Cheesecake with salted caramel sauce (recipe)

January always seems so dull after the holidays. The decorations are put away, lights taken down, and the Christmas cookies have been eaten. Now, I set my sights on what to do next to get through the darkness and cold of the remaining winter months. The mild winter this year has afforded the opportunity for trail runs and a little bit of skiing. But when my sweet tooth starts missing those cookies of Christmas past, I turn to the delicious cheesecakes made by Dana’s Desserts of Carson City. This version features a delicious salty sweet caramel sauce. Enjoy!

Ingredients and directions:

Makes 12 servings

For the crust:

1 1⁄2 cups graham cracker crumbs (from 12 whole crackers)

5 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and set an oven rack on the lower middle position.

Wrap a 9- or 10-inch springform pan with a large piece of aluminum foil, covering the underside and extending all the way to the top so there are no seams on the bottom or sides of the pan. Repeat with another piece of foil. Spray the inside of the pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar, stirring until combined. Press the crumbs into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and set aside to cool on a wire rack while you make the filling. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees.

Heat a pot of water on stove to boil for the water bath.

For the cheesecake filling:

32 ounces (four 8 oz blocks) cream cheese (room temperature) 2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
4 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon lemon zest, packed

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1⁄4 teaspoon salt
6 large eggs, room temperature

1⁄2 cup sour cream

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or beaters, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and flour together on medium speed until smooth. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to be sure the mixture is evenly combined. Add the vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt. Beat on low speed until just combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed until incorporated, scraping the bowl as necessary. Mix in the sour cream until the batter is uniform, but do not over mix.

Set the cheesecake pan in a large roasting pan. Pour the batter on top of the crust. Pour the hot water into the roasting pan to come up about 1 inch up the side of the cake pan. Bake until the cake is just set, 1 hour & 30 minutes to 1 hour & 45 minutes (the middle will be slightly wobbly and will continue to cook as it cools. Carefully remove the roasting pan from the oven and place on a wire rack. Cool the cheesecake in the water bath until the water is just warm, about 45 minutes. Remove the springform pan from the water bath and discard the foil. Run a thin-bladed knife around the edge of the cake to loosen it from the sides of the pan to ensure it will not stick to the sides of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight. Remove the sides of the springform pan to serve.

For the salted caramel sauce:
1⁄4 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

In a medium sized heavy bottomed saucepan heat the water and sugar over medium heat. Stir constantly until the sugar is dissolved. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, stop stirring completely. Let the mixture continue boiling until it turns an amber color (this can take anywhere from 4-12 minutes). Remove from the heat and slowly whisk in the heavy cream. The mixture will bubble up a lot so do this very slowly. Mix until well combined. Add the butter and stir until melted completely. Add in the salt and vanilla and stir until combined. Pour the caramel sauce into a dish or mason jar and allow to cool completely, then cover tightly and store in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave before using.

Dana Hastings is the baker extraordinaire and owner of Dana’s Desserts of Carson City, where no job is too sweet. Examples of Dana’s treats can be found on her Facebook page @danasdessertscc or on Instagram @danasdessertscc. Contact her via email at danasdessertscc@gmail.com. Angela Bullentini Wolf is Owner/Manager of Gather, a farm to table, fine casual restaurant located at 402 N. Carson Street in downtown Carson City.