Caramel Apple Cheesecake

[nverland]

Caramel Apple Cheesecake
Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes Servings: 8

Ingredients

Crust
1 ½ cups crushed graham crackers about 8-9 whole crackers
¼ cup sugar
⅓ cup salted butter melted (about 5 tablespoons)
Filling
32 ounces cream cheese
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 eggs
2 tablespoons flour
Topping
1 cup caramel sauce or dulce de leche See notes if making yourself.
1 can apple pie filling or batch stewed apples See notes if making yourself.


Instructions

Crust
Combine crushed graham crackers, sugar, and butter until mixed well. Press into the bottom of a parchment lined 9 inch springform pan. I find that using the bottom of a flat glass works well to get the crust pressed in tightly.

Filling
In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until fluffier and increased in volume slightly, slowly pour in sweetened condensed milk while continuing to mix.
Beat in lemon juice and vanilla extract.
Reduce mixer speed to low and add eggs one at a time. Do not beat quickly as this will create air bubbles in the cheesecake mixture. Lastly, beat in flour.
Pour filling into springform pan and bake on center oven rack at 300 degrees for 70 - 75 minutes. Center should still wiggle slightly when cheesecake is finished. It will firm up as it sets.
Allow cheesecake to set at room temperature for one hour, then in the refrigerator at least three hours.

Topping
When cheesecake is completely cooled, top with caramel sauce and apple pie filling.
If caramel sauce is not pourable, warm on stovetop or in microwave until it’s just able to pour (you don’t want it super runny or hot). Do the same for the apple pie filling.
Either pour over the entire cake or top individual pieces depending on how you prefer to serve.

Notes
Note: This recipe works best if the filling ingredients are brought to room temperature before beginning.

Homemade apple topping:
In a large pot or skillet, heat a stick of butter, a cup of brown sugar, half a tablespoon of cinnamon, and half a teaspoon of vanilla, over medium/low heat until ingredients are incorporated.
Add apples and toss gently until everything is coated in the sugar sauce. Cover and continue cooking over medium/low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat and allow to cool to at least room temperature before pouring over cheesecake.

Homemade caramel sauce:
Instant pot: Pour 1 can of sweetened condensed milk into an oven safe bowl. Add water into the inner pot of the instant pot, then place bowl with sweetened condensed milk in also. Cook on manual (high pressure) for 1 hour, then allow for natural pressure release. Blend until smooth.
Slow cooker: Remove label from can and do not open, alternatively pour 1 can of sweetened condensed milk into a glass canning jar. Screw canning lid onto jar and place cans or jars into slow cooker. Add enough water to cover cans/mason jars, and cook covered on low for about 10 hours. Blend caramel until smooth.
Stove top: Remove label from can and do not open, alternatively pour 1 can of sweetened condensed milk into a glass canning jar. Screw canning lid onto jar and place cans or jars into a pot. Add enough water to cover mason jars and simmer on low – make sure to keep the water level so that it is covering the jars. Continue simmering 3 - 4 hours until caramel has formed. Blend caramel until smooth.