Cafe Au Lait Cheesecake With Caramel Sauce

Cafe Au Lait Cheesecake With Caramel Sauce
Recipe by Abbey

It's Daring Baker's time again and this month we have CHEESECAKE!

The April 2009 challenge is hosted by Jenny from Jenny Bakes. She has chosen Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake as the challenge.

For this month's challenge we were given quite a bit of freedom in preparing this dessert. To quote Jenny ~ "The real challenge this month is to take this basic recipe and play with it. Make it unique. Make a showstopper of a dessert. Add flavor, sauces, decorations – dress it up and show it off." I hope I made you proud, Jenny. Enjoy!

Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake
(With Modifcations for Cafe Au Lait Version)

Crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cheesecake:
3 sticks of cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon vanilla extract (or the innards of a vanilla bean)
1 tablespoon mocha caramel liqueur, optional

Caramel Sauce (see recipe below)

Chocolate covered coffee beans

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Begin to boil a large pot of water for the water bath.

2. Mix together the crust ingredients and press into your preferred pan. You can press the crust just into the bottom, or up the sides of the pan too - baker's choice. Set crust aside.

3. Combine cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand-mixer (or in a large bowl if using a hand-mixer) and cream together until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Make sure to scrape down the bowl in between each egg.

4. Take 1/4 cup of the heavy cream and heat it in the microwave for a short amount of time until very hot. Add instant espresso; stir to dissolve. Add this to the remainder of cream. Add the cream, vanilla, lemon juice, and liqueur to the cream cheese mixture and blend until smooth.

5. Pour batter into prepared crust and tap the pan on the counter a few times to bring all air bubbles to the surface. Place pan into a larger pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan until halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan. If cheesecake pan is not airtight, cover bottom securely with foil before adding water.

6. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until it is almost done - this can be hard to judge, but you're looking for the cake to hold together, but still have a lot of jiggle to it in the center. You don't want it to be completely firm at this stage. Close the oven door, turn the heat off, and let rest in the cooling oven for one hour. This lets the cake finish cooking and cool down gently enough so that it won't crack on the top. After one hour, remove cheesecake from oven and lift carefully out of water bath. Let it finish cooling on the counter, and then cover and put in the fridge to chill. Once fully chilled, top with the caramel sauce (see recipe below) and serve with chocolate covered coffee beans.

Caramel Sauce
Recipe by Dragon

Ingredients:
1/3 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon mocha caramel liqueur
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cubed

Directions:
1. In heavy saucepan over moderately high heat, combine sugar with the water and bring it to boil. Continue cooking, swirling pan occasionally until light golden brown (about 5 minutes). Be sure not to stir the sugar.

2. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in cream and salt. Return the saucepan to the heat and bring it back to a boil. Remove saucepan from the heat and add the liqueur; stir to combine. Let sauce cool a bit before adding the butter cubes. Stir to melt butter into the sauce. Keep warm.

88 comments:

Sara said...

Awesome! Gorgeous photos, and the flavors sound divine. :)

Deeba PAB said...

A lady after my heart. I'vegot my face SPLAT next to the screen Paula. It's drop-dead gorgeous & singing to me!!

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

Wow, what a gorgeous cheesecake! A great choice of flavors!

Cheers,

Rosa

Pearl said...

the coffee beans add such a cool finish to the cheesecake!

Audax Artifex said...

Your presentation is super I just love the colour and the flavours sounds great. Good effort on this challenge. I really like the coffee beans on top they set the cake off nicely.

nikcreate said...

Oh gosh! looks like a BIG FLAN!

A flan that I really really like to bite into.

Looking at it from my side is making me crave for something very sweet and sinful.

Mme said...

I am so making your version. Tomorrow!

Priya Suresh said...

Gorgeous cheesecake, feel like having a piece rite now!

Jude said...

Such a perfectly smooth and luscious looking top. Great job!

Elissa said...

I love the look and color of the glaze on this one. Beautiful job.

Mindy said...

I tried to lick those drips of caramel off the screen, but it didn't work. Want to send me some??? ;-)

Vera said...

