Caramel Flan Cheesecake

Recipe courtesy Sherry Yard, Pastry Chef of Spago Beverly

Show: Wolfgang PuckEpisode: Passover

Rated: 4 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (15)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(15)

Cook Time:
1 hr 15 min
Level:
Intermediate
Yield:
1 (9-inch) cake

Times:

Prep: 15 min
Inactive Prep: 4 hr 0 min
Cook: 1 hr 15 min
Total:: 5 hr 30 min

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Ingredients

Caramel:

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Cheesecake Base:

1 pound 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 tablespoon orange zest
6 eggs
1 cup heavy cream

Directions

Caramel:

In a heavy metal saucepot combine the sugar, water, and lemon juice. Over high heat cook the sugar to a deep caramel color and pour out into a round 9-inch cake pan, turning around the perimeter so as to cover the sides and bottom of the pan. Set aside to cool completely while you make the cake.

Cheesecake Base:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

In mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, on low speed work the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar, vanilla, and orange zest. Continue to mix for 2 minutes until smooth. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and scrape down after each addition.

On low speed slowly stream in the heavy cream. Scrape down every 30 seconds. Remove from bowl and pour out into prepared cool caramel pan.

Bake in a hot water bath for 1 hour. When finished the cake will be slightly firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and place in the refrigerator. Make sure to cool down for at least 4 hours before flipping over. The cake can be made up to 2 days in advance.

Flip over by placing a 12-inch flat plate over the top of the cake pan. Hold with a firm grip and flip cake upside down. Let the pan sit on top for a second. Lift pan off the cake and serve on its own or with berries.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Caramel Flan Cheesecake
Christina Alexander, AR 11-20-2009
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Awesome! No Sticking
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I have made this recipe on several occasions. It is ALWAYS a hit! I use a non-stick spring form pan, and I have never had... an issue with sticking. This recipe is awesome.Read more
recipe Caramel Flan Cheesecake
STACY La Jolla, CA 04-10-2009
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Stuck!
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

My caramel also was stuck, but after some warming the cake came out of the pan without the caramel. Luckily, it was... presentable and delicious, just didn't have the extra wow of the top. My caramel was very hard (not cuttable), so I think I may have cooked it too long, but the color was just as the recipe instructs. Could that have been solved by undercooking the caramel a bit? I used a regular 9" metal cake pan that was almost 2" deep, without buttering or using parchment. The batter filled it to the brim with maybe 1/4 cup left over. I would love to make this again with the caramel, but I'm worried that the same thing will happen after all that effort. I gave it 4 stars because of the caramel, otherwise it would have been 5. Any further suggestions?Read more
recipe Caramel Flan Cheesecake
sarah brooklyn, NY 04-09-2009
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Delicious!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

First, sometimes the caramel does harden and make it hard to remove. To unmold fill another low pan with warm water and put... the cheesecake in that making sure the water doesn't overflow and wet the top! Leave it for about a minute or so. Then invert the pan and be patient! You might see a bubble or something which means that it's starting to loosen. Might also help to run a knife around the edges. It might make it a little jagged, but just rim the cake with berries. So, yes, this is a cheesecake i've been making for the past several years for passover, but it's been adopted by friends who are gluten free etc. The cheesecake itself is very very fluffy and smooth. I like to add more orange zest, a bit of slivovitz (passover plum brandy) and cut the sugar a bit. I also make this with one package of neufchatel and then 2 of regular cream cheese. and i've definitely made these with extract instead of vanilla beans. The main thing is that if you are using a shallow-ish baking dish (1 inch) then you will have a lot more. Which is nice because then you can make 4 or 5 individual cheesecakes...perfect for trying out before serving! if you're doing it in ramekins, you can skip the caramel and it's like a cheesecake souffle. YUM! This is the reason to have milkhiks seders! Fish and cheesecake!Read more
recipe Caramel Flan Cheesecake
Kim Short Hills, NJ 04-06-2009
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Help!!
Rated: 3 stars out of 5

I too could not get the cake out of the pan. The caramel was stuck to the pan and didn't realease. What came out was... delicious but not presentable. Suggestions? Is there a way to soften the caramel? Or would buttering and lining the pan with parchment paper help?Read more
recipe Caramel Flan Cheesecake
Sean Santa Monica, CA 04-22-2008
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Best Passover dessert ever
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

We were shocked at how good this really was. We had a Seder of 30 people with a bunch of dessert options and multiple people... commented that this was the best Passover dessert they've ever had! The carmel made for a beautiful presentation too...looked professionally done despite being VERY easy to make.Read more
recipe Caramel Flan Cheesecake
penny westport, CT 04-21-2008
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Pan size?
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This was delicious and enjoyed by everyone at the seder. However, we started to make it using a 9" cake pan as specified -... there was so much of both the caramel and the cheesecake that we ended up remelting the caramel and making two 9" cake pans. Should this have been a DEEP cake pan - all my regular cake pans are about 1" deep and no way would they fit the recipe. Anyway, now have an extra one to freeze and wow someone else with!Read more