Creamy and rich cream(cheese) cake with a buttery and crispy crust and delicious salted caramel on top. Can this get any better? Well, it actually can, especially when you manage to bake the same great-tasting cake that has at the same time a much better impact on your body. Lower in sugar and higher in nutritious ingredients and flavors. 

I have to admit that I was never a big fan of caramel in general. For me, it’s simply too sweet and in combination with rich cheesecake or chocolate cake, it would usually make me sleepy and full. And this is a no-go for me.

That’s why I challenged myself and tried to make a better version of an all-time favorite recipe. And honestly, I think that what I created is a great, much healthier version of an indulgent cake that still tastes as it should – lusciously.

Making this cheesecake is no rocket science and as always, feel free to use what you have in your fridge. Here are some tips on how you can substitute ingredients: 

• sour cream: whole milk/ greek yogurt
• mascarpone: cream cheese/ curd
• coconut sugar: any kind of brown sugar/ white sugar
• corn starch: any kind of starch/ flour
• butter cookies: any kind of dry cookies or biscuits/ cereal cookies

A couple of words about what kind of sugars are most appropriate for baking here

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INGREDIENTS
(round baking pan, size: 15cm/6inch)

Crust

60g Butter Cookies  

30g Butter

♥

Filling

130g Mascarpone

130g Sour Cream (the thicker the better)

1 Banana (ripe)

30-40g Coconut Sugar 

2 Eggs (whole)

1 Teaspoon Cornstarch 

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract 

Pinch of Salt 

♥

Salted Caramel 

50g Coconut Sugar

2 Tablespoons Water

30g Butter

40g Heavy Cream 

1 Teaspoon Salt 

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METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 320°Fahrenheit/ 160°Celsius. Melt your butter on low heat, stirring occasionally. Crush cookies in a blender and pour in melted butter to get a mixture with a sandy texture. Then dump and press cookie mixture on the bottom of a baking pan and bake for 10 minutes
2. While the crust is being baked, prepare the dough. In a blender mix together all ingredients (mascarpone, sour cream, banana, coconut sugar, 2 whole eggs, cornstarch, vanilla extract, and salt) until well combined and smooth. Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature. Pour your filling over the crust
3. Place a baking pan with cheesecake in the middle of a bigger baking/ roasting pan. Bake your cheesecake in a water bath – pour hot water in the bigger baking pan so it surrounds your cheesecake. Bake it for 30 minutes, then slightly lower the temperature and bake it for another 10 minutes. The cheesecake should be firm on sides and wiggling in the center. Turn off your oven and leave it open with cheesecake inside until the oven cools down and then transfer cheesecake to the fridge for at least 8 hours or overnight
4. For salted caramel, make sure your ingredients are at room temperature. Combine sugar and water in a saucepan and stir constantly on a low heat until dissolved. Add butter and stir until dissolved. Add heavy cream and keep stirring (always on low heat). Mix constantly until the mixture thickens (5-10 minutes). Finally, add as much salt as you like. Let it cool down for a minute and pour over the cheesecake. Cut and enjoy this heavenly tasting cream(cheese) cake.

Dobrú chuť,
Lenka