Desserts

Smoked Cheesecake with Burnt Sugar Cream Sauce

By now you probably realize you can smoke just about anything. But should you? Only if smoking adds something to a food or dish that makes it better or more interesting than it would be in its natural state.

Which brings us to cheesecake. This is another dessert that you usually bake in a pan of simmering water, which cooks the filling while preventing it from cracking or curdling. In other words, low, slow, and moist. Sounds like a session in a water smoker to me. The smoke gives the cheesecake a haunting flavor—familiar yet exotic. This may just be the most interesting cheesecake you’ll ever set fork to.

Other Great Dessert Recipes:

Smoked Cheesecake Recipe

Smoked Cheesecake with Burnt Sugar Cream Sauce

Recipe Notes

Advance Prep: 45 minutes
Total Time: Smoking 2 hours
Yield: Serves 8-10
Method: Hot smoking

Ingredients

For the crust:

Vegetable oil
8 ounces gingersnap cookies or chocolate icebox cookies
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:

4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla extract (or finely grated fresh ginger)
2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter, melted
5 large eggs

Burnt Sugar Cream Sauce (optional)

You'll also need

Food processor, 10-inch springform pan

Recipe Steps

1: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees (or set up a grill for indirect grilling and preheat to the same temperature). Lightly oil the springform pan.

2: Make the crust: Break the cookies into pieces and grind to a fine powder with the 2 tablespoons light brown sugar in the food processor. (You’ll want about 1-1/2 cups of crumbs.) Add the melted butter and pulse the processor to obtain a crumbly dough. Press the mixture into the bottom and halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake the crust until lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool.

3: Make the filling: Wipe out the food processor bowl or use a stand mixer. Add the cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice and process/beat until smooth. Work in the eggs one by one, beating/processing until smooth after each addition. Pour the batter into the springform pan. Tap the pan on the countertop a few times to knock out any air bubbles.

4: Meanwhile, light your smoker according to the manufacturer’s instructions and preheat to 250 degrees. Add the wood as specified by the manufacturer.

5: Place the cheesecake in the smoker. Smoke until the top is bronzed with smoke and the filling is set, about 1-1/2 hours. To test for doneness, gently poke the side of the pan—the filling will jiggle—not ripple. Alternatively, insert a slender metal skewer: it should come out clean. Transfer the cheesecake in its pan to a wire rack to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until serving (the cheesecake can be made up to 8 hours ahead). Run a slender knife around the inside of the springform pan. Loosen and remove the ring. Let the cheesecake warm slightly at room temperature before serving.

6: If serving the Burnt Sugar Sauce, pour it over the cheesecake (or serve on the side). Cut into slices and dig in.