Creamy Dulce de Leche Cheesecake with Oreo Crust

I have been testing dulce de leche cheesecake for some time now. And I can say we have a winner! Not too sweet, and balanced out by the lemon juice, the dulce the leche makes this a very creamy cheesecake you are going to want to try. I made it for my 40th birthday when visiting Argentina, and my dulce de leche expert friends approved it 100%. I hope you love it as much as they did!

Ingredient notes

• Eggs: must be at room temperature
• Cream cheese: I prefer to use Philadelphia cream cheese. You can use the one you like most. And you can try this recipe with mascarpone cheese too, it is lovely.
• Dulce de leche: I like to use Argentinean dulce de leche, being from Argentina and all. I like this one very much La Serenisima. You can make your own but have not found any good traditional recipes to share with you. Working on my own dulce de leche recipe as we speak!
• Heavy cream: must have full fat content.
• Oreo cookies: you can use store bought cookies or if you are up for it, I have a homemade Oreo cookie recipe that's wonderful. Only bake the cookies, no filling necessary to make the crust.

What is dulce de leche Cheesecake?

It is a cheesecake that mixes dulce de leche into the filling. This makes this cake creamier and even more delicious.

How to make this recipe

It is very straightforward. To make this easy homemade dessert you simply must:

• Make the Oreo crust.
• Then make the creamy dulce de leche filling and fill the crust.
• Bake the cheesecake using a 20 cm / 8inch springform pan: this is the tricky part. See below for further ticks and tips!
• Top with dulce de leche cream frosting. I love the touch it adds!

How to make the dulce de leche filling?

This filling is somewhat different because it has dulce de leche in it. It is still simple to put together. You must:

• Beat the cream cheese and the dulce de leche until the mixture is smooth.
• Add the lemon juice and the sugar and mix until incorporated.
• Add the corn-starch until there are no more lumps in the batter.
• Add the eggs one at a time and beat until the mixture is fluffy and smooth.
• Finally whisk in the heavy cream and mix for about 5 minutes.

Note: make sure to scrape de sides and the bottom of the bowl before adding in new ingredients.

A few tricks to get that extra smooth filling

You don't want lumps in your filling. To avoid them:

• Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature. Remove from the refrigerator several hours before making your cheesecake.
• When mixing the cheesecake and dulce de leche be patient. Stop from time to time and make sure to scrape the bottom of the mixing bowl.
• Eggs should be at room temperature too, and remember to add one a time, so let the mixture become fluffy.
• Don't forget to add the heavy cream in!

Baking: the importance of water bath and some other tips

To prevent cracks on top of your cheesecake you must:

• Wrap the springform pan in 4 layers of aluminium foil (or more!) to prevent water going in a making your crust all the soggy.
• Place the pan filled with the cheesecake filling over a baking tray with tall edges. Fill the tray with hot water. About 2 cm (about 1 inch) high.
• Bake at 160 C°/320 F for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. You can tell this baked cheesecake is done when the sides have turned a darker brown colour and the middle still kind of "dances" if you slightly move the springform pan.
• Once the dulce de leche cheesecake is ready, remove from the water bath and place once again in the oven. Turn the oven off and let it cool down inside with the door slightly open until the oven is has completely cooled off.
• Let it cool off completely at room temperature and then refrigerate overnight inside the pan.

How to remove from the pan?

To unmould this baked cheesecake, it must be cold. It's recommended that it spends the night inside the springform pan in the refrigerator.

The next day, run a knife or spatula between the sides of the pan and the homemade cheesecake before removing the sides of the springform pan. You can now place on a beautiful plate to serve.

If you want to go the extra mile and remove it from the bottom of the pan ass well, run a knife between the bottom of the dulce de leche cheesecake and the pan. Make sure to be delicate and work slowly, you do not want to break it now! Once it has detached from the pan, you can slide it onto a serving plate.

Dulce de leche cream cheesecake frosting: an extra indulgence!

A simple cheesecake frosting recipe to make this even a more decadent and indulgent dessert. Simply whisk the whipping cream soft peaks, add in the dulce de leche and continue to mix until smooth and firm. Top the cheesecake with this cream and enjoy!

If you want to avoid this step, there is no problem at all. Completely up to you!

Storing & freezing: some tips

• You can keep it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days without the frosting. And for up to 2 days after you have topped it with the dulce de leche cream.
• To freeze you must wrap the cheesecake (without the frosting) inside the pan with 2 or 3 layers of film wrap. Then place in a freezer bag. You can keep for up to 1 month.
• To defrost, place in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Then unmould as instructed in the recipe. If you find that removing from the pan becomes tricky, heat the sides of the springform pan with a blow torch to loosen up the edges a little. Then try again. Cover with the frosting and you are good to go!

Variations to this recipe

• Keep it simple: avoid the frosting all together and enjoy as is.
• Make it extra indulgent: replace the dulce de leche cream frosting with a chocolate ganache one.
• Balance it out: replace the frosting with a sour cream topping.