Why I Keep Coming Back to This Cheesecake

Alright, so let me set the scene: it’s a soggy Saturday afternoon, the kind where the cat’s asleep on your cookbook and you can’t find your favorite spatula (again). That’s exactly when I first attempted this Crème Brûlée Cheesecake. Honestly, it was part craving, part need to prove to myself I could actually pull off a brûlée without singeing my eyebrows. There’s something about hearing that sugar crackle as you dig in with a spoon—like sweet, edible bubble wrap. My mate Dave once called this Cheesecake “obnoxiously good” and—well, he’s not wrong.

What’s to Love? Well…

I find myself making this when I need to impress someone. Or sometimes on a random Tuesday when life’s thrown me a curveball (and yes, once after a truly shambolic attempt at sourdough). My family demand it for birthdays, which is flattering and a bit annoying because they never do the washing up. It’s lush, a bit over the top, creamy as a cloud, and—this is key—the burnt sugar on top just does something magical to people (maybe it’s the fire, who knows). Plus, if your custard ever split or looked a bit wonky, welcome to the club, pal. That’s why I love cheesecake form, it forgives your missteps.

What You’ll Need (With Some Wiggle Room)

200g digestive biscuits (graham crackers work just as well, I’ve even cobbled together a base from a mix of sweet/savoury crackers in an absolute pinch)
80g unsalted butter, melted (I sometimes go for salted if that’s all I have – no one’s noticed!)
500g full-fat cream cheese (Philadelphia is classic. My gran swore by it. Any decent brand will do though)
120g caster sugar (regular sugar works ok but it’s less fancy)
3 large eggs (if you’ve only got medium, use four and don’t sweat it)
200ml double cream (heavy cream for my US pals – and sometimes I skimp a little, but the texture’s better with the full amount)
1 tsp vanilla bean paste (extract is fine; avoid the fake stuff if you can)
Pinch of salt
For brûlée topping: 4-5 tbsp caster sugar (honestly, I eyeball this, so should you)

This is How I Make It: Directions From My Kitchen

Preheat your oven to 160°C (320°F). Line a 9-inch springform tin with baking paper—I’ve skipped the paper before; big mistake, so don’t do that unless you like chiseling cheesecake off metal.
Bash your biscuits till shrapnel-like, either in a ziploc and a rolling pin (good stress relief, honestly) or food processor if you’re fancy. Mix crumbs with melted butter, then press into tin. I use the bottom of a mug sometimes. Chill for 10 minutes while you deal with the filling.
Cheese time: In a large-ish bowl, blend cream cheese and sugar until smooth. I always taste at this point. For science. Add the eggs one at a time, beating just until each disappears. Try not to overmix—don’t know why, but the internet’s insistent.
Pour in cream, vanilla, and salt. Stir gently till combined. Pour over your biscuit base. Tap the tin on the counter to get rid of air bubbles (this is oddly satisfying).
Bake in the center of the oven for about 50 minutes. The edges should be set but the middle still wobbles like a belly after Christmas dinner. If it cracks, shrug—it happens.
Cooling: Turn the oven off, pop the door open a smidge, and let the cheesecake sit there for at least an hour. Don’t rush this bit, or it collapses. Learned the hard way.
Chill overnight if you can resist—tastes better the next day, I swear (but sometimes we cave and eat it early).
Brûlée time! Sprinkle a thin (ish) layer of sugar over the top. Grab your blowtorch and go to town till it’s all caramelized and cracking. No torch? Pop it under a hot grill. Actually, grill works okay, but do not walk away—ask me how I know…!

If You Want to Know What I’ve Learned (Notes)

The crust sometimes sticks no matter what—run a warm knife round the edge and it’ll mostly come loose (unless you really overbaked it, but who’s checking).
The waiting is agony, especially if you catch a whiff of caramel when it’s cooling. Maybe make extra brûlée topping to distract yourself?
One time, I swapped in mascarpone. Lovely, but suuuper rich; tread carefully there.

Doing It Different? Variations I’ve Tried (Some Okay, Some Not)

I’ve tried a ginger biscuit base instead of digestives—big win if you like spice. Kids weren’t wild about it, though.
Lemon zest in the filling? Brightens it up but loses the classic vibe for me.
Once I tried demerara sugar for the brûlée. Cloudy and sandy on top. Wouldn’t recommend, but hey, maybe your grill is better than mine.
Mini versions in muffin tins: fun, but I never get the brûlée quite right on the little ones!

If You Don’t Have a Torch (Or Like Fancy Gadgets)

I keep saying my kitchen’s not complete without a blowtorch, but then I forget to buy one. The grill works! Lay the sugar on thick, crank up the grill (broiler), and keep the tin close to the heat. Watch like a hawk. If you don’t have that either, I dunno, maybe heated metal spoon or something? But seriously, maybe just eat it as a plain cheesecake at that point.

Keeping It Fresh (Or Not)

Supposedly, you can store leftovers for 3-4 days in the fridge, lightly covered. Mine tends to mysteriously vanish within 24 hours—coincidence, I think not. If you do ration it, I think it tastes better on day two. Stronger flavor, and the crust gets this nice firmness.

When You’re Ready to Serve

We like it straight up, but my aunt insists on berries or a dollop of sour cream. Once my cousin dunked a bit in coffee (no judgment, just surprise). If it’s a celebration, I scatter a few mint leaves for appearances. Totally up to you.

Stuff I’ve Learned (Pro Tips From My Mistakes)

I once tried baking it at high temp to “speed things up.” Don’t. Outer edges got gnarly, middle was soup. Patience, grasshopper.
If you’re winging it without a water bath, it will crack a bit more, but the sugar crust hides almost anything.
Trying to brûlée before the cake’s cold is a slippery road; melted mess, and not in a good way.

Does This Answer Your Burning Questions? (FAQ)

What if my cheesecake cracks? Don’t worry about it. The brûlée hides almost everything. I’ve never met a cheesecake with zero cracks, honestly.
Can I freeze this? Yeah, you probably can, but the top’ll lose it’s magic snap. Texture goes funny sometimes. I’d rather just polish it off with friends.
Which sugar for the topping? I always use caster, but have used regular in a pinch. Brown sugar is too chunky, so skip that.
I don’t have a springform tin—now what? Hmm, loose-bottom tin could work; lining it well is the trick. Failing that… well, assemble it in a dish and call it a trifle?
Is this very sweet? It is a decadent one, but not cloying (unless you pile the sugar on like my kid did once). Up to you!

Oh, and before I forget—I once lost my place in the recipe and ended up mixing the crust way after the filling was done. Still worked. So if you go a bit off-script, just roll with it. Life’s short, eat the cheesecake!

Crème Brûlée Cheesecake