This is a mini cheesecake, baked in a 14cm springform pan on a crust of crushed golden Oreos. Dulce de leche goes into the filling and over the top, and Maldon salt flakes finish it. It is one of our favourite recipes, and it is not a fast one: 40 to 50 minutes in the oven, a slow cool-down, then at least two hours in the fridge before you cut it. Start it the day before and it will be waiting for you.

Pull it out of the oven while the edges are set and the centre still wobbles slightly. The long cool-down does the rest of the setting for you.

What you’ll need

Baked in a 14cm springform pan.

For the crust:

  • 10 golden Oreos, crushed
  • 30g unsalted butter, melted

For the cheesecake filling:

  • 440g cream cheese, softened
  • 42g sugar
  • 260g dulce de leche, divided
  • 30g sour cream or full-fat cream
  • 10ml pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp Maldon salt
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature

To decorate: Maldon sea salt flakes

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 175°C.
  2. To make the crust, crush the golden Oreos until fine crumbs form.
  3. Add the melted butter and mix until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Transfer the crumbs into a 14cm springform pan. Press the mixture onto the bottom and a bit up the sides of the pan. Bake for 9 minutes.
  4. To make the cheesecake filling, beat the cream cheese until fluffy on medium speed. Mix in the sugar. Then add about 200g of the dulce de leche (the rest is for spreading on top to decorate) and the sour cream. Continue to mix until combined.
  5. Stir in the vanilla extract and salt. Beat in the eggs one at a time and mix on low speed just until combined. Transfer the batter onto the prepared crust.
  6. Bake the cheesecake for 40-50 minutes, or until the edges are set and it is slightly wobbly in the centre. Turn off the oven and leave the oven door slightly open. Leave the cheesecake in for an hour. Then cool at room temperature for another hour. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to let it set, or best of all overnight.
  7. When ready to serve, remove the springform sides of the pan and spread the reserved dulce de leche on top. Sprinkle over some Maldon salt if you like; we strongly recommend it for the most delightful experience.
  8. Store the cheesecake in the fridge, covered, for up to 5 days.

A couple of tips

  • Divide the dulce de leche before you start. About 200g of the 260g goes into the filling; the rest is spread over the top once the cheesecake is out of the pan.
  • The cool-down is part of the recipe. Oven off with the door ajar for an hour, another hour at room temperature, then a minimum of two hours in the fridge. Overnight is better.
  • Don’t skip the salt flakes. The salt is what keeps all that caramel from tasting flat and one-note, and the recipe is named for it.

Ours are made by hand, in-house, every day. If you’re in Budapest or Bucharest, come and see what’s on the counter — walk-ins only. #webelieveinhandmade