Cake of the Day: Bridge & Tunnel Cheesecake from ‘Sweet & Vicious’

Every day, Yahoo Food features delectable cakes. They taste good, they look good, and they’re made by good people — talented bakers from around the world. Today, Libbie Summers shares a drool-worthy cheesecake from her cookbook Sweet & Vicious: Baking with Attitude.

A recipe that encompasses Brooklyn and Manhattan into one cheesecake. (Photo Chia Chong)

Bridge & Tunnel Cheesecake
Serves 16

It occurred to me that in creating this unique New York–style cheesecake, I had encompassed the stereotypical characteristics of my favorite boroughs of New York City — Brooklyn and Manhattan — into the recipe.

Brooklyn: The sweet and vicious spiced nuts make me think of this trendy borough. The addition of nuts to the cheesecake recipe practically screams to be recognized as the most important ingredient to the overall flavor. A hipster ingredient, if you will.

Manhattan: No surprise here! This recipe is defined by the showy, rich caramel sauce that wouldn’t think about living anywhere else than on top of this cheesecake.

1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 recipe Sweet and Vicious Nuts (recipe follows)
5 tablespoons butter
7 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla paste
4 large eggs, at room temperature
½ cup sour cream

For the caramel sauce:
1?2 cup (1 stick butter)
1 1?4 cups packed dark brown sugar
1?2 cup heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray, wrap the outside of the pan tightly with foil (this will help prevent any water from seeping in during baking), and set aside. Have a roasting pan that is wider and deeper than the springform pan ready and put a kettle of water on to boil.

In the bowl of a food processor with the metal blade, combine the graham cracker crumbs, 1?2 cup nuts, and 5 tablespoons butter. Pulse until the mixture is finely ground. Use a spatula to press the mixture into the bottom and partially up the sides of the prepared springform pan. Set the pan in the center of the roasting pan.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, granulated sugar, and vanilla paste until just smooth. You don’t want a lot of air in your cheesecake batter, so don’t overbeat. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until each addition is just incorporated. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Remove the bowl from the stand and fold in the sour cream until just incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan sitting in the roasting pan and place in the oven. Pour hot water from the kettle into the roasting pan until it comes 1 1?2 inches up the side of the springform pan. Bake for 2 to 2 1?4 hours, until the top is a honey golden brown and the cake is still a little wobbly in the center. Carefully remove the springform pan from the roasting pan and transfer to a cooling rack. Run a knife around the sides of the pan to loosen the cake and let it cool to room temperature. Before removing the cake from the pan, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Make the caramel sauce:
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the butter and the brown sugar until the butter has melted. Whisk in the cream and continue to stir for 5 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is smooth and creamy. Allow the sauce to cool completely before spreading it on the cheesecake.

To serve, spread a thin layer of the sauce over the top of the cheesecake. Top with the remaining nuts and drizzle with the remaining sauce.

Sweet and Vicious Nuts
Yields 2 ½ cups

1 cup raw unsalted almonds, roughly chopped
1 cup unsalted cashews, roughly chopped
1?2 cup pecan halves, roughly chopped
2 large egg whites, lightly frothed using a fork
1?4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground chipotle
1?4 teaspoon salt

To make the Sweet & Vicious Nuts:
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, stir all the ingredients together until the nuts are well coated. Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and spread out in an even layer. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring often, until the nuts are golden brown. Let cool completely before using.

Excerpted from Sweet & Vicious by Libbie Summers (Rizzoli).

More cheesecakes to love:

Super Simple Cheesecake

Double Chocolate Cheesecake with Berry Sauce

Strawberry Cheesecake