Ever need a dessert to take to a dinner party or family lunch or as a treat for a friend? If you’re like me and hate making the same dishes on rotation, here is one you can add to your repertoire.
I was in need of a no fuss, quick and easy recipe that could use what I had available in my pantry cupboard and fridge. I don’t often use pre-made ingredients, especially those filled with refined sugars and preservatives, but I have made an exception on this occasion and used a tin of caramel treat. This is reality. If you have the time and inclination, feel free to make a caramel sauce from scratch, but sometimes we all just need a dessert we can put together fast, so here goes.
This Caramel Cheesecake Tart is such a delicious combination dessert. You can feel free to use a pre-made or bought pie crust, however I have included my go to sweet shortcrust pastry recipe below in case you need or want to make it from scratch.
If you love meal prepping, this pie crust can also be made ahead of time and frozen so that you have it at hand when you need a quick but delicious dessert.
Caramel Cheesecake Tart
Whether you make the caramel sauce and pastry crust from scratch or use pre-made versions, this is such a simple and delicious combination dessert. Sweet shortcrust pastry with a layer of caramel, topped with cheesecake filling and swirled with more caramel, this is an absolute winner.
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Ingredients
Crust (Sweet Shortcrust Pastry)
- 100 Grams Unsalted Butter Softened to room temperature
- ⅓ Cup Icing/Powdered Sugar
- 1 Large Egg
- ⅓ Cup Ground Almonds / Almond Flour
- 1 Pinch of salt
- 1⅓ Cup All-Purpose Flour
Filling
- 1 Tin Caramel Treat (360g) or homemade caramel sauce** (or dulce de leche)
- 250 Grams Plain Cream Cheese Softened to room temperature
- ½ Cup Fresh Whipping Cream + 1 Tbsp**, divided
- ½ tsp Vanilla paste or extract
- 3 Tbsp Castor Sugar
Instructions
Crust (Sweet Shortcrust Pastry)
- Place the softened butter in a mixing bowl or the bowl of your mixer. Add the icing/powdered sugar and mix together until smooth
- Next add the egg, ground almonds / almond flour and salt to the sugar and butter and mix until well combined. Add the flour a bit at a time and mix until incorporated
- Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface or board and roll out into a circular shape, a little larger than the pie dish you are planning to use (I used a 20cm non stick pie dish with a removable bottom)
- Place the dough into the pie dish and ensure that the bottom and sides are covered*. The pastry is soft and will most likely break when moving, so patch any holes or cracks if you need to
- Remove any excess dough using the rolling pin and/or a small pairing knife. Use any excess pastry to patch up holes, cracks or irregularities if needed
- Place in the fridge or freezer for around 30 minutes while you preheat your oven
- Preheat the oven to 160°C. When hot, remove the pastry case from the fridge, dock the bottom with a fork and line with baking paper. Use baking beans, or dried beans or rice to weigh down the pastry. Make sure that no pastry is visible at this point. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the baking paper and beans/weights and bake uncovered for a further 10 – 15 minutes. You don't want the pastry to brown or shrink too much. It is ready when there are no visible 'wet' spots and it turns a light golden. Remove and let cool completely before adding the filling
Filling
- When your crust is completely cooled down, combine the caramel treat and 1 tablespoon of cream in a small bowl. Mix until smooth
- Spread half of the mixture over the bottom of the crust in an even layer and place in the fridge while preparing the next layer
- Place the softened cream cheese in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth
- Beat in the remaining cream and the vanilla until smooth, light and fluffy and peaks begin to form. About 1 – 2 minutes. Then add the sugar and mix for about another minute until completely combined
- Gently spoon the cream cheese mixture over the caramel layer, trying not to disturb the bottom layer. Spread into an even layer
- Finally, dollop the remaining caramel mixture in large drops over the top and use a skewer or sharp thin knife to swirl the caramel into the cream cheese mixture
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving
Notes
*I roll the circle of dough over my rolling pin for ease of transfer to the pie dish, then place it loosely over the pie dish and work it into the corners and sides with my fingers.
** If using homemade or runny caramel sauce, omit the 1 tablespoon of cream in the caramel as it is just added to make the caramel treat more spreadable
Tart Crust:
This tart crust can be stored either un-baked or baked.
It can be kept un-baked in the fridge for up to 2 days – either rolled between the two sheets of baking paper or in a ball/disk unrolled but covered.
Once baked, you can keep it at room temperature without any fillings for a day. Simply make sure to let it cool down completely and cover it properly and store in a cool spot.
You can absolutely freeze it and it will keep well in the freezer for quite a few months (up to 3 months for the best results). Although you could freeze it after baking it, I recommend freezing it raw for a fresher taste and texture.
If you can, line the pastry in the tart pan before freezing it so it is pre-shaped. When ready to bake, place in the preheated oven straight from the freezer and simply add an additional 5 minutes of baking. Tried this recipe?Post your pics and tag us at @my_homemade_kitchen_za or #myhomemadekitchen!
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