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Usually I shy away from complicated desserts like this Twix cheesecake. It’s three layers. That sounds like a nightmare for a weeknight evening when all I want is to curl up on the couch with something decadent as soon as humanly possible. I’m in my lazy phase, thank you very much.
Yet I have tangled myself in a dessert I can’t get out my head. It starts with buttery shortbread crust that shatters as you bite into it. Then on top: creamy bittersweet chocolate cheesecake so silky, it feels like it could be mousse. Oh, and a pile of salted caramel whipped cream cradling dollops of gooey caramel sauce. This cheesecake is Twix in a new form. An elegant showstopper that I will gladly present after dinner, and sneak into breakfast, all in generous thick slices.
We would think this is the hardest recipe of our lives then? Nope, I optimized this to have a rich complex flavour with minimal effort. More effort than a simple cookie unfortunately, but a hassle that is well worth it. Don’t worry, all the secrets are spilled here 😉
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Heavenly flavour. More specifically, a magical combination of crisp buttery cookie, bittersweet yet creamy and slightly tangy cheesecake, salty caramel whipped into the fluffiest topping!
- Insane depth of flavour without long rest times, fancy spices, and other tiresome things.
Problems this recipe solves
- No water bath. No steamy oven. Just smooth silky cheesecake.
- Bye bye weeping and deflating whipped cream. With stabilized whipped cream, this cheesecake stays beautiful for days.
- Also goodbye to overly sweet cheesecake! This one is so rich, yet slightly bitter, tangy, and salty, so the last bite tastes just as good as the first.
Ingredients
This is where the secrets live. Let’s go get that flavour!
- Shortbread cookies or biscuits: We are not making cookies from scratch for them to be overwhelmed by chocolate. Not worth it! Get some crispy cookies, we’ll bake them with a generous amount of butter, and they will be the perfect base for our dessert.
- Unsalted butter: Partner in crime for the crust. Very flavourful, very delicious.
- Heavy cream: A richer alternative to milk that makes for a soft mousse-like texture.
- Unsweetened chocolate: Gives the smoothest pure chocolate flavour and a nearly fudgy quality.
- Espresso powder: Enhances the chocolate flavour.
- Cream cheese: Use blocks of cream cheese for the best flavour and texture.
- Granulated sugar: We use just enough to make the dessert bittersweet. Granulated sugar works here instead of brown sugar because we want to highlight the cream cheese and chocolate. The caramelly notes come from the whip.
- Egg: Sets the cheesecake into a tender custard.
- Vanilla extract: Enhances the chocolate flavour even more!
- Salted caramel sauce: Homemade caramel sauce gives the best flavour. Make a big batch and you’ll have caramel for ages.
- More heavy cream: The base of the whipped cream. It lightens the caramel, without dulling its flavour.
Instructions
Prepare for a lot of photos. Cheesecake is a bit more complicated than cookies, and I want to give you as much detail as possible. If you’re confident, feel free to scroll on by.
Mix shortbread crumbs and melted butter until it resembles wet sand.
Melt heavy cream, chocolate and espresso.
Add egg, sugar and vanilla extract.
The cheesecake will be very jiggly but will set once it has cooled.
Press the crust into a greased springform pan firmly with your hands or a cup.
Add cream cheese and whisk. It won’t be smooth right away.
Whisk until smooth and shiny.
Top with salted caramel whipped cream.
Bake until the edges are lightly golden. Set aside to let the crust cool.
Eventually, the mixture will be thick and smooth.
Pour on top of crust and bake.
Drizzle on salted caramel sauce and swirl in.
Equipment
Make sure you have a good whisk, springform pan (or a cake pan lined with one piece of parchment paper that you can use as a sling to pull the cheesecake out), and electric mixer (or willpower to hand-whip cream).
Baking pan material can affect the cheesecake. If you use a dark coloured baking pan, the cheesecake will bake and set faster than if using a lighter pan, so keep a close eye on it.
Also, make sure you have a kitchen scale for this recipe since most of the measurements are in grams. Using a kitchen scale ensures you get the same results I have! Learn about why I use a kitchen scale here. If you’d like to use measuring spoons or cups, you can use an online recipe converter to change the units to whatever you’re using.
Storage
This Twix cheesecake can last for a good week. Will it though? Unless you dislike being teleported to dessert heaven, I doubt it.
