If you’ve never heard of
millionaire’s shortbread, the inspiration behind this cheesecake, allow us to give you a brief history lesson. Also known as a caramel slice or caramel shortbread, the dessert consists of three layers: buttery shortbread, rich and chewy caramel, and a thick coating of chocolate. It’s thought to have originated in Scotland, owing to the country’s rich tradition of making shortbread. The exact origin isn’t well-documented and is also associated with Australian, New Zealand, and British cuisines. The name is said to refer to the fact that the dessert is rich and decadent and an upgrade from regular shortbread.
To make an even more luxurious and indulgent dessert fit for a millionaire, we added a fourth layer in the form of cheesecake, a rich dessert all on its own. It may seem like a daunting recipe to tackle, but don’t fret! There’s a lot of hands-off time, and by making some components ahead of time, it’ll make it easier to prepare. The cheesecake itself can be made at least 2 days in advance. Once the cheesecake has cooled overnight, the caramel and chocolate layers can be made and then layered. Trust us—it’ll all be worth it once you take your first bite.
About the caramel: We use a thermometer to gauge when the caramel is done cooking because it’s the most foolproof way to achieve the consistency we want. Visual descriptors and a time range only take you so far. Take the caramel off the heat too soon, and you’ll end up with a runny caramel. Leave it too long, and the caramel will be too hard. The taste of the recipe won’t be affected, so it’s not the end of the world if you don’t have a thermometer.
Pro tip: To cut through the gooey layers of the cheesecake, warm your knife by dipping it in a tall glass of hot water. Dry it off and then slice, wiping the knife after each cut. Dip it in the water as needed. The warm knife will cut through the layers easily.
In case you have any left, leftover cheesecake can be covered and refrigerated for up to 5 days.
Did you try this dessert? Let us know how it went in the comments!
If you’ve never heard of
millionaire’s shortbread, the inspiration behind this cheesecake, allow us to give you a brief history lesson. Also known as a caramel slice or caramel shortbread, the dessert consists of three layers: buttery shortbread, rich and chewy caramel, and a thick coating of chocolate. It’s thought to have originated in Scotland, owing to the country’s rich tradition of making shortbread. The exact origin isn’t well-documented and is also associated with Australian, New Zealand, and British cuisines. The name is said to refer to the fact that the dessert is rich and decadent and an upgrade from regular shortbread.
To make an even more luxurious and indulgent dessert fit for a millionaire, we added a fourth layer in the form of cheesecake, a rich dessert all on its own. It may seem like a daunting recipe to tackle, but don’t fret! There’s a lot of hands-off time, and by making some components ahead of time, it’ll make it easier to prepare. The cheesecake itself can be made at least 2 days in advance. Once the cheesecake has cooled overnight, the caramel and chocolate layers can be made and then layered. Trust us—it’ll all be worth it once you take your first bite.
About the caramel: We use a thermometer to gauge when the caramel is done cooking because it’s the most foolproof way to achieve the consistency we want. Visual descriptors and a time range only take you so far. Take the caramel off the heat too soon, and you’ll end up with a runny caramel. Leave it too long, and the caramel will be too hard. The taste of the recipe won’t be affected, so it’s not the end of the world if you don’t have a thermometer.
Pro tip: To cut through the gooey layers of the cheesecake, warm your knife by dipping it in a tall glass of hot water. Dry it off and then slice, wiping the knife after each cut. Dip it in the water as needed. The warm knife will cut through the layers easily.
In case you have any left, leftover cheesecake can be covered and refrigerated for up to 5 days.
Did you try this dessert? Let us know how it went in the comments!
- Yields:
-
10 – 12
serving(s)
- Prep Time:
- 30 mins
- Total Time:
- 8 hrs 20 mins
- Cal/Serv:
- 1046
Directions
-
Crust
- Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9″ springform pan with cooking spray. Wrap outside of pan with foil. In a medium bowl, combine cookie crumbs, butter, and kosher salt until well coated and mixture resembles wet sand. If cookie mixture seems too dry, add more butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
- Step 2Press cookie mixture into an even layer on bottom and 1/2″ up sides of prepared pan.
- Step 3Bake crust until fragrant and edges just begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.
- Step 1
-
Filling
- Step 1Reduce oven temperature to 325°. In the large bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or using a handheld mixer and a large bowl), beat cream cheese, granulated sugar, and flour on low speed, scraping sides and bottom of bowl, until smooth.
- Step 2Add vanilla and kosher salt and beat to combine. Add eggs one at a time, beating to blend after each addition. Beat in sour cream.
- Step 3Pour filling into crust. Place pan in a large roasting pan. Fill with enough hot water to come about halfway up the sides.
- Step 4Bake cheesecake until edges are set and center slightly jiggles, 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes. Turn off oven, prop door open with a wooden spoon, and let cheesecake cool, about 1 hour.
- Step 5Remove foil and refrigerate cheesecake, uncovered, until chilled, at least 5 hours or up to 2 days.
-
Ganache
- Step 1In a medium heatproof bowl, combine chocolate chips and kosher salt. In a small heatproof measuring cup or bowl, microwave cream until steaming, 45 seconds to 1 minute (keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t bubble over).
- Step 2Pour cream over chocolate and let cream heat chocolate, about 5 minutes. Stir until chocolate is smooth and glossy. If needed, microwave in 10-second increments to melt chocolate. Let cool at room temperature until ready to use.
-
Caramel
- Step 1In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine condensed milk, brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, and kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally and reducing heat as needed to prevent bottom from scorching, until caramel is thickened, darkens in color, and an instant-read thermometer registers 220° to 225°, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Step 2Stir in vanilla. Transfer caramel to a shallow baking dish and let cool slightly at room temperature.
-
Assembly
- Step 1Release cheesecake from springform pan. Transfer to a plater. Top with caramel and spread in an even layer toward edges of cheesecake. Refrigerate until cooled, about 10 minutes.
- Step 2Top caramel with ganache and spread in an even layer toward edges of caramel. Sprinkle with sea salt (if using). Refrigerate until ganache has set, about 10 minutes.
Related Video: Shortbread Cookies
