Don’t fancy a Christmas Pudding this year? Why not try something slightly different but just as Christmassy?! We love our Gingerbread Cheesecake around the festive period. With a bit of heat from the gingernut biscuit base and spices in the filling, this is a wonderfully creamy and warming dessert! Served with a sweet caramel sauce, it is a real treat!
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Over the recent years, I have seen many recipes for Christmas Pudding Cheesecake. As much as I love Christmas Pudding, the cheesecake will always get my vote when it comes to dessert. I know a few people who absolutely detest Christmas Pudding though, so it made me think about what other winter flavours could be put into a Christmas Cheesecake. Seb’s immediate suggestion was: ‘Gingerbread Latte!’ (not surprisingly that’s his choice of a coffee flavour over the festive period). So I started experimenting with spices and ginger and caramel and here’s my final result – our Gingerbread Cheesecake with Gingernut Biscuit Base and Caramel Sauce.
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NOTE: This Cheesecake is deliberately made using less sugar so that we can pair it with caramel without making it overly sweet. If you are not making the caramel sauce and you have a very sweet tooth, you may want to increase the sugar.
I have also opted to use less creme fraiche and some Greek yoghurt instead. Whilst still really rich, yoghurt lightens the cheesecake a bit, whilst still retaining all the creaminess you’d expect.
Why Is My Tin Wrapped in Foil?
I cook my cheesecake in a water bath (bain-marie) in order to prevent it from cracking (I know some say it’s a myth, but it is what works for me!). The foil stops the water from sipping into the cheesecake. The water that surrounds your cheesecake creates a moist and steamy atmosphere that keeps the cake from drying out and, therefore, cracking. Here are the main things to know about bain-marie for your cheesecake:
- Use hot water. This will ensure the temperature in your pre-heated oven doesn’t drop too much and the cheesecake will bake at the right temperature from the start.
- Don’t overfill the tray with water, you don’t want it to splash into the cheesecake when it comes to the boiling point in the oven.
- Make sure you wrap your cheesecake tin with foil high enough up the sides and ensure your foil doesn’t tear. You really don’t want any water seeping in (and most springform cake tins aren’t exactly leak-proof). I highly recommend Kirkland Signature Foil (the price may look steep, but it’s 200m of foil!)
For other tips and tricks on how to bake a perfect cheesecake, have a look at How To Prevent Cheesecake from Cracking?
How to Make Gingerbread Cheesecake?
Grease the bottom and sides of an 18cm (7in) springform cake tin with butter. Line the base with a circle of baking paper. Preheat the oven to 140°C Fan.
Crush the gingernut biscuits to fine crumbs in a food processor (we love Kenwood) or with the end of a rolling pin. Melt the butter over low heat in a small saucepan (or in a microwave). Once melted, pour it into the crushed biscuits and stir to combine. Press a thin layer of the mixture into the base of the tin. Using your fingers, press the remaining buttery biscuit mixture up the sides and pop in the fridge to chill for 20 minutes.
Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, Greek yoghurt, creme fraiche, spices, flour and sugar for approx 2 minutes. The mixture should become thin, then thicken again slightly.
Gently whisk in the eggs (don’t over whisk at this stage, or your cheesecake may crack). Stir in the orange zest.
Wrap the tin of the cheesecake with foil, so that the base is fully covered and foil goes up 3/4 up the sides of the tin. Place the tin in a baking tray with higher rims (we will use it as a water bath).
Pour the filling over the gingernut biscuit base. Pour 2cm of boiling water into the tin around the cheesecake. Bake for 35 minutes until the sides are set but the middle 6-7 cm are still wobbly.
Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake in the oven to slowly cool and finish cooking in the residual heat for 1 hour. Then open the oven door halfway and leave it like that for another hour. Finally, take it out of the oven and cool down to room temperature (you can take it out of the water bath at this point. Finally, cover well with cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours, or ideally overnight.
30 minutes before serving, make the caramel sauce by melting the butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan over low heat. When the sugar dissolves, add the double cream, turn up the heat and stir. Once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat and cook for 3-4 minutes until thickened slightly. Leave it to cool down for 20 minutes.
Drizzle the sauce over the top of the chilled cheesecake and decorate with thinly sliced stem ginger. Unclip from the tin and cut into portions!
For other Christmas desserts, have a look at our favourites below:
- White Chocolate and Cranberry Macarons
- Lime & Passionfruit Charlotte Royale
- Christmas Chai-Spiced Panna Cotta
Gingerbread Cheesecake with Ginger Biscuit Base and Caramel Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Base:
- 50 g butter
- 150 g gingernut biscuits
For the Filling:
- 200 g soft cheese room temperature
- 70 g Greek yoghurt room temperature
- 130 ml creme fraiche room temperature
- 75 g caster sugar
- 10 g plain flour
- zest from one orange
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp mixed spice
- 2 small eggs
For the Sauce:
- 25 g butter
- 30 g brown sugar
- 30 ml double cream
- 1 ball of stem ginger thin slices (optional)
Instructions
- Grease the bottom and sides of an 18cm (7in) springform cake tin with butter. Line the base with a circle of baking paper. Preheat the oven to 140°C Fan.
- Crush the gingernut biscuits to fine crumbs in a food processor or with the end of a rolling pin. Melt the butter over low heat in a small saucepan (or in a microwave). Once melted, pour it into the crushed biscuits and stir to combine. Press a thin layer of the mixture into the base of the tin. Using your fingers, press the remaining buttery biscuit mixture up the sides and pop in the fridge to chill for 20 minutes.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, Greek yoghurt, creme fraiche, spices, flour and sugar for approx 2 minutes. The mixture should become thin, then thicken again slightly.
- Gently whisk in the eggs (don’t overwhisk at this stage, or your cheesecake may crack). Stir in the orange zest.
- Wrap the tin of the cheesecake with foil, so that the base is fully covered and foil goes up 3/4 up the sides of the tin. Place the tin in a baking tray with higher rims (we will use it as a water bath).
- Pour the filling over the gingernut biscuit base. Pour 2cm of boiling water into the tin around the cheesecake. Bake for 35 minutes until the sides are set but the middle 6-7 cm are still wobbly.
- Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake in the oven to slowly cool and finish cooking in the residual heat for 1 hour. Then open the oven door halfway and leave it like that for another hour. Finally, take it out of the oven and cool down to room temperature (you can take it out of the water bath at this point. Finally, cover well with cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours, or ideally overnight.
- 30 minutes before serving, make the caramel sauce by melting the butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan over low heat. When the sugar dissolves, add the double cream, turn up the heat and stir. Once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat and cook for 3-4 minutes until thickened slightly. Leave it to cool down for 20 minutes.
- Drizzle the sauce over the top of the chilled cheesecake and decorate with thinly sliced stem ginger. Unclip from the tin and cut into portions!
Nutrition
