Layered Caramel Cheesecake

I bought a block of Philadelphia cream cheese before the start of summer as I promised a reader that I will feature another cheesecake recipe from this book. But a few months has passed and that block of cream cheese still sat in my fridge! With only a few days left before it expires, I had no choice but to finally drag myself to the kitchen early in the morning today and made a layered caramel cheesecake.

The recipe below may seem long but it is definitely not difficult or complicated at all, just a bit time-consuming. If you're a fan of caramel, this is the recipe that you should not miss!

Layered Caramel Cheesecake Recipe
Recipe from ちっちゃなスクエアケーキのレシピブック

Ingredients:

For the base:
100g digestive biscuits
40g unsalted butter

For the plain filling:
120g cream cheese
110ml fresh cream
30g castor sugar
4g gelatin sheet
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon brandy

For caramel filling:
45g castor sugar
1 tablespoon water
140ml fresh cream
120g cream cheese
2 tablespoons fresh cream
1 tablespoon castor sugar
4g gelatin sheet

1 tablespoon coarse sea salt

Method:

To prepare the base:
1) Grease and line a 15X15cm square pan with parchment paper.
2) Melt butter in a saucepan. Pour the biscuit crumbs over the melted butter and stir until uniformly moist.
3) Pour the crumbs into the pan. Using fingers, press the crumbs to form an even layer on the base of the pan.
4) Keep the pan in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.

To prepare the plain filling:
1) Using an electric mixer, mix cream cheese and sugar in a medium bowl until light and fluffy.
2) Add 55ml of fresh cream and brandy, whip until well combined. Set aside.
3) Soak the gelatin sheet in a bowl of cold water. Remove from water as soon as the sheet soften, wring gently to remove excess water, set aside.
4) In a saucepan, heat up milk and 55ml of fresh cream. When the mixture starts to boil, remove from heat immediately. Let it rest for 2 minutes. Add the softened gelatin and stir until it dissolves. Let the cream-milk mixture cool to room temperature.
5) Add cream-milk mixture into cream cheese mixture from Step 2. Stir until well combined.
6) Scrape the batter into the pan with cookies base. Keep the cheesecake in the fridge for at least 1.5 hours.

To prepare the caramel filling:
1) Using an electric mixer, mix cream cheese and 1 tablespoon of sugar in a medium bowl until light and fluffy.
2) Add 2 tablespoons of fresh cream, whip until well combined. Set aside.
3) Soak the gelatin sheet in a bowl of cold water. Remove from water as soon as the sheet soften, wring gently to remove excess water, set aside.
4) Cook 45g of sugar and water in a saucepan. When the syrup turn into amber color, remove from heat immediately.
5) Stir in fresh cream. Let it rest for 2 minutes. Add the softened gelatin and stir until it dissolves. Let the caramel mixture cool to room temperature.
6) Add caramel mixture into cream cheese mixture from Step 2. Stir until well combined.
7) Scrape the batter into the pan with cookies base and plain cream cheese filling. Keep the cheesecake in the fridge for another 1.5 hours or overnight. Cut into squares, sprinkle sea salt on top, serve.