An autumn-inspired apple cheesecake with Biscoff, salted caramel and crumble.
Apple cheesecake with salted caramel and crumble – a truly wonderful cheesecake with autumn apples, a creamy cheesecake filling and a layer of crisp crumble and homemade salted caramel on top. This one has gone straight onto the list of my absolute favourites – and I have actually been told that it is the best cheesecake I have ever made. I’m inclined to agree.
I make the base with Biscoff biscuits, which go perfectly with the apples and the spiced autumn flavours. If you can’t get hold of Biscoff, Bastogne biscuits (a Belgian spiced biscuit) work just as well – they give a slightly deeper, spicier flavour.
The cheesecake filling itself gets its lovely flavour from a homemade apple compote with vanilla and lemon. Choose apples with a bit of acidity, as that balances the sweetness of the biscuit base and the topping beautifully. The result is a silky, creamy apple cheesecake with a wonderfully fresh apple flavour.
On top goes the rest of the apple compote, homemade crumble and finally a generous helping of salted caramel. The combination of creamy cheesecake, fresh apples, crunchy crumble and sweet, lightly salted caramel is simply divine.
And although there are several elements to the recipe, it is actually very easy to plan. The apple compote, crumble and salted caramel can all be made 2-3 days ahead. Keep the apple compote and salted caramel in the fridge and the crumble in an airtight jar once it has cooled completely. Assembling the rest of the cake is then very straightforward.
It is the ultimate autumn cheesecake, but honestly – I could eat this one all year round. Autumn, winter or a warm summer’s day… it tastes absolutely wonderful
Apple Cheesecake with Salted Caramel and Crumble
Ingredients
Biscuit base
- 250 g Biscoff biscuits (or Bastogne)
- 100 g butter
Apple compote*
- 375 g apples (peeled and cored weight)
- 60 g caster sugar
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp water
- 1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped out
Crumble
- 50 g porridge oats
- 50 g plain flour
- 40 g caster sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 75 g cold butter, cut into cubes
Cheesecake filling
- 200 ml apple compote*
- 4 1/2 sheets leaf gelatine
- 250 ml whipping cream (38% fat)
- 250 g full-fat cream cheese
- 100 g icing sugar
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
Toppings
- Apple compote
- Crumble
- 4 tbsp salted caramel – click here for the recipe
- Edible flowers (optional)
You will also need
- Cake ring or springform tin, approx. 18-20 cm
- Acetate cake collar
Method
Preparation – can be done 2-3 days ahead
- Start by making the apple compote – it needs to cool completely before it is stirred into the cheesecake filling. Make the crumble too and let it cool completely. It stays nicely crisp in an airtight jar.
- If you are making your own salted caramel, make this ahead as well. It stays lovely and soft – even in the fridge.
Apple compote
- Put the peeled, cored and diced apples in a saucepan with the sugar, lemon juice, water and vanilla seeds – add the empty vanilla pod too for extra vanilla flavour.
- Simmer the apples for about 15 minutes, or until they are tender and the compote has thickened – remove the vanilla pod and blend the apples with a stick blender to a smooth purée. Chill in the fridge.
Crumble
- Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the butter and rub it into the dry ingredients with your fingertips until the mixture comes together in small clumps.
- Spread it out on a baking tray lined with baking parchment and bake in a preheated conventional oven (top and bottom heat) at 200°C for about 15-20 minutes. Then leave to cool completely.
Biscuit base
- Blitz the biscuits to fine crumbs.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan and stir in the biscuit crumbs.
- Line the base of a springform tin with baking parchment, then line the inside of the ring with an acetate cake collar. If using a cake ring, place it on a chopping board with a sheet of baking parchment underneath and line the inside of the ring with acetate.
- Tip the biscuit mixture into the tin and press it down firmly so the whole base is covered and the mixture is well compacted – you can let the biscuit mixture come a little way up the sides too if you like. Chill in the fridge while you make the cheesecake filling.
Cheesecake filling
- Measure out the amount of apple compote specified for the filling (see the ingredient list) – the rest is used for the topping.
- Soak the gelatine sheets in a large bowl of cold water for about 15 minutes.
- Whip the cream to soft peaks and set aside.
- Beat the cream cheese with the icing sugar and lemon juice until smooth and free of lumps, then stir in the apple compote.
- Melt the soaked gelatine in a small saucepan over the lowest possible heat. It only takes a few seconds, so keep an eye on it. Don’t squeeze the gelatine out too thoroughly before melting it – the little water that clings to it makes the melting easier to control. Remove the pan from the heat as soon as the gelatine has melted.
- Stir a couple of large spoonfuls of the cheesecake filling into the pan with the melted gelatine, and keep stirring until it is free of lumps and the mixture has cooled slightly.
- Stir the gelatine mixture thoroughly into the rest of the cheesecake filling, then finally fold in the whipped cream.
- Pour the filling over the biscuit base – spread it out with the back of a spoon and gently tap the chopping board on the worktop to knock any air bubbles out of the filling.It helps to dip the spoon in a little hot water, wipe it dry and smooth the surface of the cake – that way it won’t stick to the filling.
- Spread the rest of the apple compote over the top and sprinkle with crumble.
- The filling should be firm enough to hold both the apple compote and the crumble, but if it seems soft, chill it in the fridge for half an hour or so – and then do the step above.
Serving
- Release the cheesecake from the tin and acetate collar, top with the salted caramel and serve.
- For a neater finish, pop the cheesecake in the freezer for an hour or so before removing it from the tin – this gives the sides a smoother surface. Otherwise simply smooth them with a palette knife.
Nutrition
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