Caramel-Apple-Walnut Cheesecake

Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 90 min
Servings: 12
Yield: 12 servings

Description

The caramel-apple-walnut flavor of this cheesecake goes great with wine, coffee, and cider for the perfect fall dessert.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
3 tablespoons melted butter
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
4 Gala apples, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
6 tablespoons cold butter, diced
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 3/4 cups white sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 (16 ounce) container caramel dip (such as Marzetti®)

Directions

1 Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan with parchment paper, then close the ring around it for each removal of the cheesecake after baking.
2 Place walnuts in a bowl and drizzle melted butter on top. Toss until evenly coated. Sprinkle dark brown sugar, cinnamon, and cloves on top and toss nut topping well.
3 Place sliced apples in a bowl, add lemon juice, and toss well. Add cinnamon and cloves and toss apple topping. Set both toppings aside.
4 Mix flour, sugar, chopped pecans, and lemon peel together in a bowl until well combined. Cut in butter slowly, 1 tablespoon at a time. Add egg yolk and vanilla extract and mix well. Press crust mixture into the bottom of the prepared springform pan.
5 Bake in the preheated oven until edges are lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and cool crust on a wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
6 Place cream cheese in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Add sugar slowly, 1/4 cup at a time, mixing well to ensure it is dissolved after each addition. Add flour, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and salt.
7 Combine egg and egg yolks in a bowl and add to cream cheese mixture. Beat in heavy cream and whip on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour into the cooled crust and decorate with the cinnamon apples. Sprinkle just some of the nut topping on top.
8 Fill a 9x13-inch baking pan with water and place on the bottom rack of the hot oven.
9 Bake the cheesecake on the middle rack of the hot oven until set, about 80 minutes.
10 Turn oven off and let cheesecake sit, untouched, for 1 hour to finish cooking throughout.
11 Cool on a wire rack until room temperature, about 1 hour. Place cheesecake in the refrigerator for 8 hours to overnight.
12 Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen chilled cheesecake. Remove sides of pan.
13 Crush remaining nut topping into a crumble and use to decorate around the sides of the cheesecake.
14 Melt caramel topping in a microwave oven for 30 seconds at a time until pourable. Drizzle on top of cheesecake and top with more walnuts, if desired.