Daring Bakers: Creamy Dulce De Leche Cheesecake

Dulce de leche Cheesecake (01) by MeetaK

April 2009 celebrates my 2 year anniversary with the outstanding group that call themselves the Daring Bakers. Back in April 2007 we were just 30 members and my first ever challenge was the tough but rather yummy chocolate crepe cake. Today the group is pushing it’s 2000 member mark and we have our own Daring Kitchen, where we get together to discuss the ups and downs of any given challenge.

I can’t help but reminisce about the group back then. We all pretty much knew each other and it was just like an extended family all getting together once a month. I had a far better overview of who was a Daring Baker, today while the challenges are still exciting, the group has grown incredibly and I am afraid I do not know half of the members. The positive side is that I am finding new blogs through the group and always am amazed at the enormous effort and fantastic talentJennyQuote my fellow DBs present with each challenge.

The April 2009 challenge is hosted by Jenny from Jenny Bakes. She has chosen Abbey's  Infamous Cheesecake as the challenge. Abbey T. is Jenny’s friend and according to Jenny this cheesecake is the creamiest she has ever tried. I will second that.

This really was a deliciously creamy cheesecake, not too sweet and had a perfect texture. Cheesecake would not go down as my most favorite type of cake because I often find them heavy and far too sweet. However, this recipe really is great as one can do so much with it, as you will see all across the blogs today.

Dulce de leche Cheesecake (04) by MeetaK

The basic recipe is very straightforward. Jenny wanted us to take the recipe and play with it. We were allowed a lot of room for variations and creativity. The type of challenges I love. The Food Guide Tip

I had dulce de leche on my mind for quite some time and after I made my own homemade dulce de leche it was clear to me that I would make my cheesecake using the addictive sauce. I followed the recipe, just making a few minor changes to integrate the dulce de leche. 

After 2 years with the group, 23 challenges (I missed only one so far!) and 1 as a hostess, this challenge will be my last one for a while. Most of you know by now, I am counting down to the big move in July to Qatar. As much as it pains me to miss out on the next baking challenges I have to make time for other challenges. Selling, sorting and packing are all on my To do list right now. Once I am settled in Doha I shall be back.

Dulce de leche Cheesecake (02) by MeetaK

The recipe here is the one with my own modifications for a dulce de leche cheesecake. You will find the recipe for the original Abbey’s Infamous Cheesecake here. ddlcheesecake index card

Dulce De Leche Cheesecake

Printable version of recipe here.

Ingredients

Crust:

180g graham crackers, crushed – I used whole wheat biscuits from Bahlsen Leibniz
115g butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cheesecake Filling:

680g cream cheese
200g superfine granulated sugar
3 eggs
150 ml dulce de leche 
80 ml whole milk
1 vanilla bean, insides scraped 

Method

  1. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees C. Lightly butter a 22-cm springform pan. Wrap the springform with a couple of layers of heavy duty-foil, to avoid leaking and water seeping into the cake.

  2. Mix crust ingredients together, and press into the bottom of the springform pan. Set crust aside.

  3. Combine cream cheese, sugar, milk and the insides of the vanilla bean together in the bowl of a stand-mixer (or in a large bowl if using a hand-mixer) until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Make sure to scrape down the bowl in between each egg. Blend until smooth and creamy.

  4. Divide the mixture in half. Leave one half plain, pouring the the dulce de leche in the other half. Using a spatula gently combine the dulce de leche into the cream cheese mixture.

  5. Pour plain batter over crust, then top with dulce de leche batter.

  6. Bake in the oven for 45 to 55 minutes, until it is almost set. This can be hard to judge, but you're looking for the cake to hold together, but still have a lot of jiggle to it in the center. You don't want it to be completely firm at this stage. Close the oven door, turn the heat off, and let rest in the cooling oven for one hour. This lets the cake finish cooking and cool down gently enough so that it won't crack on the top. After one hour, remove cheesecake from oven and lift carefully out of water bath. Let it finish cooling on the counter, and then cover and put in the fridge to chill – preferably overnight. Once fully chilled, it is ready to serve.

