Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake
Wonderfully creamy baked cheesecake with delicious cinnamon swirl baked into it!
Servings: 12 slices
Ingredients
For the Cinnamon Base
- 1 ½ cups Graham Cracker Crumbs 150g (or Digestive Biscuits, or Butterkeks)
- 1 stick Butter 114g
- 2 tablespoon Light Brown Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
For the Cheesecake
- 31 oz Cream Cheese 900g
- ½ cup Heavy Cream 120g
- ½ cup + 1 tbsp Sugar 115g
- 3 tablespoon Corn starch
- 2 Eggs
- 1 Egg Yolk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
For the Cinnamon Swirl
- 1 cup Dark Brown Sugar 180g
- ⅓ cup Butter 75g
- 2 teaspoon Cinnamon
Instructions
Make the Base
- Crush your graham crackers/digestive biscuits into fine crumbs using a food processor or a bag and a rolling pin.
- Melt butter in the microwave and mix into the cookie crumbs along with the cinnamon, salt and, brown sugar. Mix together or blitz in the food processor until everything is well combined.
- You should be able to press the mixture between your fingers and have it hold its shape. If it still falls apart, add a little more butter.
- Tip the crumb mixture into the base of a loose-bottomed cake pan and press down firmly with your hands or a glass to pack it in tightly.
- Wrap the cake pan very tightly in several layers of foil. We will be baking the cheesecake in a water bath and need to prevent any water from seeping in. Set aside while you prepare the cheesecake.
Make the Cheesecake
- Cream together the cream cheese, sugar, and corn starch until smooth and free from lumps.
- Add in the eggs and egg yolk and beat until combined. Don't overmix, we just want to combine the ingredients, not incorporate any air into the batter.
- Add vanilla and mix it in completely.
- Gradually add the heavy cream, while mixing it in slowly.
- Set the cheesecake batter aside while you make the cinnamon filling.
Make the Cinnamon Filling
- Melt the butter in the microwave.
- Mix all the ingredients together with a spoon until combined.
Assemble the Cheesecake
- Preheat oven to 325°F / 170°C
- Pour a third of the cheesecake mixture into the cake pan, on top of the graham cracker base. Smooth it out with a spatula.
- Add generous splotches of cinnamon filling all over the top of the cheesecake layer. I like to do this from a piping bag as it's easier to control, but you can also just use a spoon.
- Use the back of a spoon or a toothpick to spread the cinnamon filling around and swirl it a little into the cheesecake.
- Pour another third of the cheesecake batter on top and repeat the process with the cinnamon filling.
- Pour the final layer of cheesecake on top and smooth it out as best you can.
- Pipe or spread a swirl of cinnamon filling on top of the cheesecake, be careful not to put the lines too close together as they will spread a little as it bakes.
- Put the cheesecake inside a large roasting dish and place it into the oven. Immediately pour water into the roasting dish, until it comes about halfway up the cheesecake. Be careful not to get any water in or on the cheesecake itself.
- Bake for 40 minutes or until the outer 1-2 inches of the cheesecake are set but the middle is still wobbly.
- Turn the oven off and crack the door open a little, let the cheesecake cool for about an hour in the oven.
- Take the cheesecake out of the oven and out of the water bath, but do not attempt to take it out of the cake pan. Let it cool completely on the countertop and then transfer it to the fridge to set for at least 4 hours before unmolding.
Notes
The water bath seems like an extra fiddly step to take, but it will ensure you have a wonderfully creamy cheesecake with no cracks. It's well worth it to take the extra step, and it will really up your cheesecake game!
When putting the swirl on the cake, it is definitely easiest to use a piping back for maximum control. If you don't have a piping bag, you can just use a Ziploc bag and cut a hole in the corner.