Description
Luxurious Crème Brûlée Cheesecake merges classic French dessert with creamy American cheesecake for an indulgent treat. Rich custard fills a graham cracker crust, topped with caramelized sugar that shatters with each delightful spoonful.
Ingredients
Scale
Crust Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted
Cheesecake Filling Ingredients:
- 3 packages (24 ounces/680 grams) cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) heavy cream
- 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) sour cream
Brulee Topping Ingredient:
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325F and position a rack in the center of the oven.
- Mix graham cracker crumbs with sugar and melted butter, then firmly press the mixture into the bottom of a springform pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes until lightly golden and set.
- In a large mixing bowl, whip cream cheese and sugar until completely smooth and free of lumps.
- Gently incorporate eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully integrated before adding the next.
- Fold in vanilla extract, heavy cream, and sour cream, stirring until the mixture is uniform and silky.
- Pour the cheesecake batter over the prepared crust, smoothing the top with a spatula.
- Place the springform pan inside a larger baking dish and fill with hot water to create a water bath, which prevents cracking.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes, watching for a slightly jiggly center that indicates perfect doneness.
- Remove from the oven and allow the cheesecake to cool completely at room temperature.
- Refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours or preferably overnight to set fully.
- Just before serving, evenly sprinkle granulated sugar across the top of the cheesecake.
- Using a kitchen torch, caramelize the sugar until it turns a rich golden brown and forms a crisp, glassy surface.
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients to prevent lumpy or cracked cheesecake, ensuring smooth and creamy texture.
- Wrap springform pan with aluminum foil to prevent water leakage during baking, creating even heat distribution and preventing cracks.
- Sprinkle sugar evenly and close to serving time to maintain crisp caramel layer and prevent sugar from melting into cheesecake.
- Substitute graham crackers with gluten-free alternatives like almond flour or gluten-free cookie crumbs for celiac-friendly version.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 34 g
- Sodium: 230 mg
- Fat: 38 g
- Saturated Fat: 22 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 1.2 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 130 mg