Dulce De Leche Baked Cheesecake

Name: Dulce De Leche Baked Cheesecake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients: 250 g Oreo cookies about 2 standard packets, filling included; 50 g unsalted butter melted; 900 g Philadelphia cream cheese room temperature — do not substitute, other brands create lumps; 75 g caster sugar; 3 egg yolks; 2 whole eggs; 450 g dulce de leche Coles home brand (baking aisle) works well, or make your own by boiling two unopened tins of condensed milk submerged in water for 2.5 to 3 hours; 1.5 tsp cornflour

One of my best friends gave me this recipe about ten years ago and I have made it more times than I can count. I have tweaked it slightly over the years (a bit more dulce de leche here, cornflour to stabilise it there) but the bones are completely hers. It is one of those recipes that never fails and always gets requests for seconds.

This is the recipe I make when I want to impress someone without them knowing how easy it actually is. A buttery Oreo base, a filling that is mostly just whisking things together, and dulce de leche doing all the heavy lifting in the flavour department.

The one rule: use a good quality cream cheese and make sure it is at room temperature. Philadelphia is the most reliable, but any high quality full-fat block cream cheese will work. The cheap or spreadable stuff splits and goes lumpy. Not worth the risk.

For the dulce de leche, Coles stocks their home brand in the baking aisle which is great for this. If you cannot find it, boil two unopened tins of sweetened condensed milk submerged in water for 2.5 to 3 hours. Never let the water run dry.

How to Make Dulce De Leche Baked Cheesecake

No water bath, no complicated techniques. The method here is designed to give you a perfectly set, crack-free cheesecake every time.

All Ingredients

1. 1. The Oreo Base

1
Line your 20cm tin first: cut a square of baking paper bigger than the tin, place it flat on your bench, then press the tin down onto it. The sides of the tin trap the paper in place so you do not need to cut a perfect circle. Add a separate strip around the inside edge for the sides.
2
Blitz whole Oreos (filling included) until fine crumbs and mix with melted butter until it resembles wet sand
3
Press the Oreo mixture firmly into the base using the bottom of a glass to compact it evenly
4
Refrigerate while you prepare the filling

2. 2. The Filling

1
Beat room temperature Philadelphia (cold cream cheese will not mix smoothly) with sugar
2
Add eggs one at a time — do not rush this
3
Mix in the dulce de leche and cornflour last until just combined

3. 3. Baking & Cooling

1
Pour filling over chilled base and tap out air bubbles
2
Bake 55 minutes at 160°C fan — centre should wobble like jelly when done
3
Cool in turned-off oven with door cracked for 1 hour (prevents cracks)
4
Refrigerate minimum 4 hours — overnight is ideal

How to Serve

Serve straight from the fridge — it slices cleanest when cold. Run your knife under hot water and wipe it dry between each slice.

A drizzle of extra dulce de leche over each slice is never a bad idea. A pinch of flaky salt on top cuts through the sweetness beautifully. Fresh berries on the side if you want to feel fancy.

The Recipe

Prep20 min

Cook55 min

Total1h 15m

Serves12

DifficultyMedium

Ingredients

for 12 serves

250gOreo cookies, about 2 standard packets, filling included
50gunsalted butter, melted
900gPhiladelphia cream cheese, room temperature — do not substitute, other brands create lumps
75gcaster sugar
3egg yolks
2whole eggs
450gdulce de leche, Coles home brand (baking aisle) works well, or make your own by boiling two unopened tins of condensed milk submerged in water for 2.5 to 3 hours
1½tspcornflour

Instructions

Turn your oven on to 160°C fan-forced now — it needs to be fully preheated before the cheesecake goes in.
Grease a 20cm round cake tin and line the base and sides with baking paper. The paper on the sides helps the cheesecake release cleanly and prevents cracks.
Blitz the Oreos in a food processor until fine crumbs, filling and all. Add the melted butter and pulse until it looks like wet sand. Press firmly and evenly into the base of the tin using the bottom of a glass or the back of a spoon to compact it evenly. Refrigerate while you make the filling.
Beat the room temperature cream cheese and sugar together on low-medium speed until smooth. Do not overbeat — just get rid of the lumps.
Add the eggs and yolks one at a time, mixing gently after each. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as you go.
Add the dulce de leche and cornflour and mix until just combined. The batter should be smooth and a deep caramel colour.
Pour the filling over the chilled base. Tap the tin gently on the bench a couple of times to release any air bubbles.
Bake at 160°C for 55 minutes. The edges should be set but the centre should still wobble like jelly — this is correct. Do not be tempted to keep baking.
Turn the oven off and crack the door open slightly. Leave the cheesecake inside for 1 hour. This slow cooling prevents cracks.
Remove from the oven and cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Overnight is best. Slice cold with a warm knife for the cleanest cuts.

