Caramel Pecan Pie Cheesecake

Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Line a 9” round springform pan with parchment paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
Make the crust by pulsing together graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter in a bowl (or food processor if crushing the graham crackers from whole sheets). Press the crust into the bottom and halfway up the sides of the prepared springform pan. Place the crust into the freezer to chill while the filling is being prepared.

In a 2 quart saucepan, melt ⅓ cup butter over medium heat.
Add the sugar, corn syrup, and pecans to the butter and stir to combine. Then add the eggs and vanilla. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes total. The mixture will come to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and continue simmering until the mixture turns golden brown and thickens. Do not overcook as the filling will become too thick and will be difficult to eat after being baked into the cheesecake. Stir constantly while the mixture is cooking to ensure it doesn’t stick or burn to the bottom or sides of the saucepan.
Spread the filling in an even layer across the bottom of the chilled graham cracker crust.

To make the cheesecake filling, beat together cream cheese and sugar until fluffy and combined. Mix in salt and flour.
Add sour cream and stir to combine.
By hand, gently stir in vanilla extract and one egg at a time until fully combined.
Scoop the cheesecake mixture evenly over the pecan filling mixture. Pouring the cheesecake into the center of the pecan pie filling will displace the pecan pie filling. Scoop in separate scoops over the top and then gently spread for an even layer.
Wrap the bottom of the springform pan in 1-2 layers of aluminum foil. Place the pan into a larger pan and pour water into the larger pan until it comes up about 1 inch around all sides of the springform pan, forming a water bath for the cheesecake.
Bake the cheesecake (in water bath) for 1 hour, until the cheesecake is just slightly jiggly.
Turn off the oven and leave everything inside with the oven door closed for 30 minutes. Then crack the door open for another 30 minutes while the oven and cheesecake cool. When cheesecake has cooled completely, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill 12 hours or overnight.
Remove cheesecake from the springform pan and prepare pecan topping.

In a small saucepan, melt together the butter, tablespoon of corn syrup, and brown sugar over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes longer. The mixture will become golden color. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and heavy cream until smooth. Stir in pecans and spread pecan topping over chilled cheesecake. Note: The longer the topping cooks, the thicker it will become, but keep in mind that the topping will thicken further as it cools.

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Storage: Store, loosely covered, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Notes:

Overbeating the cheesecake will add too much air to the batter, leading to it puffing during baking and then cracking while cooling.

The water bath helps the cheesecake cook into a nice smooth and creamy cheesecake.

Recipes inspired by https://lilluna.com/pecan-pie-cheesecake