Butter Tart Cheesecake
A butter tart turned into a cake with a layer of butter tart filling topped with a layer of cheesecake all finished off with a gorgeous warm walnut and raisin caramel sauce!
Butter tarts are my all time favourite holiday treat! When I was a kid and the cookie platter came out for the holidays I went for the butter tarts first and then the other goodies, if I still had room for them. Later, when I moved out for school and my grandmother asked me what I wanted for Christmas I would always reply that I wanted a box of her homemade butter tarts, and I treasured them dearly when I received them! Now they are the first holiday cookie that I bake, and the one that I make the most of! When I made the pecan pie cheesecake recently I could not help but think that a butter tart version would simply be divine for the holidays! The resulting butter tart cheesecake turned out to be just as amazing as I imagined, the perfect combination of butter tart and cheese cake, even better than the originals! A new holiday favourite?!
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1 3/4 cups vanilla wafer crumbs (gluten-free for gluten-free)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2/3 cup maple syrup (or corn syrup)
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
- 3/4 cups walnuts, toasted and chopped
- 3/4 cups raisins
For the cheesecake filling:
- 3 (8 ounce) bricks cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (optional)
- For the pecan caramel topping:
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
- 1/2 cup raisins
Directions
For the crust:
Mix the crumbs, butter and sugar and press into the bottom of a 8-10 inch spring form pan.
For the butter tart filling:
Bring the brown sugar, maple syrup, butter, eggs, vanilla, walnuts and raisins to a boils and simmer until it thickens, about 5 minutes, before pouring into the crust in the springform pan.
For the cheesecake filling:
Beat the cream cheese, sugar, eggs, cream and vanilla until smooth before pouring on top of the butter tart filling in the springform pan, wrap the bottom of the pan in foil, place in a larger pan with a small amount of hot water and bake in a preheated 350F/180C oven until set, about 60 minutes. (It is recommended that you let the cheesecake cool completely on the counter and then chill it in the fridge overnight, but it’s also amazing while still warm from the oven!)
For the butter tart caramel topping:
Heat the butter and sugar in a small sauce pan over medium heat until bubbling, let it bubble for 3 minutes, carefully add the heavy cream, mix until smooth and add the cinnamon, walnuts and raisins and let cool before pouring on the cooled cheesecake.
Recipe Tips and Notes
Don’t skip the cooling times, the crust, filling and cheesecake layers all need time to cool fully and set.
Be patient and let the cheesecake cool in the oven to prevent cracking.
Use full-fat cream cheese for the creamiest and richest texture.
When making your cheesecake, your ingredients should be at room temperature.
