Banana Bread Cheesecake with a Bourbon Caramel Sauce
Banana recipe is from Justine Doiron only adjustment is I used a springform pan instead of a loaf tin!
Banana bread:
½ cup unsalted butter 113 grams
3/4 cup granulated sugar 165 grams
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 large very ripe bananas the more brown the better
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour 210 grams
2 & 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt use half if using Morton’s
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
In a small saucepan, brown the butter. Do this by melting the butter, then letting it foam and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until flecks of brown form at the bottom of the pan. Transfer it to a bowl and whisk to let it cool slightly.
Whisk the sugar and butter together for a minute or so. Crack in the eggs and add the vanilla. Whisk vigorously into a smooth mixture.
Add the bananas directly into the bowl. Use a fork to mash them into small pieces, but you don't need the bananas completely smooth. Switch to your whisk and whisk together.
Add in the flour, baking powder and salt and stir to combine into a nice, thick batter.
Transfer the batter to a parchment-lined loaf tin and bake at 375°F for 50-55 minutes.
Cheesecake:
1 and 1/4 cups (300ml) heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
24 ounces (678g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons (15g) confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup (60g) sour cream, at room temperature
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions:
Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the cold heavy cream into stiff peaks on medium-high speed, about 4–5 minutes. Set aside.
Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar together on medium speed until perfectly smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. Add the confectioners’ sugar, sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Beat for 2–3 minutes on medium-high speed until smooth and combined. Make sure there are no large lumps of cream cheese. If there are lumps, keep beating until smooth.
Using your mixer on low speed or a silicone spatula, fold the whipped cream into the cheesecake filling until combined. This takes several turns of your silicone spatula. Combine slowly as you don’t want to deflate all the air in the whipped cream.
Remove crust from the freezer and spread filling into crust. Use an offset spatula to smooth down the top.
Cover tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 6–8 hours and up to 2 days. For best results, 12 hours is best. I chill mine overnight. The longer refrigerated, the nicer the no-bake cheesecake will set up.
Use a knife to loosen the chilled cheesecake from the rim of the springform pan, then remove the rim. Using a clean sharp knife, cut into slices for serving. For neat slices, wipe the knife clean between each slice.
From Curly Girl Kitchen:
Bourbon Caramel:
6 tbsp (85g) unsalted butter
½ cup (80g) light or brown sugar, lightly packed
½ cup (122ml) heavy whipping cream or half 'n' half
1 tbsp (15ml) good-quality bourbon or whiskey (or substitute 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
1 tbsp (15g) butterscotch syrup (or golden syrup or light corn syrup)
½ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
Instructions:
In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat, then stir in the brown sugar, cream, bourbon, syrup and salt.
Cook the toffee sauce while stirring gently, for 5-10 minutes, until the temperature reaches between 228-232 degrees Fahrenheit.
Pour the sauce into a glass jar. Use while hot or at room temperature. As it cools to room temperature, if the sauce becomes overly thick, just whisk in a little more cream until the sauce reaches your desired consistency. Refrigerate leftover sauce for up to 2 weeks.
