I worked on this all day and night just to be sure I could get it to you today.  Why?  Because it would be a crime to not give you a recipe for something this good as soon as humanly possible.  So here we are.  It's 9AM as I write this and I'm on my fourth cup of coffee.  Fourth.
I refuse to sacrifice my one true love-- sleep -- for anything.  But this recipe isn't just "anything".  It's Salted Caramel Apple Cheesecake with Apple Roses.  I mean, I might sacrifice my first-born, Rumpelstiltskin-style, for Salted Caramel Apple Cheesecake with Apple Roses.
Okay, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but you get my point here.  We've got the signature graham cracker crust, which infuses with salted caramel and apple juices as it bakes.  Then, there's a thin layer of sweet apple chunks, which in my opinion qualifies this dessert as a health food.  (Fruit is good for you, right?)  The next layer is the rich, creamy, smooth cheesecake.  On top, a thin blanket of caramel drips over the sides and helps the beautiful apple roses and nuts stay on for a stunning presentation.
Now can you see why I'm so obsessed over this cheesecake?
Speaking of obsessions, I got a PL8 Professional Mandoline the other day... I want to use it for every recipe I make for the rest of my life.  It is a serious time-saver-- it slices, juliennes, or waffle cuts in seconds.  In just a few days, it has honestly become my absolute favorite kitchen gadget.
I used to have a cheap mandolin that I used to make my Vegetable Lasagna and my Pressed Picnic Sandwiches, and using it was such a major pain in the butt.  Not to mention, I nearly lost some fingertips with that old thing!  The PL8 Mandoline, on the other hand, keeps my hands safe when I use it.
The Fedex guy practically gave me a heart attack by pounding on my door yesterday as I was slicing my apples at record-breaking speed, but even though I seriously spazzed out, not one drop of blood was shed that day.  If you know how insanely I flail when I'm scared, you know that it's impressive that I'm still in one piece.  Thank you, lock-in safety guard.
If the PL8 Mandoline sounds great to you, click the button below to read more about it, view a video on how to use it, and buy your own in time for Thanksgiving!
Anyway, I don't usually admit this, but I was extremely proud of myself when I finished this Salted Caramel Apple Cheesecake.  Every part of it just turned out so perfectly, and the Apple Roses looked really awesome on top, if I do say so myself.
The roses may look complicated, but trust me, you can make them!  All you need is a mandoline to thinly slice the apples,  and then everything comes together easy-as-pie.  Pie?  Let me try that again.  Everything comes together easy as cheesecake.
I was really excited to show off this Salted Caramel Apple Cheesecake with Apple Roses, and you'll be just as eager to serve it to your friends and family members. Â Make it for Thanksgiving this year and brace yourself for a ton of compliments.
Salted Caramel Apple Cheesecake with Apple Roses
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 12 slices 1x
Ingredients
For the Graham Cracker Crust:
- 8 whole graham crackers, crushed into crumbs
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup butter, melted
For the Caramel Apple Filling:
- 1 large apple, peeled and chopped
- ½ to ¾ cup Salted Caramel Sauce
For the Cheesecake:
- 16 oz (2 packages) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Apple Roses:
- 5 red-skinned sweet apples, such as gala apples or pink lady apples
- 3 cups apple cider
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
To top:
- ½ cup or more Salted Caramel Sauce
- ½ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 inch springform pan with nonstick baking spray. Cover the outside of the pan with heavy duty aluminum foil (or 2 layers of regular aluminum foil).
- In a large bowl, whisk together the graham crackers and sugar. Pour over melted butter and mix to combine until all of the mix is wet and easily packed together.
- Press the graham cracker mixture evenly into the bottom of the springform pan and up the sides about 1 ½ inches. Bake for about 12 minutes, or until the crust is golden-brown.
- Scatter the peeled and chopped apple on top of the graham cracker crust. Drizzle over ½ to ¾ cup Salted Caramel Sauce. You want enough to flavor the apples and seep into the crust, but not enough to soak the crust and make it overly sticky. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, and flour until no clumps remain. Then, beat in the eggs and vanilla extract, being careful not to over-mix.
