Irish Cream Cheesecake with Whiskey Caramel
Happy Monday friends! I have a sweet recipe for you today that has climbed to the top of my favorite list but I have to keep things short. I spent most of my Sunday sleeping … the whole time change messed with my clock and now I am FAR behind on my presentation that’s due tomorrow. I’m meeting with my dissertation committee members and I need to convince them I think I am ready to graduate. Hopefully they think so too!
OK this cheesecake. Seriously it does not get better than Irish Cream Cheesecake with a whole lot of whiskey caramel everywhere. It’s beyond delightful folks. A super creamy vanilla cheesecake, filled with your favorite irish cream (Bailey’s!!!) and swirled with caramel sauce spiked with the best Irish whiskey (Jameson). Best caramel in the world!!
If you do happen to NOT drink the whiskey caramel before making the cheesecake, don’t get scared to top the entire cheesecake with the caramel. It’s a good decision. And your friends, family or spouse will love you more this St Patrick’s Day. I know mine does!
I hope you try this cheesecake soon friends. I’m off to presentation land till tomorrow afternoon. Wish me luck!
Irish Cream Cheesecake with Whiskey Caramel
Ingredients
For Whiskey Caramel:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (cut up into cubes)
- ยฝ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt (optional)
- 2 tablespoons Irish whiskey (or more to taste)
For Crust:
- 15-20 Oreo Cookies
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- a pinch of salt
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
For Filling:
- 3 8-ounce cream cheese blocks, softened at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ยผ cup Irish Cream
- 1 ยฝ tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ยผ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (I used Rodelle Pure Vanilla Extract
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- ยผ cup whiskey caramel (and more for topping)
Instructions
To Make Caramel Sauce:
- In a medium saucepan, melt sugar over medium high heat. When sugar starts melting, whisk until all the sugar melts. Sugar will clump in whisk but keep whisking.
- Once all the sugar is melted, stop whisking and let sugar get to a deep amber color. You can swirl the pan to mix. Keep your eye on the caramel, as it will easily burn at this stage.
- Whisk in the butter and mix until completely melted. Remove pan from heat and gradually add in the heavy cream. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in the sea salt (if using) and whiskey. Transfer caramel immediately into a glass jar and let cool.
To Make Crust:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Wrap the entire outside of a 9-inch spring -form pan with two sheets of foil.
- Using a food processor, pulse the cookies into a fine crumb. Add sugar, salt and melted butter and process until combined.
- Transfer the crumbs to the prepared pan and evenly spread it. Use a flat bottom cup and press down on crust to create and even layer.
- Bake crust for 8-10 minutes. Let cool while you prepare the filing.
To Make Filling:
- Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add sugar and mix until combined, another minute, scraping down bowl as needed. Add in Irish Cream, flour, salt and vanilla extract. Mix well on medium-low speed. Reduce speed to low and add eggs one at a time, mixing each time until combined. Mix filling until smooth for an additional minute.
- Pour half of the filling into the prepared spring-form pan with crust. Pour half of the whiskey caramel on top of the filling and swirl (I used a dinner knife to make the swirls). Pour the remaining cheesecake filling on top. Finally swirl the last half of the whiskey caramel on top.
- Place spring-form pan into a much larger baking pan. Add hot water into the larger baking pan to reach half way up the side of your spring-form pan.
- Bake cheesecake at 325 degrees F for one hour. Then turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven for additional 45 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven and allow to cool at room temperature for at least an hour before chilling. Chill for 6 hours or overnight.
- When ready to serve, top cheesecake with whiskey caramel.
Oh my, your cheesecake looks wonderful and full of flavor!
Wow! That is really gorgeous my friend! Love those swirls of decadence. Mmm….
Pinned.
Have a beautiful Monday!
Thanks Melanie! Hope you have a great week!
This cheesecake looks divine!
Definitely slather that thing up with caramel!
Good luck at your committee meeting! Maybe serve this to them with a shot of whiskey (or whiskey caramel) on the side. I’m sure this would make them more amenable to doing whatever you ask!
Thanks dear! The shot os whiskey before hand would have helped lol!
So, so pretty, Zainab! I’m still getting over the time change- woke up this morning soo tired! But at least there is beautiful light for most of the day now!
