BEST SALTED CARAMEL CHEESECAKE RECIPE

Add the sugar to a dry, wide-bottomed pan (preferably a light color like stainless steel) and spread it out evenly. Place on the burner on the lowest flame, and cook until the sugar starts to melt

Once the sugar starts to melt, use a dry whisk or spatula to gently stir it and encourage all of it to melt evenly. The sugar will start to look clumpy or hard in places, but don't worry and keep cooking and gently stirring. With time, all of the sugar will melt and there won't be any clumps. Continue to cook for a couple more minutes on the lowest heat until the sugar reaches a deep golden color (take care not to burn it). This entire process can take ~20 minutes - be patient!

Turn off the heat, and add the room temperature butter. Gently whisk it in; it won't fully combine and may look separated from the caramel. That's ok

Add the warm cream (I recommend microwaving for 30s) and whisk vigorously until the cream is fully combined. The caramel will bubble but will become creamy after a few seconds. If it starts to seize up, don't worry and turn on the heat on low again to re-melt it

Lastly, stir in the salt and vanilla

Transfer to a bowl / jar and let cool completely at room temperature

Pre-heat oven to 350F (conventional / no fan) and prepare a 9" springform pan with parchment paper on the bottom and sides (spray oil or butter and then apply parchment so it sticks)

Blitz the Biscoff cookies in a food processor until they form a fine crumb. Add the melted butter and blitz until combined

Transfer to the pan and press down tightly into a crust using the back of a measuring cup. You can keep it all on the bottom for a thicker crust, or push some of it up the edges of the pan depending on your preference. Just make sure it is tightly packed

Bake at 350F for 7-8 minutes, then remove and reduce the oven temperature to 325F

Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature

Add the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla to the bowl of a stand mixer. Use the paddle attachment to whip for 2-3 minutes until the sugar feels mostly dissolved and the mixture looks creamy. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom and edges of the bowl 2-3 times through this process

Break the eggs in a separate bowl and lightly whisk them to break down the yolks and whites. Slowly pour the eggs into the batter while whisking on medium-low speed, and stop whisking as soon as the eggs are combined. Scrape the bowl again

Add the heavy cream, sour cream and cornstarch (sifted) to the batter and whisk again on medium-low speed until just combined. Do not overmix. Scrape the bowl again

Lastly, add in the salted caramel sauce (it should be at room temperature) and whisk until combined. Scrape the bowl and taste the batter. Add a little more salt if needed

Cover the sprinform pan with the baked crust inside with 2 sheets of aluminum foil on the outside (covering the outside bottom and edges of the pan) to ensure water does not leak in from the water bath

Gently pour the cheesecake batter into the baked crust. Lightly shake the pan and gently tap it on your counter 20-30 times so little air bubbles can escape

Place a large tray in your oven (which should be at 325F) and pour 1-2" of boiling water in it. Then carefully place the cheesecake pan inside the tray

Close the oven door and bake the cheesecake for 75-80 minutes. Do not open the oven door until at least 70 minutes have passed. Around 75-80 minutes, the cheesecake should look firm on the edges but still be quite jiggly in the center when the pan is gently shaked (I bake for 80 min for a slightly more firm but still creamy consistency)

Remove the cheesecake pan from the oven and let it cool down at room temperature for 2 hours. Then transfer to the fridge and chill overnight (12 hours). Do not attempt to open the pan or remove the cheesecake from the pan before chilling overnight

The next day, carefully remove the cheesecake from the pan and transfer to a cake stand

Warm up the remaining salted caramel sauce in 15s increments in the microwave until it becomes runny (but not hot) and pour it on top of the cheesecake. Use a spatula to spread it out

Optionally, sprinkle over a little flakey sea salt

Slice up, serve & enjoy!