Celestial Cheese Cake

Carrot Cake Base

• 1 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs
• 3/4 cup finely grated carrots
• 1/4 cup of brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted

Sweet Potato & Maple Filling

• 24 ounces of Norman's Kosher Cholov Yisroel Cream Cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup mashed sweet potato
• 3/4 cup of granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup of maple syrup
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

Toffee Crunch Topping

• 1/2 cup of granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup of unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup of heavy cream, room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 cup of chopped pecans

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. In a bowl, mix together all of the ingredients for the carrot cake base. Pat the mixture firmly and evenly onto the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes until set and slightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add in the sweet potato, sugar, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and cinnamon, and beat until well combined. Add in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
4. Pour the filling into the pan over the cooled carrot cake base. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the edges of the cheesecake are set, but the center still has a slight jiggle. Remove from the oven and let cool for 30 minutes.
5. While the cheesecake cools, make the toffee crunch topping. In a medium saucepan, cook the sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it melts and turns golden brown. Be careful not to burn the sugar. Remove from heat and immediately stir in the butter until melted. Gradually stir in the heavy cream until smooth and well combined. Stir in the salt and chopped pecans. Let cool for 10-15 minutes or until thickened, but still pourable.
6. Drizzle the toffee crunch topping over the cooled cheesecake, spreading it evenly with a spatula. Chill the cheesecake in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, or until ready to serve.