Caramel Apple Cheesecake

If you know me at all, you know I LOVE Cheesecake, and I've mentioned that a few times on here already.  For Christmas I decided I wanted to make a cheesecake, but not cheesecake bars like I've always done, an actual cheesecake.  So! I found a couple of Caramel Apple Cheesecake bar recipes and decided to combine them and try them out, but made it in a cheesecake pan instead.  You know what? It turned out amazing! It tastes just like an apple pie with a cream filling.  I was told by some people I shared with that it looked and tasted like restaurant quality, so I guess that's saying something! Oh, and you know what? It was a lot easier to make than I expected! Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of steps, but easy!

Add flour and brown sugar to a medium sized bowl.  Cut in butter with 2 forks or a pastry blender until your mix is crumbly. Press mixture into the bottom and up the sides, at least an inch, of a well greased 9 or 10 inch springform pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Add cream cheese, vanilla and Sugar to a large bowl. Beat mixture until smooth. Add eggs to mixture 1 at a time mixing to combine. Pour mixture into baked crust.

Add Apples, sugar and cinnamon to medium sized bowl. Mix together until apples are coated well. 

Sprinkle apple pieces evenly over cream cheese mixture.

Add brown sugar, flour, quick oats and softened butter to a medium sized bowl and combine well. Sprinkle topping evenly over your apple layer.

Bake for 55-75 minutes. Watch for filling to set (I do this by slightly jiggling the pan.)

Allow to cool for 15 minutes and refrigerate overnight.  Beautiful, right?!

Drizzle each slice with caramel topping. Enjoy!

Caramel Apple Cheesecake

CRUST:
1 1/2 c Flour
1/3 c Brown Sugar
1 1/2 Sticks Butter softened

FILLING:
3 - 8 oz Cream Cheese softened
1 c Sugar
1 t Vanilla
3 Eggs

⅛ t ginger

APPLE MIXTURE:
2-3 Granny Smith Apples peeled, cored and diced into small pieces
1 1/2 T Sugar
1/2 t Cinnamon
1/4 t Nutmeg

TOPPING:
1/2 c Brown Sugar (packed)
1/2 cup Flour
1/4 cup Quick Oats
6 T Butter Softened

Caramel Topping (to drizzle)

Preheat oven to 350.
Add flour and brown sugar to a medium sized bowl.  Cut in butter with 2 forks or a pastry blender until your mix is crumbly.  Press mixture into the bottom and 1-2 inches up the sides of a well greased 9 or 10 inch springform pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
Add cream cheese, vanilla and Sugar to a large bowl. Beat mixture until smooth. Add eggs to mixture 1 at a time mixing to combine. Pour mixture into baked crust.
Add Apples, sugar and cinnamon to medium sized bowl. Mix together until apples are coated well. Sprinkle apple pieces evenly over cream cheese mixture.
Add brown sugar, flour, quick oats and softened butter to a medium sized bowl and combine well. Sprinkle topping evenly over your apple layer.
Bake for 55-75 minutes. Watch for filling to set (I do this by slightly jiggling the pan.)
Allow to cool for 15 minutes and refrigerate overnight. 
Remove from springform pan and slice. Drizzle each slice with caramel topping. Enjoy!

Recipe Adapted From: Cincy Shopper and Cakes Cottage