  7. Serve topped with fresh berries and/or a drizzle of dulce de leche.

Sticky Note Kitchen Notes

  • I like using the springfrom pan or pans with removable bottoms. However, as this is being cooked in a water bath you might want to wrap such kind of baking forms in foil. Secure the springform generously with foil as you might have some leakage or water seeping into the form.

  • You can be as creative as you like with the recipe. Instead of dulce de leche, use chocolate sauce or a fruity based coulis.

 


Verdict

Dulce de leche Cheesecake (03) by MeetaK

I made this for my brother-in-law’s 30th. Soeren, his girlfriend and I pinched a slice to test and we found it hard to wait till the guests came around! In Germany cheesecake is often made using quark, which gives the filling a totally different flavor and texture. Therefore, the birthday boy and the guests found this form of cheesecake very interesting as it was more compact and cheesier in flavor. The dulce de leche is incredible in this cheesecake. It highlights the creaminess of the cheese with a rich caramel note. As I poured the two batters in layers one really enjoyed and noticed the different flavor levels of the filling.Celebrate with Spring Cakes!

I hope to see all of my fellow Daring Bakers and avid Daring Baker fans in October. Until then take your time and browse through my past 23 challenges with this awesome group.

Would I make this again?

Yes! It’s not too sweet or heavy and the possibilities are immense. It’s going to be a base for several exciting creations for sure.

What did I learn from this challenge?

That this cheesecake could become a favorite.

I thank Jenny and Abbey for sharing the secret to a delicious cheesecake recipe, which will be used often I can assure you. A great challenge and a great way to say a short goodbye! I am also celebrating with cakes for my last mingle and would love you all to come over for a celebration of Spring Cakes for this Monthly Mingle.DTtip6 Hope to see you there!

 Daily Tiffin Reading Tip

 Declutter written by Dee

 

 


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76 comments:

  1. Oh how yummy! Caramel and dulce de leche are my favorite sweets, even before chocolate, and I love how you used it in the cheesecake. And then the drizzles on top? Oh my. :-)

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  2. A gorgeous cheesecake! I love your presentation and flavorings! Nice combo!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  3. The mere mention of dulce de leche has me standing at attention. TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER!

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  4. We'll miss seeing your monthly DB creation at the blog Meeta! Gorgeous cheesecake!!

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  5. This does sound like an amazing challenge Meeta:D

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  6. I cannot take my eyes away from your pictures Meeta... they are the prettiest.

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  7. You rock! as usual, no surprise there. It looks beautiful and simply elegant and I bet was so delicious. I am going to manage to put mine up within the next 48hrs I'd say. Mini-me can be tough on my schedule. =)

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  8. Your cake is just super Meeta! I used some caramel too - but that's coz great minds think alike..!! Love the presentation and the pics are gorgeous as always.

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  9. It was super creamy wasn't it!! I keep meaning to bake with dulce de leche and now I think I'm "stealing" your flavor combo.

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  10. Oh wow cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesy and yum......

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  11. Congrats on your 2nd year Meetak!

    You are celebrating in luxury with such a beautiful cheesecake! Very, very nice!

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  12. This looks amazingly good Meeta! I love dulce de leche so I am drooling!!!

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  13. Oh..it looks yummy meeta..love the presentation, simply superb..

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  14. Creamy as can be,perfect for a celebration:)

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  15. cheesecake looks perfect.... good luck with your move...

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  16. Did I dream you were using dulce de leche in this cheese cake or did you give a hint somewhere, somehow.
    You are always mind blowing beautiful and knock out flavors!
    Moving will be challenge enough for a while.

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  17. I would be more than thrilled with a cheesecake for a birthday cake! It looks divine, Meeta.

    Good luck with your move to Quatar. I hope all goes smoothly, and I'll be looking forward to you rejoining us on DB challenges!

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  18. Wonderful Meeta. Who can resist Dulce De Leche. And the creamy chhescake balances it out just right.

