vTOFFEE CHEESECAKE WITH CARAMEL SAUCE

By Shaylie

Review original recipe for accuracy

When you're driving along Highway 101 between Los Angeles and San Francisco, Leonard Cohen's Olde Port Inn at Avila Beach is definitely worth a detour. Sea¬food lovers can fill up on the catch of the day (it doesn't get any fresher than it is here), then top it all off with a slice of this superb dessert: a complete diet buster, worth every wicked calorie.

Ingredients

• Crust
• 1-1/2 cups graham cracker
• crumbs
• 6 tablespoons (34 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• Filling
• 2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 5 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 % teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• Topping
• 1 'h cups sugar
• % cup water
• 1 cup whipping cream
• % cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 1.4-ounce toffee candy bars (such as Skor), broken into pieces

Details

Servings 10

Preparation

Step 1

For crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter inside of 9-inch-diame¬ter springform pan with 23/4-inch-high sides. Combine crumbs, butter and brown sugar in small bowl. Press crumbs over bottom and 1 inch up sides of pan. Refrigerate crust.
For filling: Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in large bowl until fluffy Add sugar and beat until smooth. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Mix in vanilla ex¬tract and fresh lemon juice.
Pour filling into prepared crust. Bake until cake rises about 3/4 inch over rim and center moves only slightly when pan is shaken, about 1 hour 15 min¬utes. Cool on rack. (Cake will fall as it cools, sinking in center.) Cover and re¬frigerate until well chilled, at least 6 hours. (Can be made I day ahead.)
For topping: Heat sugar and water in heavy medium saucepan over low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring until mixture is rich caramel color, occasion¬ally swirling and washing down sides of pan with brush dipped into cold water, about 8 minutes. Reduce heat to very low. Add cream (mixture will bubble up) and stir until smooth. Mix in but¬ter. Cool slightly. Mix in vanilla.
Using small sharp knife, cut around sides of pan to loosen cake. Release pan sides. Pour 1/2 cup caramel sauce into center of cake. Cover remaining caramel sauce and let stand at room temperature. Chill cake until caramel topping is almost set, about 2 hours. (Can be prepared 8 hours ahead.)
Whip 'A cup cream with 2 table-spoons sugar in medium bowl until firm peaks form. Spoon cream into pastry bag fitted with star tip. Pipe cream decoratively around edge of cake. Arrange toffee pieces in whipped cream border. Refrigerate until serving.
Cut cake into wedges. Serve, passing remaining caramel sauce separately.