Cappuccino Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust from ‘My Life on a Plate’
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Photograph by David Loftus
By Kelis
Cappuccino Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust & Dulce de Leche Topping
Serves 8 to 10
I do a lot of cheesecakes, but this is by far the most popular. I smear dulce de leche over the top and decorate the edges with chocolate chips. It’s so rich and delicious. I prefer to use vanilla beans to vanilla extract. After scraping out the beans, I put the pod in a bowl of sugar to make vanilla sugar. Or—a trick from the older ladies in the Dominican Republic—I put the scraped pods in a pot of water and simmer for the best air freshener ever. Latinos make dulce de leche by simmering a can of sweetened condensed milk for 3 hours. Nothing works better, and it couldn’t be easier.
For the Crust
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more cold butter for greasing the pan
2 cups chocolate or gingersnap cookie crumbs (about 9 ounces cookies)
1/2–3/4 cup sugar, depending on desired sweetness
For the Cheesecake
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened at room temperature
16 ounces mascarpone cheese, softened at room temperature
1 ¼ cups sugar
3 large eggs
¼ cup brewed espresso, cooled to room temperature
2 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 vanilla bean
For the Topping
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk, label removed
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Flaky sea salt for sprinkling
To make the crust, put a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Grease the inside of an 8- or 9-inch springform pan. Wrap the outside of the pan with aluminum foil (this keeps water from leaking into the cheesecake when you bake it in a bain-marie).
Stir the cookie crumbs, melted butter, and sugar together in a medium bowl to combine. Press the crumb mixture to cover the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes and set aside to cool.
To make the cheesecake, combine the cream cheese, mascarpone, and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Cream on medium-high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy and no lumps remain, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl every 2 or 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing on medium speed after each addition until they all are incorporated. Add the espresso and flour, then mix on medium speed to combine. Split the vanilla bean down the middle with a paring knife and scrape the beans from the pod and into the bowl. Mix on medium speed until all of the ingredients are blended.
Put the springform pan in a baking pan and pour water 1 inch up the sides of the pan. Pour the batter into the prebaked crust, smooth the top, and bake for 80 to 90 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. (It will jiggle when you shake the pan; it sets as it cools.) Set aside in the bain-marie to cool to room temperature. Remove from the bain-marie, discard the foil, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
Meanwhile, remove the label from the can of condensed milk and put the can in a saucepan of water. Boil the can for 3 hours, making sure it is submerged at all times. Remove the can and set it aside to allow the dulce de leche to cool for about 10 minutes. It should be room temperature when added to the cheesecake.
Run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the crust from the sides. Unlatch the pan and carefully remove the sides. Spread half of the dulce de leche over the top, sprinkle the chocolate chips around the edges, and sprinkle with the sea salt. Slice and serve chilled.
Reprinted with permission from My Life on a Plate: Recipes From Around the World by Kelis (Kyle Books).
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