Irish Whiskey caramel?! Genius!!! and good luck today!!!! Keep us posted!
This cheesecake is perfectly creamy and just plain gorgeous Z!
what a fabulous cheesecake! love the swirl ๐
Simply stunning! I am loving these flavors!
This looks soooo good. I love cheesecake and anything with Baileys (in fact I just posted a Baileys recipe too). Good luck with your meeting!
YES I just saw your recipe too!! We think alike ๐
Wishing you lots of luck at your meeting Z! This cheesecake looks incredible! Love that boozy caramel topping!!
Thanks Kelly!
I can’t get over this cheesecake. It’s lovely, Zainab! The whiskey caramel sounds insanely good!
Oh my… Booze in cheesecake? I am all for it! That swirl pattern is stunning! That whiskey caramel sounds so good! Pinning!
Zainab, this cheesecake is beyond amazing and I need a big slice. Whiskey caramel sounds incredible and I might lick the plate, too. Good luck with your meeting. We all know you will ace-it!
Thanks Linda!!
I would probably be one of those ‘into’ the whiskey caramel sauce. But I do like it all over the top of the cheesecake. I am a real cheesecake fan. Wonderful recipe. You outdid yourself AGAIN.
I do not blame you at all!! The whiskey caramel sauce is amazing!
These photos are to die for! Love that caramel topping, pinning ๐
Good luck with your presentation Zainab! Bring them a slice of this cheesecake and they’ll be putty in your hands! It’s gorgeous and so tempting!
Hhahah I did not share with them :p but everything went great!
I’ve always water to try Irish Cream Cheesecake and this looks like the perfect recipe! Beautiful pictures!
This cheesecake is stunning, Zainab! I love your photos and that perfect caramel glaze. ๐
Good luck with your presentation!! I hope it all goes well.
Thanks Abby!
Good luck on your presentation! Hopefully there will be a couple pieces of this cheesecake left for you to celebrate when it’s all over!
YES! There is still half in the fridge.
Oh how good this cheesecake looks! I would love at least one bite ๐
I hope the committee meeting went well. Those are the WORST! At least you have cheesecake. This looks FABULOUS!
They really are the worst!!
Hope your presentation went well! You should’ve taken this cheesecake to help with the convincing ๐
Oh how I’ve missed cheesecake! I’ll need to leave the whiskey out (minor over here) but it looks delicious! ๐
Oh I am sure it is just as good without the whiskey!!
Hope your presentation went well, lady! I feel you on being thrown off my the time change. I just want to be in bed ALL DAY long! I will wake up for this delicious cheesecake though! ๐
Thanks Lisa! It did go well and this cheesecake helped.
Bring on the Baileys!! Love all those gorgeous swirls!
Thanks Meghan!
I hope you totally kicked ass in your presentation, Zainab! Hell, I have no doubt that you did. You’re brilliant, lady! Case in point – this cheesecake is filled ‘n covered with everything that I love: booze and more booze! Lol. This is absolutely glorious.
Thanks Nancy! It did go well and glad it is over.
What a beautiful cheesecake for St. Patty’s Day, Z! Your creativity really shines through with this recipe. I would definitely drink that caramel sauce! Good luck with your presentation, my friend. ๐ I know you will do exceedingly well! xo
I tried this recipe and until the “bake the cheesecake” everything went soooooo incredibly well. Now the water has entered the pan somehow (eventhough i wrapped it with foil very tight) and the whole cake is ruined ๐ What did I do wrong?
Yours look absolutely incredible ๐
Ema, I’m sorry to hear that. My springform pans are leak proof/airtight but I still protect them with foil on the outside. It sounds like you had some issues with your pan that let water into the cheesecake. I am sorry ;( As an alternative, I have seen people bake cheesecakes in regular cake pans (have to be high on the sides) and as long as you spray the pan really well with baking spray, the cheesecake should release. Maybe try that next time? Again, I am so sorry.
This lookโs really good, was thinking about making it for a Paddys day Thing at at lunchtime at work but not sure about the alcohol. Do you think it would be ok ?
Hi Ashley! Technically the alcohol bakes off so you should be fine and I am sure your work colleagues will not mind.