I am a proud member of UCSD's Hawai'i Club and this club just so happens to have a lot of pot lucks. We had a potluck this past saturday and i decided to bring this cheesecake because it is one of the easiest yet most 'impressive' cheesecakes i have ever made. Sure, it's delicious brownie carmel-y cheesecake-y goodness but compared to white chocolate raspberry cheesecakes or dulce de leche cheesecakes (my personal favorite) it just doesn't seem as elaborate to make as it looks. It's a store bought brownie mix at the bottom, caramel, and then cheesecake drizzled with more caramel. It's a fantastic cheesecake to make if you don't want to go through all the trouble with crushing graham crackers and pressing them into the pan to make a crust- although i know that sometimes people's favorite part about cheesecakes and pies are the crust. This cheesecake can easily be dressed up even more by making home-made brownies with different flavors or mix ins, using special store bought brownie mix, or tweaking the cheesecake layer flavor. I used the larger family size 180z. package of brownie mix because i wanted a thicker brownie crust, if you use the 18 oz package prebake it for about 20 minutes instead of 7-10.
Brownie Caramel Cheesecake
- 9 oz. package Brownie mix (plus ingredients indicated on the back of the package)
- 1 package (24 oz) caramels
- 1 (5 oz) can of evaporated milk
- 3 (8 oz) packages cream cheese
- 3/4 cup of sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan. and line the bottom and edges with foil
2. In a small bowl, make the brownie mix according to directions on package. Pour into pan and bake for about 7-10 minutes until just set.
3. Melt the caramels with the evaporated milk over low heat in a heavy saucepan. Stir often, and heat until mixture has a smooth consistency. Reserve 1/3 cup of this caramel mixture, and pour the remainder over the warm, baked brownie crust.
4. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Pour cream cheese mixture over caramel mixture. Place cheesecake in a waterbath and put it into the oven.
5. Bake cheesecake for 50-60 minutes, or until just set. Turn off oven and leave cheesecake inside until oven has cooled. Take cheesecake out and refridgerate. When cake is thoroughly chilled, loosen by running a knife around the edge, and then remove the rim of the pan. Heat reserved caramel mixture, and spoon over cheesecake.
oh my gosh!!!! My mouth is watering! I make a minimum of 2 cheesecakes a month so I have got to try your recipe!
ReplyDeleteWhat does it mean place cheesecake in a waterbath?
ReplyDeleteA water bath is a larger pan, filled with enough water to come 1/2 to 2/3 up the cheesecake pan when it's placed inside. Make sure the second pan is large enough that the cheesecake pan does not touch it's sides. It assures even cooking.
ReplyDeleteIf you use a spring form pan for your cheesecake will it not leak to place it in water?
ReplyDeleteNot if you wrap the outside like the directions. Say.
DeletePam....haven't made this yet but will tonight...I assume lining the bottom and edges of the pan with foil (on the outside) will prevent leaking.
ReplyDeleteI made this exactly according to your directions and the brownie is no where near cooked. A similar recipe I read, said the brownie should cook 35 minutes. It was so gooey I ended up having to put it back in the oven after the cooling process to finish cooking. :( I hope it turns out ok or I just spent a lot of time and money on this for no reason.
ReplyDeleteWhat are caramels? Im Australian and I've never heard of them in baking?
ReplyDeleteWe can only find caramels in Australia in speciality stores that sell US foods. From what I've seen, they're individually wrapped and look kind of like square pieces of fudgy caramel.
ReplyDeleteThat is correct. The individually wrapped caramels are what is used in this recipe
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I would bake the brownies longer than 7 mins...and it is not necessary to bake in a water bath. I make many cheese cakes and water baths are messy and not necessary....
ReplyDeleteI assume the brownie crust will finish cooking as the cheesecake cooks? So, I don't really need the water bath?
ReplyDeleteGreat recipe!! Just cook the brownies 30 minutes (instead of 10 min). Very yummy!! I'll make this again.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad it worked out for you!
DeleteI'm making this cheesecake for the second time right now for a 4th of July celebration. It is decadent and you won't be disappointed!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you like the recipe!
DeleteThe Water Bath Keeps The Cheesecake From Cracking.
ReplyDeletePour cream cheese mixture over caramel mixture: does that mean pour over the brownie crust?
ReplyDeleteYes!
DeleteMade this dessert exactly as recipe, but did not turn out. Baked it 50 minutes and it was too done.
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ReplyDeleteIt didn't work. The brownie part was gooey, even though I cooked it 30 minutes (I used a big box of mix.) I think regular caramel ice cream topping might be just as good (and cheaper). And do NOT put the foil in the bottom of the spring form pan. It would not come away from the cheesecake and made a mess. I've often used spring form pans with no trouble or leakage. I shouldn't have deviated from what I knew. Also, the water bath still made the cheesecake crack and ruined my aluminum pan that had the water. So much potential, but it just wasn't worth it.
ReplyDeleteYou are supposed to put the foil around the outside of the pan, not the inside. It shouldn't be touching the cheesecake. I've made this before and it turned out great. Regular size brownie mix.
DeleteHi Nancy! I'm so sorry to hear - the foil should be wrapped around the outside of the pan instead of the inside. I will make it clearer in the post!
DeleteAlthough the recipe mentions baking the brownie mix for 20 minutes, it also said bake until “set”. With the regular size brownie box, this was approximately 40-45 minutes in my oven. You didn’t get yours baked until set is all.
DeleteAs for why your cheesecake may have cracked even while using the water bath method, did you leave it in the oven with the door opened somewhat for an hour after you turned it off? If you took it right out of the oven, it would crack.
This is the absolute best cheesecake I have ever made! I baked the brownies (18.5 oz box) for about 40-45 minutes until set (for a toothpick to come out clean) before putting the caramel and cheesecake layers over it. It turned out perfect! I highly recommend this cheesecake. You won’t regret making it.
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