What a fabulous cheesecake! Great flavor combo!

Zita said...

Wow... simply fabulous, doesn't look like a last minute cake too me ;)

Justin said...

it looks great

Anonymous said...

How gorgeous! I love the coffee flavor!

Barry C. Parsons said...

Oh my swweet sweet LORD! That is drool inducing! This one might be stolen for my blog soon.

Netts Nook said...

I love the additions of the coffee beans love it. Perfect putting on the coffee.

vibi said...

The flavour combination must be totaly out of this world! WOW! ...and the chocolate covered coffee grains make it look so sweet! Very nice!

vanillasugarblog said...

there is no way I could have made this. you did such a beautiful job here, I would be afraid to slice into it--it's so pretty!!!

Katy said...

This is the second cheesecake I've seen in this Daring Baker's challenge and I don't know which one makes my mouth water more! Well done!

Leanne said...

I have to say, really wishing that that caramel on the top and the chocolate beans were finding their way onto my plate right now! Great job!

Debbie said...

That is one rockin' cheesecake. Looks delicious....

Maria said...

Gorgeous cheesecake!!

♥ mesa para 4 said...

OMG!!! What a perfect cheesecake...abraço

Barbara Bakes said...

You definitely made Jenny proud - its' gorgeous!

Jo said...

Great job on your challenge and it looks too gorgeous to be eaten.

Andrea Meyers said...

Oh yum. I love the mocha caramel liqueur in the cheesecake, but the caramel sauce and the coffee beans on top makes it look really splendid.

Nic said...

That's a beauty! Not heard of the liqueur before, great idea though.

Fearless Kitchen said...

This is beautiful. Looks tasty, too!

Angela @ A Spoonful of Sugar said...

Gorgeous cheesecake, Dragon! I love how the glossy chocolate-coffee beans set off the whole look. It is somehow minimalist and over-the-top extravagant at the same time :)

Lisa said...

Your cheesecake is stunning! I just want to bury my face in it! Also, gorgeous photos! Amazing job!

anna said...

I'd be afraid to disturb that perfect layer of caramel...that wouldn't stop me for long, though!

Anonymous said...

Sounds delicious! I love the way you decorated it!

alana said...

Gorgeous! This just sounds amazing...

Amanda said...

Just beautiful!

Chocolate Shavings said...

That is quite the cheesecake!

Megan said...

Good looken!!! Wish I had a slice right now.

Kerstin said...

What a fabulous dessert! I especially love how you added mocha caramel liqueur to your caramel sauce - yum!

Ruth said...

Stunning your cheesecake with the caramel makes me want to lick the screen! Yum great challenge

Shelly said...

I loooove coffee-flavored desserts! This looks fantastic, Paula!

Laura said...

Caramel and coffee, yummy!

Great job!

Unknown said...

Oooo...I do love your little chocolate covered coffee beans...and that caramel looks just divine. Wonderful job!Q

Sara said...

This is just gorgeous, I love all that caramel! Now I'm craving cheesecake :)

PheMom said...

I am pretty sure I could just wallow in that caramel sauce and be perfectly happy... but your cheesecake looks incredible too!

Joy said...

WOW. Your cheesecake looks amazing! Let's swap slices! :)

Thanks for dropping by my blog!

Christine said...

Good Lord that cake is GORGEOUS. It must have hurt to cut into it but I bet it was very much worth it!

Patsyk said...

I just gained 5 pounds thinking about how good that cheesecake looks!

Hyperion said...

I will admit; I'm not a coffee or cheesecake person, but these photographs look absolutely exquisite. You truly create Art more than mere food.

Anonymous said...

Oh wow, this looks so good. I am so want to make this now, I love coffee flavor and the chocoalte cover beans, and caramel sauce, yummo!!!! Great job!

Lauren said...

Mmm, your cheesecake looks absolutely amazing!! Great job on this challenge =D.

jen said...

I love how your first shot looks like an infinity pool. Yesss and infinity of caramel...aaarghghhh
(Homer Simpson drool sounds ensue). It's beautiful, but the flavours sound wonderful - beautiful job.

Kitchen M said...

mmm.... yummy!!

