Twix Cheesecake

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Where are my cheesecake lovers, because this one’s for you? This Twix Cheesecake is the ultimate in decadence and if it doesn’t cure your sweet tooth, I don’t know what will! With this cheesecake you get to indulge in a delicious, tender, shortbread crust, and a silky smooth cheesecake, sandwiched between two layers of homemade caramel and two layers of rich, chocolate ganache (as if one was not enough)! Every…single…bite…is an explosion of flavor! I will warn you up front that this cheesecake takes a bit of time to prepare, but the result is seriously out of this world.

So before we get into how we make this bad boy, let’s talk about the ingredients. For the crust, you are going to need unsalted butter, sugar, light brown sugar, an egg yolk, vanilla extract, flour, cornstarch and Himalayan pink salt. For the caramel sauce, you are going to need sugar, salted butter and heavy whipping cream. For the chocolate layers, you will need semi-sweet chocolate chips and heavy whipping cream. For the cheesecake filling, you will need cream cheese, sugar, milk, eggs, sour cream, vanilla extract and flour.

You can also decorate your cheesecake whatever way you’d like. I like to use fun size Twix to decorate mine.

To make this Twix Cheesecake, begin by preheating your oven to 400°F. Prepare a 9-inch springform pan by placing a parchment paper round in the bottom; set aside.

To make the crust, begin by placing your butter in a large bowl and beating it with an electric hand mixer until creamy. Add in your sugars and beat until well incorporated; about 30-60 seconds. Add in your egg yolk and vanilla extract and beat well; set aside.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together your flour, cornstarch, and salt. With your mixer on low speed, gradually add your flour mixture to your wet ingredients until they are completely combined. Your dough will become dry and crumbly as it is mixed. Once your flour mixture is fully incorporated, turn off your mixer. Grab handfuls of your dough and press it into the sides of your springform pan around the entire circumference of the pan. Press the remaining dough firmly over the entire bottom of your pan. Prick all over with a fork.

Bake for 10-15 minutes or until your crust just turns golden brown, remove from your oven and cool it completely on your countertop.

To make the caramel sauce, begin by heating your sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat, whisking continuously until it’s melted. The sugar will clump together at first and look like rock candy, but it will eventually melt through. This will take about 10 minutes. When your sugar has melted completely, stop whisking and allow it to cook until it turns a dark caramel/brown color and gives off a nutty aroma. This change will happen quickly, so don’t let it cook too long or it will burn. Turn off the heat and whisk in your butter carefully (in thirds) until well combined. The mixture will bubble up quite a bit when adding the butter. Slowly pour in your heavy cream and whisk continuously until well incorporated and smooth. Again, the mixture will bubble up quite a bit during the addition of the heavy cream. When your caramel is completely cooked, layer about half of it onto the bottom of your crust, spreading it out evenly with a spatula or offset spatula. Reserve about 1 cup of the caramel for the top of your cheesecake. Refrigerate your crust for about 15 minutes or until the caramel has firmed up a bit.

To make the chocolate layer, empty your chocolate chips into a small bowl. In a heatproof measuring cup, microwave your heavy cream for 1 minute and 15 seconds. Pour your hot heavy cream over your chocolate chips and stir until completely melted and smooth. Remove your crust from the refrigerator (make sure the caramel has firmed up). Pour your melted chocolate over your caramel layer and shake your pan around to smooth it out into an even layer. Refrigerate for another 10-15 minutes or until your chocolate has cooled completely and firmed up enough for your cheesecake filling to rest on top without mixing into your layers.

Before making your cheesecake filling, reduce your oven to 350°F and prepare your springform pan for the water bath by covering the outside of the pan entirely with aluminum foil so that water from the water bath cannot get in. Place your pan in a large roasting pan and set aside. I will let you know, I bake ALL of my cheesecakes in a water bath, as it’s the best way to bake your cheesecake evenly and provide a moist heat in your oven that prevents your cheesecake from drying out and cracking. I strongly advise you not to skip the water bath!

To make your cheesecake filling, beat your cream cheese in a large bowl with a hand mixer until smooth and creamy. Add in your sugar and beat until it’s completely blended. Beat in your milk, and then mix in your eggs one at a time, mixing just enough to incorporate. Mix in your sour cream, vanilla extract and flour until smooth. Turn your mixer off, scrape down the sides and bottom of your bowl with a rubber spatula. Mix one last time, making sure all ingredients are completely combined. Carefully empty your filling into your springform pan on top of the chocolate layer. Bring a kettle or saucepan of water to a boil on your stove. Once boiling, transfer your roasting pan (with your unbaked cheesecake inside) to an oven rack. Pour the boiling water into the roasting pan until it reaches about halfway up the sides of your springform pan. Bake in the water bath in your preheated oven until the center of your cheesecake only slightly jiggles; about 1 hour. Turn your oven off and gently run a knife or icing spatula around the outer rim of your cheesecake to separate it from the sides of your springform pan. Let your cheesecake cool in your oven with the door propped open slightly for 5 to 6 hours to bring your cheesecake to room temperature. Remove the foil from your springform pan and refrigerate it overnight.

After your cheesecake has cooled completely and firmed up in the refrigerator overnight, it’s time to top it with your caramel and chocolate layers. To do this, microwave your reserved caramel sauce for about 30 seconds to soften it. While your cheesecake is still in the springform pan, gently pour your caramel sauce onto your cheesecake. Spread it out with a spatula in an even layer to within ½ inch of the edge of your cheesecake. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes or until your caramel is firm enough to support the chocolate layer that will go on top.

Once your caramel layer has firmed up well, prepare your chocolate layer. Empty your chocolate chips into a small bowl. In a heatproof measuring cup, microwave your heavy cream for 1 minute and 15 seconds. Pour your hot heavy cream over your chocolate chips and stir until completely melted and smooth. While your cheesecake is still in your springform pan, pour your melted chocolate onto your caramel layer, gently spreading it over the entirety of the caramel to within ½ inch of the edge of your cheesecake. Your caramel layer will move and resist the spreading of your chocolate a bit, so be careful not to mix the two layers. Refrigerate again for at least an hour to allow your caramel and chocolate layers to firm up.

As I said above, feel free to decorate the top of your cheesecake whatever way you would like, or simply leave it plain. As you can see in the pictures, I chose to arrange fun size Twix bars in a circle around the outside of mine. When you are ready to serve your cheesecake, remove it from the springform pan and transfer it to a cake pedestal or plate. The caramel will naturally spread out and drip beautifully down the sides of your cheesecake making it look stunning! Please make sure you keep this refrigerated at all times so it doesn’t melt. Enjoy!