Divine cheesecake with salted caramel (dulce de leche)

Ingredients

• 400 g cream cheese
• 3 eggs
• 170 g caster sugar
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 250 g Bastognekoeken
• 80 g melted butter
• 1 generous tsp sea salt flakes
• 1 can of condensed milk

Instructions

1. 1

   1. Remove the label from the can of condensed milk, place it fully submerged (almost to the very top) in a saucepan of water and let it simmer gently for 3 hours. Keep a close eye on the water level — it must stay high to prevent the can from sitting dry and exploding. Once the three hours are up, carefully remove the (hot!) can from the pan and let it cool completely. Open it, stir well, and there's your caramel.2. Preheat the oven to 175°C. Line the base of the springform pan with baking paper. Blitz the Bastognekoeken until fine in a food processor.3. Melt the butter and mix the biscuit crumbs with the melted butter. Press this mixture evenly into the springform pan.4. Loosen the cream cheese in a mixing bowl. Separate the eggs into 2 different bowls and set the egg whites aside. Combine the cream cheese with the egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla in the mixing bowl and beat together with a mixer until smooth and well combined.5. Make sure another bowl is completely grease-free (wipe it out with a splash of vinegar on a piece of paper) and beat the egg whites in it until stiff. Carefully fold these into the cream cheese batter, then pour everything on top of the base.6. Place the tin in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Do not open the oven during baking — the cake will crack!7. Once the cake is done, let it cool completely. Then transfer to the fridge — it tastes best served cold. Just before serving, spread a layer of caramel on top and finish by scattering the salt flakes over the top. Who's ready for a slice?!