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  19. Looks really good, Meeta. Love the taste of Dulce De Leche.
    Yes, this was really creamy and not very heavy. We are still enjoying it. :)
    Good luck with your move to Doha.

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  20. Two years!! Way to go, babe! Love being a DB with you. I always enjoy coming here to see what loveliness you have crafted in your kitchen. Dulce de leche... mmmmmm. :) What a beautiful cheesecake!

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  21. thank you everyone for all your comments. i am going to miss you DBs a lot too. but keep going at it and i'll be watching from the sidelines!

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  22. Ah, it has been a good run and your post has always been one of the tops for photos for each challenge. You will be missed as a Daring Baker...until October.
    Love the flavor combination. Layering is such a wonderful idea, too. This is likely to become many people's favorite cheesecake recipe.

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  23. Wow! I love the simpleness of yours! ... and gotta love the dulce de leche!!! superb!

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  24. What a beautiful cheesecake! I loved this recipe! Great work!

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  25. Beautiful cheesecake, Meeta :-)

    I made mine with quark...had no idea it was a German thing :-)

    All the best with the move!

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  26. You can't go wrong with dulce de leche! Delicious and so pretty!

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  27. Your cheesecake sounds awesomely yummy, Meeta! I so love dulce de leche!

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  28. lovely cheesecake. Best of luck in your move will miss ur creations

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  29. Wow, two years with the daring bakers already! This was my very first challenge and I thought it was quite exciting but I can imagine it must be different having so many members now as compaired to the beginning days. Your cheesecake looks absolutely lovely. I am also more used to the ones involving quark as that is what they are normally made with in Holland as well!

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  30. Nice clicks looking so yummy.Delectabtle...Tempting

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  31. what a lovely combo.... looks fantabulous...

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  32. Happy Anniversary! What a gorgeous cheesecake to celelbrate with!

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  33. I agree that this cheesecake could easily be a favorite! I hope things go well on your move.

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  34. That cheese cake looks good! I have a jar of dulce de leche in my fridge and I could not think of a better way to use it than in a cheesecake! ...mmm...

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  35. I'm going to miss all of the wonderful ways you tweak DB challenges - hope you come back soon! Oh, and dulce de leche? *drool* It looks fabulous!

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  36. Gosh.. I'll surely going to miss your DB creation Meeta. Hopefully you will settle in Qatar very soon so you can be a DB again.

    Love your dulce de leche cheesecake.. it's my favourite flavour too.

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  37. kinda in love with that photo, not gonna lie. think it will marry me? it's very cute, on a little painters pallet. bravo!

    :)

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  38. Ah here it is! The DDL recipe you promised me last week. YUM!

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  39. Was also thinking of making a dulce de leche cheesecake for the challenge. Had a jar on hand but it mysteriously disappeared. Oh well. :)

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  40. Your cheesecake has it all... beauty, taste, and presentation. Congratulations on your 2 year anniversary!

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  41. Mmm, your cheesecake looks amazing!! I love your pictures =D.

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  42. Lovely as always Meeta! I'm sure the dulce de leche was to die for. I kinda miss the early days of DB too. :)

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  43. oh this looks delicoius . I like it dulche de leche flavoured :)

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  44. Happy DB anniversary! As usual your cake looks awesome and I love dulce de leche.

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  45. Wow your Dulce De Leche sounds amazing. Good luck with your move - hope you are able to continue baking soon.

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  46. I saw the words 'dulce de leche' and instantly knew I was going to be seeing a delicious cheesecake :) Good luck with your move! Hope to see you back participating in challenges again soon.

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  47. dulce de leche IS addicting and trust me in the cheesecake it's to die for. thanks for all your comments and feedback. also appreciate all your mental and emotional support on the move too!

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  48. Dulce de leche is so addictive you can't get enough and it's perfect on top of cheesecake.

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  49. Just beautiful, as usual!

    Dulce de leche is one variation on the cheesecake I haven't made yet. Must try!