Lacey said...

YUM! Awesome job. Coffee cheesecakes are the best :D

Unknown said...

cafe au lait cheesecake...wowwww i am sure i'd loveeee this :)

Michele said...

How beautiful! The sauce is amazing!

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous! What a wonderful idea.

CRUISNDIVA said...

Wonderful job, your cheesecake looks totally delish!

art and lemons said...

Beautiful photos, your cheesecake looks delicious!

Carrie said...

This is just gorgeous. That caramel sauce looks like glass! Beautiful. And I love chocolate covered coffee beans!

Arundathi said...

Gorgeous!!

Jeff said...

I can enjoy my coffee and my cheesecake all in one...brilliant!!

I never knew about letting it rest in the oven to stop the top from cracking because I always have that problem.

Junie Moon said...

I absolutely love what you created with this challenge. Not only is it beautiful but adding the caramel and other modifications makes me positively drool. Congratulations on such a stunning job.

Amanda said...

Stunning photo! It really looks fantastic.

Unknown said...

oooh I could go for a slice of that right now!

Anonymous said...

oh my god! I LOVE the gleam and the shine of the caramel glaze! I'm sad you only gave us one pic! it looks freaking beautiful! actually, instead of eating it, I really really crave BAKING this!

Thistlemoon said...

oh WOW, Dragon! That cheesecake looks heavenly! Beautiful in appearance and tasty in ingredients.

Marija said...

Now that's my kind of a cheesecake! Great job!

Kitchenlander said...

Beautiful cake, I'd like to bring it with me to taste in a cabin in the woods!

Hayley said...

Beautiful job!

Andreas said...

Really beautiful cake. :)

Jeanine - The Baking Beauties said...

Your flavour combinations sound fantastic! Yum. And the pictures, wow! Wonderful job!

diva said...

this looks divine...coffee caramel liquer?? i'm in heaven!! x

Deseree said...

Beautiful picture! This cheesecake sounds so delicious!

Creative Classroom Core said...

That photo is unreal! So yummy looking!

Resh said...

GORGEOUs PHOTO! i think i can EAT thru it!

Mary said...

I merely saw your title and thought "Duh--why didn't I think of that?!?" That looks so fabulous and love the espresso beans!

Peter M said...

That's a classy looking cheesecake....bravo and encore!

Donna-FFW said...

This so looks like a work of art. Absolutely gorgeous.

whall said...

Me: *dialing*
Operator: Operator
Me: Dragon's kitchen, please
Operator: Excuse me?
Me: Dragon's kitchen, please. I need some Cafe Au Lait Cheesecake
Operator: don't we all *click*

ice tea: sugar high said...

mmmm.. coffee... *i'm drinking my morning coffee while reading this*. I love anything with coffee. I love your coffee bean/chocolate garnish. Simple and elegant. Well done!

Elle said...

That is one gorgeous cheesecake! Love the drips of caramel sauce down the side. Elegant and spectacular!

Anonymous said...

Caramel sauce and chocolate covered coffee beans? Beautiful!!

Poppy said...

That looks soooo delicious.

And I was already hungry.

Fighting off urge to binge on things other than this cheesecake to compensate... ACK!

Laura said...

I made a similar cake, so no surprise I find yours gorgeous! The chocolate covered espresso beans are a great touch.

Unknown said...

It looks beautiful! Of all the cheesecakes I made in March and April, the coffee version was my favorite, so I bet this tasted amazing. Thanks for being a part of the April Daring Bakers Challenge!

Jenny of JennyBakes

Laurel said...

That looks delectably divine! Can I have a bite?? ;-)
I'm super-bummed I missed out on April's challenge...cheesecake is one of my favorite desserts!
Perhaps I will give it a go anyways...your flavors are quite inspiring!

Muneeba said...

Gawd, this is speaking to me! Hey, how bad would it be if I used instant coffee granules instead of instant espresso?? I really want to make this insanely wonderful cheesecake!

Dragon said...

Muneeba: Go ahead and use the instant coffee granules, just make sure they are finely ground. Let me know how it turns out!

 
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