Sweet & Salty Small Batch Cheesecake

During the quarantine, baking has been one of my favorite ways to pass the time. I have baked something almost everyday. Problem: I have no one way to share all of the huge batches of cookies or giant cakes that I have been making. Solution: make a small batch version. For Mother’s Day, I made a small batch cheesecake that served about 6 slices. I got creative and dipped some pretzels in caramel as a garnish and of course added more caramel drizzle. Feel free to add your own spin to this recipe. Below is the recipe for my take on a small batch caramel pretzel cheesecake.

Ingredients

Blondie Layer

1/4 cup of melted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cheesecake Layer

16 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 brown sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
2/3 cup salted caramel (store-bought or homemade)
1/2 cup of pretzels, crushed for the top of the cake

Directions

Blondie Crust Layer
1. Line the bottom of your loaf pan with parchment paper and set the oven for 350 degrees
2. Mix butter and brown sugar together until combined. Add egg and vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly pour the dry ingredients into the wet and mix until combined.
4. Spread the mixture evenly into the bottom of the loaf pan. Bang it against the counter to smooth out the batter before baking. Bake for 20 minutes then let cool on wire rack.

Cheesecake Layer
1. While the blondie is baking, prepare the filling. Mix together cream cheese and sugars until smooth. Add in egg, vanilla, and cornstarch until well combined. Lastly, add 1/3 cup of salted caramel into the filling and stir until smooth.
2. Once the blondie crust has cooled for 10 minutes, pour the cheesecake filling on top and use a spatula to smooth it evenly. Lower oven temperature to 325 degrees and bake for 40-45 minutes. A fully cooked cheesecake will be slightly giggly on top and look softer in the center but not soupy. It’s easy to over-bake a cheesecake so try to giggle test for a nice moist cake.
3. Allow the cake to cool fully on the counter then refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Drizzle with the remaining caramel sauce and crushed pretzels. Slice it up and enjoy!

Recipe inspired by A Sassy Spoon