say “this is to die for”. I did’nt want to finish the slice I was eating, I wanted it to be an unending slice. YUMMMMM!
April 28th, 2013 at 5:45 pm
Looks so delicious! Pecan plus caramel in a cheesecake sounds like a wonderful combination.