CARAMELCAKE & CHEESECAKE

Irish Coffee Cheesecake

Crust:
6 oz oatmeal cookies
3 TBSP brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
3 oz butter
DIRECTIONS
1. Place cookies in a food processor. Grind to make crumbs. Add in remaining ingredients. Process to blend.
2. Pat crust mixture into a 10 inch spring form cake pan. Bake at 325F for 5-7 minutes.
Filling:
2lbs 6oz cream cheese
2 1/2 cups brown sugar
3 TBSP flour
5 eggs
2 egg yolks
5 TBSP whiskey
3 TBS Irish Cream Liquor(like Bailey’s)
2 TBSP coffee extract
1. Cream the cheese on medium speed until very soft and creamy.
2. With the mixer running, add the sugar. Beat until well combined. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl.
3. On low speed add the flour. Then add the eggs one at a time, stopping the mixer before adding each egg so that shell does not get into the batter. Scrape down the bowl at least twice while adding the eggs.
4. Add the liquors and the coffee extract. Scrape down the bowl.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared crust and bake at 325F for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Topping
1 1/2 cups sour cream
3 TBSP brown sugar
1 tsp coffee extract
Combine all the ingredients. Spread on top of the baked cheesecake after it has come out of the oven and set for 10 minutes. Bake cheesecake again for 5-7 minutes

Double Caramel Cake

1/3 cup plus 1-1/4 cups granulated sugar, divided use
1/4 cup boiling water
3/4 cup butter or margarine
3 eggs
3 cups sifted cake flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Caramel Frosting (recipe below)
1. Melt the one-third cup sugar in a heavy skillet, stirring constantly until deep-brown syrup is formed - a process called caramelization. Remove from heat and slowly stir in boiling water, being careful that steam does not burn your hand. Set syrup aside to cool.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease two 9-inch cake pans, place parchment paper in the bottoms, then grease and flour the bottoms and sides.
3. Cream butter in bowl of electric mixer. Add 11/4 cups sugar and continue to beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating until each is well-incorporated. Stir in 4 tablespoons of the reserved syrup.
4. Sift together the cake flour, baking powder and salt. Combine milk and vanilla. Add flour mixture to the batter alternately with the milk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat until smooth. Divide batter evenly among the two prepared pans and bake 25 minutes, or until wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
5. Remove pans from oven and let stand about 10 minutes, then turn out cakes onto wire rack, peel off paper and cool completely.
6. Frost cooled cake, stacking layers.
Caramel Frosting
3 cups (light) brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons half and half
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Mix sugar and half and half in a heavy saucepan and cook, stirring over low heat until syrup reaches the soft-ball stage, 235 degrees on a candy thermometer. If lacking a thermometer, check doneness by dropping a tiny bit of syrup into a cup of cold water. When the syrup can be gathered up in fingers and will almost hold its shape, it has reached the soft-ball stage.
2. Remove pan from heat. Stir in butter, then let syrup cool. Add vanilla and beat until frosting reaches spreading consistency. A little cream (or half-and-half) may be added is mixture is too thick.