- Pour the cheesecake filling into the springform pan, on top of the apples. Smooth out the top with a rubber spatula.
- Pour about an inch of hot water into a large pan. Put the cheesecake in the oven (still at 350 degrees F) on the middle rack, and place the pan of hot water on a rack below the cheesecake. This prevents the cheesecake from cracking.
- Bake for 15 minutes, and then reduce heat to 325 degrees F. Continue to bake for 35-50 more minutes, or until the center is set. Do not remove the cheesecake from the oven. Instead, turn off the heat and crack the door of the oven to let the cheesecake cool slowly. This also prevents the cheesecake from cracking. After about an hour, you can remove the cheesecake from the oven. Run a sharp knife around the edge of the pan to separate the cheesecake from the pan. When the cheesecake is cooled completely to room temperature, cover it and refrigerate overnight, or for at least 3 hours.
- When your cheesecake is ready, start making the apple roses.
- In a medium saucepan, dissolve the sugar in the apple cider. Stir until no granules remain. Heat over medium heat to let reduce while you make the apple slices.
- Take your 5 apples and thinly slice them using a mandoline. Then, cut the apples in half, lenth-wise, so you have long half-moon shapes. Put the apple slices in the cider mixture and reduce to a simmer. Let simmer 10 minutes, or until soft enough to roll them but not until they fall apart!
- Remove the apples from the liquid using a slotted spoon and let them dry and cool until you're able to handle them.
- Pour the caramel over the cheesecake and let sit to set slightly. Remove the side of the springform pan.
- Then, take a small slice of apple and roll it tightly into a cylindrical shape. Take another slice and roll it tightly around the first one. Take another slice and begin rolling it about ½ way over the last apple petal. Continue wrapping each apple petal around until you have a nice-looking rose shape, being careful to hold the bottom so that the apple slices don't loosen as you add more.
- Once you have a finished flour, press it into the caramel on top of the cheesecake, towards the edge. It should hold its shape. For added security, place a few of the chopped pecans around the apple rose. Continue until the entire circumference of the cheesecake is filled with apple flowers.
- Sprinkle the remaining chopped pecans in the center of the top of the cheesecake. Drizzle over more Salted Caramel Sauce, if desired.
- Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 1 hour
Travis Boyd says
This looks, and sounds like it would taste, amazing! Thanks for being generous enough to share the recipe!
Liz @ Floating Kitchen says
Gorgeous! Love the roses! And I'm scared to get a mandoline because I want to keep all my fingers. But maybe I need to check this one out!
Tieghan says
WOW! This is so gorgeous! Those roses. You are amazing!
Millie l Add A Little says
Love this - salted caramel and apple is the best! And the roses are beautiful!
MaryAnne says
So, how do you really feel about your Mandoline? lol
Now for the goodie... looks ...DELISH.
It looks (and I guess delicious) beautiful.
It was worth four cups of coffee.
Thanks for the sacrifice
Nora Yanahan says
I made this for Thanksgiving this year and it all came out wonderfully! Thank you for sharing such an impressive looking (but not impossible to make) recipe! If a college kid with limited kitchen experience can pull this off, anyone can.
Morgan says
Ah I'm so glad to hear it, Nora! =)
Bifocalbabe says
FYI http://tinyurl.com/n2eghfv
Ashley Teixeira says
This looks fantastic! I'm thinking about using a recipe similar to this for my masterchef audition this year, and I had a question for you- how heavy is this cheesecake? Is it that decadent rich cheesecake you love for dessert or more of a airy cheesecake? I'm looking for one kind of in the middle...so I'm debating about either doing a cream cheese / ricotta or cream cheese / marscapone cheesecake and wanted to know how this one turned out 🙂
marianne says
can you use graham cracker crumbs in box? if so how much do you need? thanks
Cornelia says
I’m planning on making this for Thanksgiving. Do you think it would be okay to wrap the chilled cheesecake well and freeze it until I need it? Then I would thaw and finish with the caramel and apple roses.
Morgan says
Yes you can absolutely make the cheesecake ahead and freeze! It will last in the freezer for up to 1 month when wrapped well.
mimi says
can this be frozen?