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Crème Brûlée Cheesecake

posted by Liz Berg on October 31, 2021 (updated 12/5/22)

This Crème Brûlée Cheesecake is a delicious marriage of two favorite desserts: mascarpone cheesecake and dreamy sugar-crusted crème brûlée.

Homemade Cheesecake is always a hit with my family, and this Burnt Cheesecake was no exception!

Slice of creme brulee cheesecake on a white dessert plate with a red handle fork, two berries and a sprig of mint.

Table of Contents hide

1 Why You Must Make

2 Expert Tips

3 How to Make 2 Smaller Cheesecakes

4 Frequently Asked Questions

5 You May Also Like:

6 Crème Brûlée Cheesecake

Why You Must Make

It’s a combination of two of the most delicious, decadent desserts: cheesecake and creme brulee!!!
It will feed up to 12 guests and draw rave reviews.
The caramelized sugar topping is both elegant and impressive! And it’s extremely tasty, too.

My youngest started college and my oldest moved to his own place. Katie doesn’t seem to be suffering too much with both her brothers out of the house. In fact, she was delighted that more of her dinner requests and desserts would be honored. I’d been wanting to combine two of her favorite sweets for years, cheesecake and crème brûlée.

Two slices of creme brulee cheesecake on white plates with berry garnish.

Expert Tips

As with all cheesecakes, have your cream cheese and eggs at room temperature. For this recipe, also bring your mascarpone to room temperature. This helps to make a creamy cheesecake.
PRO-Tip: Use the paddle attachment if using a stand mixer to prevent excess air from being incorporated into the batter.
Do not overbeat the eggs. Add one at a time and mix just until incorporated.
Bake in a water bath (bain-marie) for even cooking and to prevent cracking. It also creates a steamy baking environment.
Remove the cheesecake when the middle is just slightly jiggly when lightly tapped…timing differs depending on your oven and pan size.
PRO-Tip: Bring the cheesecake to room temperature before serving. This will create a super creamy texture.
PRO-Tip: If mascarpone cheese is hard to come by, a quick google search shows how to make your own using 1/4 cup whipping cream, 8 ounces of cream cheese and 2 1/2 tablespoons of sour cream. Or if you plan ahead, you can make Homemade Mascarpone Cheese in your own kitchen. It only requires two ingredients!
If you don’t have turbinado sugar (sugar in the raw) to sprinkle and torch to make the topping, you can use regular granulated sugar.

Hubby Bill, the self-proclaimed chocoholic, loved this cheesecake recipe. It was perfectly smooth and creamy and the crunch of the crisp, caramelized sugar was the perfect textural contrast.

How to Make 2 Smaller Cheesecakes

Putting my highly honed geometry skills to work, I figured that my two deep 5-inch springform pans would hold approximately 5 cups of batter. Nah, I just took a measuring cup to check their volumes. Much easier than dealing with ╥, as I much prefer pie to pi.

If you’d like to make 2 smaller cheesecakes, just make half of this recipe. Bake in two 5 x 2 1/2-inch springform pans, 5-7 minutes for the crust, and 40 minutes for the cheesecakes.

Photo of a 5-inch cheesecake. Circa 2012.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Does Creme Brulee Mean?

Creme Brulee, pronounced Krehm-broo-LAY, translates to burnt cream.

How Do You Make a Creme Brulee Topping?

To make the brittle caramelized topping, sprinkle the dessert with turbinado or granulated sugar. Quickly cook under a broiler, salamander, or with a torch until the sugar browns and melts. The melted sugar hardens as it cools and is a delicious contrast with the creamy dessert below.