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  50. Just gorgeous Meeta...thought yopu would make a show stopper & you did. I've been won over by the dulce de leche...excellent! You will be missed for the next few, but knowing you, you'll be back sooner than we know...take care girl!

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  51. I've bought today a can of condensed milk. I try first "duce de leche" ("confiture de lait" en français). Thank you, it seems so simple...

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  52. Oh Meeta!! How absolutely gorgeous! Dulce du leche is just one of the best flavours in the world, and combined with a cheesecake... well what more could you wish for??

    Having just had to sort through 5 huge pallets of our stored stuff in preparation for shipping from South Africa to the UK, I sympathise 100% with your impending move. Hugs and good luck!

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  53. Yummy cake and superb pictures. :)
    All the best to you and your family for the big move this summer.

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  54. Lovely photos and I love the Dulce de leche. Sorry this will be your last challange for a while. You will be missed

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  55. (1) that looks stunning (great photos!)
    (2) that sounds incredible! My wife fell in love w/dulce de leche when I introduced her to it a while back...I know this version of cheesecake will be a huge hit

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  56. This looks absolutely divine! I just made an apple omelette with with dulce de leche. So goodl

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  57. Oh yum! Beautiful presentation too :)

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  58. how beautiful, and delicious, i'm sure! all the best for your move, and see you back with the DBs soon!

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  59. Beautiful job on the cheesecake! DDL was a great call for it.
    I can't believe in 3 months I'll be celbrating my 30th challenge..I feel slightly antiquated :)

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  60. Oh my gosh! Happy 2nd anniversary!!! I still remember when you joined ... seems like yesterday! I'm going to miss you while you're on your breat, too. I'm sad.

    :o(

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  61. don't know which is more temtping... the actual cheesecake or the little drops of dulce de leche :)

    Lovely lovely.

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  62. That is a good choice for this, a nice sweetness to go with the mild of the cheesecake.
    And I like the little changes, especially the recipe card part.

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  63. Meeta, I joined the Daring Bakers a few months after you did, and it has been amazing to me to watch it grow. I always remember your creative and thoughtful posts, and this month is no exception.

    I hope your move goes well! It will be interesting to hear about the challenges living in a new location will present once you start doing challenges again. Thanks for participating in this one!

    Jenny from JennyBakes

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  64. You've inspired me to finally put to use one of the many cans of sweetened condensed milk that are in my cupboard. I'm making dulce de leche right now!

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  65. Beautiful flavor combination, Meeta! We'll miss you while you're gone, but will be waiting for you when you return!

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  66. Your cheesecake looks delicious and elegant. Way to go! I'm actually the Abbey behind the recipe (Jenny's friend) and am so inspired by everyone's beautiful creations. I just joined Daring Bakers as a result of all of this, and I'm sad that you will be leaving after all your time in the group. I hope you come back soon, and your move goes smoothly. Thank you for participating in this challenge and best of luck to you!
    -Abbey

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  67. We'll miss you until October - good luck with your big move! Your cheese cake looks delicious!

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  68. Wow, your cheesecake turned out too beautiful to eat! I bet it was delicious!

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  69. oh - how great this looks! *yuummiiii* there's a slice left for me?

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  70. Oh wow, that looks so positively sinful! But so irresistible. I can't imagine anyone being able to say no to that. I certainly can't!

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  71. Your cheesecake looks so pretty! I love your quark cheesecake recipe. I make it all the time, since in India, quark is surprisingly cheaper to get your hands on than philly, an Indian company makes quark.
    If I was to use quark in this recipe, would I need to adjust anything else?

    Thank you!

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  72. I love cheesecake! Definitely gonna try your recipe!

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Thank you for visiting What's For Lunch, Honey? and taking time to browse through my recipes, listen to my ramblings and enjoy my photographs. I appreciate all your comments, feedback and input. I will answer your questions to my best knowledge and respond to your comments as soon as possible.

In the meantime I hope you enjoy your stay here and that I was able to make this an experience for your senses.

Hugs
Meeta