Speculoos is one of the things that is absolutely essential for me at Christmas season. This christmasy speculoos cheesecake is so incredibly luscious that I could eat it all the time. The crunchy speculoos butter crumbs on top are amazing and complete this cake perfectly.
As you can see, I am totally enchanted by this cheesecake. Once the cake is in the oven, your whole kitchen smells heavenly like butter and christmas spices, which makes it hard to wait until the cake is done.
What is indispensable for you in the holiday season?
Tools & Equipment
- 23cm / 9-inch springform pan
- Food processor
- Medium bowl
- Parchment paper
- Rolling pin
- Sharp knife
- Silicone spatula
- Stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment
- Wire rack
- Ziplock bag
Recipe Tips
Speculoos Cookies: in case you are not able to find the typical german speculoos cookies, you can use graham crackers or digestive biscuits instead and add the homemade speculoos spice to the crust (about 5g) and to the crumbs (about 3g).
Speculoos Spice: you can make your own speculoos spice at home. Therefore grind fennel seeds, orange and lemon zest. Add the other ground spices and mix well. Pour the speculoos spice into a jar until ready to use.
- Ingredients:
- 5g cinnamon
- 4g of each: ground nutmeg, ground cloves, ground coriander, ground cardamom and ground aniseed
- 3g of each: lemon zest and orange zest
- 2g of each: fennel seeds and ground allspice
Directions – How to Make Speculoos Cheesecake
Make the Crust
Preheat the oven to 180°C / 356°F. Line the baking pan with parchment and grease the sides. Weigh your ingredients. Put the cookies in a food processor and crush them until they are very fine.
Melt the butter in the microwave, then add the melted butter and salt to the speculoos sand and mix well.
Distribute the crumbs on the bottom of the baking pan and press down a little. Make a small rim about 3cm / 1,2-inch high along the sides. Bake for 10 minutes and then remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to 160°C / 320°F. Allow the crust to cool slightly.
Make the Crumbs
Place speculoos cookies into a ziplock plastic bag and seal it. Use a rolling pin to crush the cookies into small crumbs. Then melt butter and add it to the crumbs. Stir to combine.
Make the Filling
Gather your ingredients. In the bowl of a stand mixer beat together the cream cheese and both sugars on medium speed until smooth, for about 2 minutes.
Add vanilla and the eggs, one at a time, and beat on medium speed until completely smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Spread the cream cheese mixture on the crust and smooth it down. Carefully tap the pan onto the counter to release any bubbles. Bake for 50 minutes at 160°C / 320°F.
Remove the cheesecake from the oven and spread the butter crumbs evenly on top, bake for another 10 minutes. Turn off the oven and open it slightly. Let the cake cool down in the oven for about 1 1/2 hours.
Take the cheesecake out of the oven and place it in the fridge, preferably overnight. Run a sharp knife along the sides of the pan and release the cake.
Storage: keep the cheesecake under a cake dome or in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge. Freeze the cake in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
My Summary for Speculoos Cheesecake
Difficulty: simple.
Taste: this cheesecake is packed with christmas spices, when baked the whole kitchen smells like christmas. The speculoos flavor is quite delightful and not too overpowering thanks to the cream cheese filling.
Texture: the cake has a creamy filling and a crunchy crust and crumbles on top. A perfect combination of creamy and crunchy.
PROS: the recipe is simple and the cake is incredibly good.
CONS: none. I really can enjoy this cheesecake beyond the holiday season.
