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Caramel Apple Cheesecake Cake
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5 from 32 votes

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Cake with Biscoff Pecan Crust

Apple cider cake layers, baked on a Biscoff pecan crust, with a no bake cheesecake filling, apple pie filling, caramel and Biscoff buttercream.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Cake
Keyword: Advanced, apple cake, biscoff, caramel, caramel apple cheesecake cake, cheesecake, pecan
Servings: 20

Ingredients

FOR THE CRUST

  • 20 (160 g) Biscoff cookies
  • 1 cup (100 g) pecans
  • 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter

FOR THE CAKE

  • 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp (5 g) ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp (1 g) nutmeg
  • 1 tsp (5.6 g) salt
  • 1 1/2 tbsp (21 g) baking powder
  • 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup (110 g) brown sugar
  • 1 cup (224 g) vegetable oil
  • 3 eggs at room temperature
  • 1 cup (250 g) applesauce at room temperature
  • 1 cup (248 g) apple cider at room temperature
  • 1 tsp (5.6 g) vanilla extract

FOR THE CHEESECAKE FILLING

  • 8 ounces cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup (120 g) heavy whipping cream

FOR THE APPLE PIE FILLING

  • 3 cups (450 g) Granny Smith apples peeled and diced
  • juice of half a lemon
  • 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter
  • 3 tablespoons (37.5 g) brown sugar packed
  • 1 teaspoon (2.1 g) cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon (1.1 g) nutmeg

FOR THE CARAMEL

  • 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup (120 g) water
  • 4 teaspoons (27.2 g) light corn syrup
  • 3/4 cup (180 g) heavy whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt

FOR THE BISCOFF BUTTERCREAM

  • 1 1/2 cups (339 g) unsalted butter slightly cold
  • 1 cup (250 g) Biscoff spread
  • 5 cups (625 g) powdered sugar measured then sifted
  • 1/4 cup (60 g) heavy whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) vanilla extract

Instructions

FOR THE CRUST

  • Spray three 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray, line the bottoms with parchment paper, and spray again. Set aside.
  • In a food processor or blender, combine the cookies, pecans, and sugar. Pulse until the mixture resembles sand.
  • Add the melted butter and pulse util the mixture resembles wet sand.
  • Evenly divide the crumbs between the three cake pans (about 5 ounces in each). Press firmly into a crust. Set aside.
    ***(This crust is a little thinner than others I've done. If you want a thicker crust, you can double the recipe).

FOR THE CAKE

  • Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.
  • In a medium size mixing bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and baking powder. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, combine the sugar, brown sugar and oil. Mix on medium speed to combine.
  • Add the eggs to the sugar mixture and mix on medium speed for about two minutes.
  • Add the applesauce and vanilla. Mix to combine.
  • With the mixer on low speed, add 1/3 of the flour mixture, followed by half of the apple cider. Continue alternating the flour mixture and the apple cider, finishing with the flour mixture. Mix until no streaks of flour remain. The batter will be slightly thin, not thick.
  • Divide the batter between the three cake pans (about 17 ounces in each), pouring the batter right onto the Biscoff crust. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs on it.
  • Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 15 minutes before inverting them onto a wire rack to cool completely.

FOR THE CHEESECAKE FILLING

  • In a medium size mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth, about 2 minutes.
  • In a chilled stainless steel bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form.
  • Fold in the heavy whipping cream into the cream cheese mixture.
  • Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.

FOR THE APPLE PIE FILLING

  • Combine the apples and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Toss to coat the apples.
  • In a large saute pan, combine the apples, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg over medium heat.
  • Cook the apples, stirring occasionally, until softened.
  • Drain the excess juice and refrigerate apples in an airtight container to cool and store.

FOR THE CARAMEL

  • Combine the sugar, water, and corn syrup in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
  • Stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves and then STOP stirring. Stirring creates crystallization.
  • Allow the mixture to boil on its own.
  • Once the mixture turns amber in color (about 380 degrees F), remove from heat and slowly add warm cream while stirring (heating the cream first ensures you don't get clumps of caramel).
  • Add the vanilla and salt. Stir to combine.
  • Cool to room temperature before using.
  • Caramel can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You'll need to heat it up slightly to thin it out and make it pourable.

FOR THE BISCOFF BUTTERCREAM

  • In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and Biscoff spread. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth, about a minute.
  • With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the powdered sugar, followed by the heavy whipping cream, vanilla and salt.
  • Turn the mixer to medium-high and beat for 3 to 5 minutes, making sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
  • Before frosting your cake, mix the buttercream by hand with a spatula or large spoon to push out the air pockets.

ASSEMBLY

  • Place the first cake layer, top side up, in the center of a cake board or a cake stand.
  • Pipe a rim of buttercream around the edge of the cake.
  • Spread half of the cheesecake filling over the cake layer, followed by half of the apple pie filling. Gently press apples into place.
  • Drizzle caramel over the apples.
  • Repeat these steps for the next cake layer.
  • Place the final cake layer, top side up, on the second layer of fillings.
  • Apply a thin coat of buttercream over the cake. This is the crumb coat. You'll then freeze the cake for 15 minutes to set the crumb coat and lock in the crumbs.
  • After the crumb coat is set, finish frosting the cake with the remaining buttercream.