Bananas Foster Cheesecake

Instructions

For the Brown Butter

Add the butter to a pot and heat it over medium heat. Allow the butter to melt and come to a simmer. Simmer until the butter is foamy, giving off a nutty scent and has browned. The whole process should take about 5 minutes. Remove the butter from the heat and transfer it to a small bowl.
1/2 cup (112 g) unsalted butter

For the Brown Sugar Cinnamon Filling

Add the softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and flour to a small bowl. Mix with an electric mixer until combined. Set aside.
1/2 cup (112 g) unsalted butter, softened, 1 cup (220 g) light brown sugar, 1 tbsp cinnamon, 1/3 cup (42 g) all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

For the Crust

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare your 9-inch springform pan by wrapping the bottom and edges of it with aluminum foil. I recommend at least using 4 sheets of foil, but I always do 8-10 to be EXTRA sure no water will seep into the pan while the cheesecake bakes. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor until finely ground. Then add in the melted butter and brown sugar and pulse until combined.
16 (240 g) graham crackers, full sheets, 10 tbsp (140 g) unsalted butter, melted, 2 tbsp (28 g) brown sugar
Press the graham cracker crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of the pan, about 1 inch. (A 1/4 measuring cup really helps with this step). Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then let it cool.

For the Banana Cheesecake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees if it's not still preheated from the crust.
In a large bowl of a stand mixer, mix the cream cheese, brown sugar, granulated white sugar and cornstarch together with a paddle attachment on medium speed for two minutes until everything is smooth and there are no lumps. (You can alternatively use a hand mixer.) Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure everything has been mixed well.
32 oz (907 g) cream cheese, softened, 3/4 cup (165 g) brown sugar, packed, 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated white sugar, 2 tbsp (16 g) cornstarch
Add the mashed bananas, brown butter, sour cream, cinnamon, vanilla and rum extract to the cream cheese mixture and mix for 1 minute on medium speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of bowl again to ensure everything is mixed together.
1 cup (250 g) very ripe bananas, mashed, 1/3 cup (82 g) sour cream, at room temperature, 1 tbsp cinnamon, 1 tbsp vanilla extract, 2 tsp rum extract
At this point, stop and put a pot of water on the stove to start boiling for the water bath. You will want enough water to go up about 1 ½ inches on the sides of the springform pan.
Next add in the eggs and egg yolks one at a time to the cheesecake batter. Mix on medium speed, ensuring that each is fully mixed in before adding the next. As soon as the last one is fully mixed in, turn off the mixer. Do not over mix the batter.
3 whole eggs, at room temperature, 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
Pour 1/3 of the cheesecake batter into the prepared crust. Sprinkle 1/3 of the cinnamon filling over the cheesecake batter. Pour 1/3 of the cheesecake batter over this layer and top with 1/3 of the cinnamon filling. Repeat the step once more, then gently swirl the cinnamon filling and cheesecake batter with a butter knife.
Place the cheesecake in a large roasting pan. Transfer to the oven and pour the hot water into the pan being very careful not to splash the cheesecake.
Bake the cheesecake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. When 1 hour is up, turn off the oven and crack the oven door open using a wooden utensil. Let the cheesecake stay in the oven for 1 more hour. The cheesecake will continue to bake as it is cooling.
Remove cheesecake from oven and go around the edges of the pan with a butter knife to loosen the crust from the sides of the pan. Let it cool completely on a wire rack. Cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, then chill the cheesecake in the fridge for 8 hours, or overnight.

For the Bananas Foster Topping

Add the butter and brown sugar to a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and let simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6 tbsp (84 g) unsalted butter, 1/2 cup (110 g) brown sugar, packed
Reduce to medium low heat and mix in the cream. Let the mixture simmer for 1-2 minutes. Then mix in the rum extract, vanilla and a pinch of salt.
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp (150 ml) heavy cream, 1/2 tsp rum extract, 1 tsp vanilla extract, pinch of salt
Add in the banana slices and let them simmer for 6-8 minutes until the bananas are slightly transparent. Occasionally, gently stir them being careful not to mash them together. Remove from the heat and allow the caramel and bananas to cool completely.
2 barely ripe large bananas, sliced

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

Add the butter to a medium sized mixing bowl. Mix the butter with an electric mixer on high speed until pale in color and fluffy, 5-10 minutes.
1/2 cup (112 g) unsalted butter, softened
Add in the cream cheese and mix on medium speed until combined.
4 oz (113 g) cream cheese, cold
Sift in the powdered sugar a little at a time until and mix on low speed until all is combined. Then mix on high speed until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a decorative tip. (My favorite is my Wilton 1M tip.)
1 1/2 cups (195 g) powdered sugar

Assembling the Cheesecake

Transfer the cheesecake to a serving plate. Pipe the cream cheese frosting around the top edges of the cheesecake. Pour the bananas foster topping on top of the cheesecake between the frosting. Then serve!

Ingredients

For the Brown Butter

For the Brown Sugar Cinnamon Filling

For the Crust

For the Banana Cheesecake

For the Bananas Foster Topping

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

Instructions

For the Brown Butter

For the Brown Sugar Cinnamon Filling

For the Crust

For the Banana Cheesecake

For the Bananas Foster Topping

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

Assembling the Cheesecake