La Mora Romagnola
White Chocolate Cheesecake (Gluten Free): The Perfect Sweet Start to the Year
Happy 2023!!
I’m coming from a long, glorious week made of Netflix, food, couch time, relatives, and pure relaxation, so at this point I can officially call myself a blessed lady.
This morning I woke up earlier than usual (especially for a non-working day), made myself a cup of coffee, enjoyed the rare silence, and took down the Christmas tree and all the decorations while listening to my favorite true crime podcast.
Everyone else in the house is still asleep, so I decided it was the perfect moment to share this wonderful recipe: a white chocolate cheesecake, completely gluten free, topped with a crunchy caramel layer that I prepared for our New Year’s Eve dinner.
It turned out amazing. Truly amazing.
The recipe comes from an Italian book I own, a translation of the cheesecake recipes by George Geary. I don’t have any of his other books on my shelf, but when it comes to cheesecakes, he is absolutely a trustworthy source. His walnut & maple syrup cheesecake from the same book is already a family favorite.
A Creamy, Elegant, Foolproof Cheesecake
Before we go any further, a small note: the batter for this cheesecake is very, very liquid.
Don’t panic—this is exactly how it’s supposed to be. It bakes into the silkiest, creamiest filling you can imagine, especially paired with the sweetness of white chocolate and the satisfying crack of the caramelized topping.
And here comes the important part:
if you’re using a springform pan, line it thoroughly with parchment paper or aluminum foil, otherwise it will leak.
(Ask me how I know… 😅)
Why You’ll Love This White Chocolate Cheesecake
This cake has no bottom crust and no flour in the batter: the crunchiness is given by the caramelized sugar on top and the flour isn’t a mistake, trust the process!
If, pouring chocolate in the batter, it forms “flakes” it’s because you’re pouring it too fast; it’s not a big issue, use a blender to make the batter smooth again.
This cake need a quite long rest to reach the right thickness: make it in advance up to two days before but caramelize the top only before serving!
Let’s jump to the recipe!
White chocolate, gluten free cheesecake with crunchy caramel topping.
Ingredients
- 750 g cream cheese ( 3 packs)
- 375 g (1 cup and half) sour cream
- 110 g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
- 4 eggs
- 375 g (2 cups) white chocolate
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- light brown sugar for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 200°C/390°FPut inside, from the start, a big pan/casserole oven safe filled with water.
- Butter or line a 24 cm/9 inches diameter cake springform pan.
- Melt the white chocolate and set aside, let it cool.
- In a stand mixer or with a spatula mix well cream cheese, sour cream and sugar.
- Add eggs one at time mixing well, the pour chocolate in a tiny stream mixing, see notes in the blogpost if you notice lumps.
- Add now vanilla, lemon juice and salt.
- Pour the batter into the springform and bake the cake at 200°C/390°F for the first ten minute then lower the temperature to 180°C/360°F and keep on baking for 45/55 minutes.
- Take it off the oven when it's still quivering, let it cool completely then cover with cling film and let sit in the fridge for at least 6 hours, even better overnight.
- Right before serving sprinckle light brown sugar on top and caramelize it with a burner or under the oven grill for few minutes ( pay attention not to burn it!)
