Caramel Apple Cheesecake

Recipe from Cristen Clark, Food & Swine

Crafting An Indulgent Dairy Dessert

Ingredients

  • 12 sheets (1 package) graham cracker, crushed finely
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 6 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 can (15 ounces) apple pie filling
  • 4 8-ounce blocks (16 ounces) regular cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • ½ cup sour cream (full fat)
  • 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 can (15 ounces) apple pie filling
  • Caramel sauce (roughly ¼ cup)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups heavy cream
  • ¼ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with foil. In a large zip-top bag, crush graham crackers until fine. Add sugar and butter, mash in zip-top bag to combine. Pat the graham cracker mixture into the bottom and up the sides 1-inch in the springform pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 11–12 minutes until graham cracker crust is golden and fragrant. Remove the crust from the oven and set aside. 

Prior to pouring cheesecake filling into the graham cracker crust, arrange the apples from one can of apple pie filling neatly in one layer on top of the par-baked crust.

In a large mixing bowl, gently beat cream cheese, sugar, sour cream and vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, beating only until incorporated after each addition. Pour the cheesecake mixture into the par-baked, apple-topped graham cracker crust. Place cheesecake in the oven on the middle rack. Place a baking dish filled with 3 cups of water next to the cheesecake. 

Bake cheesecake for 70 minutes at 350 degrees F. At that time, shut off the oven and open the door a quarter of the way to cool the cheesecake slowly to prevent cracking. Cool this way for 1 hour, then set on counter until cheesecake is closer to room temperature. Place the baked cheesecake in the refrigerator to chill for 4 hours or overnight. 

When preparing to serve, chop apples with a butter knife while they are still inside the apple pie filling can and add them to the top of the well-chilled cheesecake. Whip together the whipped cream ingredients in a large mixing bowl until soft peaks form. Pipe whipped cream around the topping, drizzle with caramel sauce and sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired. Serve the cheesecake well-chilled.