Salted Caramel Cheesecake

Step 1: Spread one quarter of the sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, or medium heat if your stove is strong. Let it melt, stirring if needed, then add another quarter of the sugar and let it melt. Repeat twice more until all the sugar has melted.

Tip: Adding the sugar in batches reduces the risk of burning it.

Step 2: Once all the sugar has melted, leave it on the stove for 1 to 2 minutes until it turns amber. Keep a close eye on it, as sugar can burn quickly.

Step 3: Take the saucepan off the heat. Add the salt and butter, then whisk until the butter has melted; it may not fully combine with the sugar yet. Slowly and carefully pour in about one third of the cream; it will steam and bubble. Whisk to combine, then whisk in the remaining cream.

Tip: Pour the cream in carefully, as the hot caramel will steam and bubble.

Step 4: Return the saucepan to medium-high heat. Once bubbles appear, let the caramel simmer for 1 minute, stirring and scraping down the sides as needed.

Step 5: Pour the caramel into a bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap touching the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Let it cool completely on the counter before using, about 1 hour.

Tip: The caramel must be at room temperature before you use it in the cheesecake.

Step 6: Preheat the oven to 160°C/320°F (140°C fan-forced). Place a shelf in the middle of the oven.

Step 7: Lightly grease a 23 x 33 cm / 9 x 13-inch metal pan with unsalted butter. Line it with baking paper, leaving an overhang to lift out the cheesecake later.

Step 8: Break the biscuits roughly by hand and put them in a food processor. Blitz until they form fine crumbs. Add the cinnamon, sugar, salt, and melted butter, then blitz briefly until the mixture resembles wet sand.

Tip: You can crush the biscuits in a bag with a rolling pin or large can instead. After adding the butter, the crumbs should hold together when pressed between your fingers.

Step 9: Pour the crumb mixture into the prepared pan and press it firmly and evenly over the base only, not up the sides.

Step 10: Using an electric beater or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese just until smooth. Do not use a whisk attachment, and do not beat for longer than 20 seconds on speed 4.

Tip: Minimize beating to keep air bubbles out of the filling.

Step 11: Add the vanilla, sour cream, sugar, and salt. Beat just until combined.

Step 12: Add the eggs one at a time, beating for just 5 seconds between each addition. After the last egg, beat only as needed to make the batter smooth; stop as soon as it is smooth.

Step 13: Pour the mixture onto the base and spread it evenly.

Step 14: Use a spoon to randomly dollop half of the salted caramel over the surface. Use a chopstick to make a few swirls, spreading the caramel across the surface without mixing it into the batter. The pattern does not need to be neat.

Tip: Avoid making too many swirls so the caramel stays across the surface of the batter.

Step 15: Bake for 35 minutes. The middle should still be a little soft, but it should not feel like a waterbed or have runny batter beneath the surface.

Step 16: Leave the cheesecake in the oven to cool with the door open about 20 cm / 8 inches for approximately 1 hour.

Step 17: As the cheesecake cools, some caramel swirls may open into cracks. Use a teaspoon to fill the cracks with salted caramel, then drizzle most of the remaining caramel generously over the surface. The recipe uses about three quarters of the remaining sauce for this; save any leftover for serving or another use.

Step 18: Refrigerate the cheesecake in the pan for at least 6 hours or overnight, until set.

Step 19: Lift the cheesecake out using the overhanging baking paper. Sprinkle with salt flakes and cut into the desired number of pieces: 16 bars, 40 squares measuring 4 cm, or 77 squares measuring 3 cm.