Tips & Notes

Two things are essential for a crack-free cheesecake: lining the sides of the tin with baking paper, and leaving the cheesecake in the turned-off oven to cool slowly. Skip either of these and you will likely get cracks. They take two extra minutes and are completely worth it.
Cream cheese must be full-fat block style and at room temperature. Philadelphia is the most reliable option but any good quality full-fat block cream cheese works. Spreadable, light, or generic tub varieties create lumps.
Dulce de leche from Coles: their home brand in the baking aisle works great. To make your own, submerge two unopened tins of sweetened condensed milk in a pot of water and simmer for 2.5 to 3 hours. Never let the water level drop below the tins.
The centre wobble at 55 minutes is correct. Trust the process. It firms up completely in the fridge.
Keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days, covered. Freezes well too. Wrap individual slices and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
If using a larger tin (22cm or bigger), reduce the baking time. The filling will be thinner and will set faster. Start checking from around 40 to 45 minutes and look for that same jelly wobble in the centre.

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 520 kcal
Protein: 9 g
Carbohydrates: 38 g
Total Fat: 37 g
Sugars: 28 g

Values are estimates. Actual nutrition may vary.

How It Turned Out

Dulce De Leche Baked Cheesecake — result photo 1

Dulce De Leche Baked Cheesecake — result photo 2

Dulce De Leche Baked Cheesecake — result photo 3

Dulce De Leche Baked Cheesecake — result photo 4

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How to Make Dulce De Leche Baked Cheesecake

No water bath, no complicated techniques. The method here is designed to give you a perfectly set, crack-free cheesecake every time.

All Ingredients

1. 1. The Oreo Base

1
Line your 20cm tin first: cut a square of baking paper bigger than the tin, place it flat on your bench, then press the tin down onto it. The sides of the tin trap the paper in place so you do not need to cut a perfect circle. Add a separate strip around the inside edge for the sides.
2
Blitz whole Oreos (filling included) until fine crumbs and mix with melted butter until it resembles wet sand
3
Press the Oreo mixture firmly into the base using the bottom of a glass to compact it evenly
4
Refrigerate while you prepare the filling

2. 2. The Filling

1
Beat room temperature Philadelphia (cold cream cheese will not mix smoothly) with sugar
2
Add eggs one at a time — do not rush this
3
Mix in the dulce de leche and cornflour last until just combined

3. 3. Baking & Cooling

1
Pour filling over chilled base and tap out air bubbles
2
Bake 55 minutes at 160°C fan — centre should wobble like jelly when done
3
Cool in turned-off oven with door cracked for 1 hour (prevents cracks)
4
Refrigerate minimum 4 hours — overnight is ideal

How to Serve

Serve straight from the fridge — it slices cleanest when cold. Run your knife under hot water and wipe it dry between each slice.

A drizzle of extra dulce de leche over each slice is never a bad idea. A pinch of flaky salt on top cuts through the sweetness beautifully. Fresh berries on the side if you want to feel fancy.

Instructions

Turn your oven on to 160°C fan-forced now — it needs to be fully preheated before the cheesecake goes in.

Grease a 20cm round cake tin and line the base and sides with baking paper. The paper on the sides helps the cheesecake release cleanly and prevents cracks.

Blitz the Oreos in a food processor until fine crumbs, filling and all. Add the melted butter and pulse until it looks like wet sand. Press firmly and evenly into the base of the tin using the bottom of a glass or the back of a spoon to compact it evenly. Refrigerate while you make the filling.

Beat the room temperature cream cheese and sugar together on low-medium speed until smooth. Do not overbeat — just get rid of the lumps.

Add the eggs and yolks one at a time, mixing gently after each. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as you go.

Add the dulce de leche and cornflour and mix until just combined. The batter should be smooth and a deep caramel colour.

Pour the filling over the chilled base. Tap the tin gently on the bench a couple of times to release any air bubbles.

Bake at 160°C for 55 minutes. The edges should be set but the centre should still wobble like jelly — this is correct. Do not be tempted to keep baking.

Turn the oven off and crack the door open slightly. Leave the cheesecake inside for 1 hour. This slow cooling prevents cracks.

Remove from the oven and cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Overnight is best. Slice cold with a warm knife for the cleanest cuts.

Tips & Notes

Two things are essential for a crack-free cheesecake: lining the sides of the tin with baking paper, and leaving the cheesecake in the turned-off oven to cool slowly. Skip either of these and you will likely get cracks. They take two extra minutes and are completely worth it.

Cream cheese must be full-fat block style and at room temperature. Philadelphia is the most reliable option but any good quality full-fat block cream cheese works. Spreadable, light, or generic tub varieties create lumps.

Dulce de leche from Coles: their home brand in the baking aisle works great. To make your own, submerge two unopened tins of sweetened condensed milk in a pot of water and simmer for 2.5 to 3 hours. Never let the water level drop below the tins.

The centre wobble at 55 minutes is correct. Trust the process. It firms up completely in the fridge.

Keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days, covered. Freezes well too. Wrap individual slices and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.

If using a larger tin (22cm or bigger), reduce the baking time. The filling will be thinner and will set faster. Start checking from around 40 to 45 minutes and look for that same jelly wobble in the centre.