Orange-Butterscotch Cheesecake

Orange-butterscotch cheesecake pulls off the rare trick of feeling both bright and deeply rich at the same time. The base is unusual and excellent, rolled oats blended with brown sugar and margarine press into the springform pan for a crust that’s more granola-bar than graham cracker, adding a faint nutty toast under the smooth filling. Cream cheese gets fragrant with two teaspoons of fresh orange zest, enough to perfume every bite without crossing into orange-extract territory. The real masterstroke is the homemade butterscotch glaze, brown sugar, corn syrup, and butter boiled to a glossy syrup, cooled until thick, and spooned over the chilled cake right before serving. The hot syrup must cool until just slightly thick before topping, too thin and it slides off, too cold and it cracks instead of pouring smooth. Plan an overnight chill for the cake itself, that long set is what gives you those clean, dense bakery-style slices.

Pro Tips

• Bring cream cheese, eggs, and the orange-zested mixture to true room temperature before mixing, cold cheese leaves lumps that no amount of beating fully cures.
• Beat the filling on low speed after the eggs go in, whipping air into the mixture is the main cause of cracks in the surface.
• Zest the orange before juicing if you need both, the zest is what carries the citrus aroma, with no bitter white pith.
• Substitute unsalted butter for the margarine in both the base and the topping for a richer, more refined finish.

Variations

• Add a tablespoon of fresh orange juice to the butterscotch topping for a more pronounced citrus note in the glaze.
• Stir half a cup of chopped toasted pecans into the oat crust for added crunch and warmth.
• Use maple syrup in place of corn syrup in the topping for a deeper, more complex sweetness.