If in slices, store in an airtight container. If whole, place on a round container lid, then place the container on top (like a cake stand lid!). Store in the fridge and let come to room temperature before enjoying.
To make more than a week ahead: make the cheesecake and the salted caramel. Store in the freezer. Defrost overnight in the fridge, and then bring to room temperature. Make the salted caramel whipped cream, top the cheesecake, and enjoy.
FAQ
Your cream cheese was probably too cold. Try gently warming the batter by placing the bowl in a larger bowl filled with warm water. Then mix for a couple minutes and keep going until the batter is smooth. You can’t really overmix this batter so don’t worry if you’re mixing for a while.
Yes it will! Unless you didn’t bake it for the time listed, you shouldn’t have to worry as long as the edges have set a bit. The cheesecake sets a lot as it cools and chills for a couple hours. If your cheesecake is absolutely underbaked it, stick it back into a 275F oven and bake for 20-30 minutes, then repeat the chilling process.
This is why it’s important to generously grease the pan, tap out air bubbles before baking, and cool the cheesecake gradually. Make sure you follow all these steps next time. For now, don’t worry, the whipped cream will cover it up.
This is a sign of overbaking. There’s nothing you can do to take back overbaking, but chilling for a couple hours improves the texture a bit.
Check that your cream and caramel are both cold. Make sure you’re using a whisk (not a paddle attachment). After that, just be patient, keep an eye on it, and it will whip up in no time.
STOP! You’ve overwhipped your whipped cream. As long as it hasn’t yet separated into butter and buttermilk, you can save it. Just drizzle in cold heavy cream and mix lightly until it becomes smooth. If you accidentally add too much, gently whip again until you reach stiff peaks.
If the sugar crystallized, try melting it down on high heat. It should melt fully and caramelize.
If your caramel was overheated and it’s now hard after cooling, reheat the caramel in a pan until fully melted, add in heavy cream until the mixture is a thin liquid, then cool.
If your caramel is burnt, there is unfortunately nothing you can do.
Let’s bake!
This Twix cheesecake is a bit of a project, but it’s the most delicious one. I mean, chocolate, caramel, shortbread, it’s a dream. I miss this cheesecake just writing about it (it’s been a couple days since I last had it).
When you make it, tag me on Instagram @bakewhenitrains so I can see your gorgeous cheesecake!
Also, don’t forget to leave a comment and rating below. I’d love to hear your feedback.
If want another chocolate and caramel dessert to bake next, millionaire’s shortbread is absolutely amazing. I hope you love it as much as this cheesecake.
With love,
Your baking friend Sherene ❤️
Twix Cheesecake
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 180 grams shortbread or biscuit crumbs
- 60 grams butter melted
Chocolate Cheesecake
- 185 grams heavy cream
- 60 grams unsweetened chocolate finely chopped
- 1/4 tsp espresso powder
- 250 grams cream cheese room temperature, in chunks
- 70 grams granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Salted Caramel Whipped Cream
- 100 grams salted caramel sauce cold
- 100 grams heavy cream cold
Instructions
Shortbread Crust
- Preheat oven to 350℉ and grease a 6-inch springform pan.
- In a large bowl, combine shortbread crumbs and butter. The mixture should resemble wet sand.
- Press firmly into prepared pan to form an even-layered crust.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Set aside to cool.
Chocolate Cheesecake
- Lower the oven temperature to 300℉.
- In another large bowl, use a microwave to heat heavy cream, chocolate, and espresso powder in the microwave until the chocolate is mostly melted. Whisk until combined. Cool slightly if the mixture is very hot.
- Add cream cheese and whisk until completely smooth. This may take a couple minutes, be patient and get out any lumps of cream cheese.
- Add egg, sugar and vanilla. Whisk until shiny and smooth.
- Pour the batter on top of the crust and tap out any air bubbles.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes, until the edges are set and the center is still very jiggly when you gently shake the pan.
- Crack open the oven door and leave the cheesecake to cool completely. If you'd like a break, chill the cheesecake now in the fridge and come back later.
Salted Caramel Whipped Cream
- In a medium sized bowl, using the whisk attachment of an electric mixer, whip caramel sauce and whipped cream to stiff peaks. I recommend mixing on medium-high speed. When you lift the whisk out of the mixture, the small peak formed by the whipped cream should stay up.
- Top the cooled cheesecake with whipped cream. Then drizzle and swirl salted caramel sauce into the whipped cream.
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