Easy “Sopapilla” Cheesecake (Churro Cheesecake!)
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When it comes to desserts, churros certainly take the cake… cheesecake that is.
This incredibly simple churro cheesecake recipe is a spin on sopapilla – a fried, cinnamon sugar coated crispy bite of pastry with origins in Spanish culture. While this recipe is heavily Americanized with the use of canned pastry dough and combines the flaky pastries with a cheesecake filling, the flavors are still out-of-this-world delicious.
Making Churro Cheesecake
The most important step to this dessert – and many desserts using cream cheese for that matter – is to make sure the cream cheese is room temperature prior to starting. Nobody has time for a lumpy cheesecake!
If the cream cheese and eggs are brought to room temperature before mixing, they will cream together so much more efficiently leading to a silky smooth cheesecake filling.
It’s also super important to grease the pan super well before dusting the bottom of the pan completely and throughly with the cinnamon sugar mixture. If the pan hasn’t been greased enough, some of your cinnamon sugar will stick (even parts of my recipe weren’t quite perfect!).
The SECRET is in the DOUGH
The dough is the secret component that will leave your friends and family’s mouths agape when you tell them how the dough is made.
It’s Pillsbury sheet dough!
Yep – seriously. Using just two cans of sheet dough will give you the perfect light and crispy “sopapilla-esque” top and bottom layers. Just be sure to pinch together any tears for the perfect distribution of crust!
To prevent tearing, I recommend letting the canned dough come to room temperature with the cream cheese and eggs prior to baking.
What You NEED for the Perfect Churro Cheesecake
With just a few simple ingredients and a bit of patience, you will be well on your way to one of the most delicious desserts of all time.
- sheet dough – Pillsbury is the best brand but you can swap for store brands in a pinch
- cream cheese – make sure it is room temperature prior to mixing to avoid lumps
- eggs – these will help hold the cheesecake filling together
- vanilla – to give the filling a pop of flavor
- cinnamon sugar – make your own with a cup of sugar and four tablespoons cinnamon
- butter – for greasing the pan (very important!!!)
Easy “Sopapilla” Cheesecake (aka Churro Cheesecake!)
Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13 cakepan generously with cooking spray or butter. In a small bowl, whisk together one cup sugar and the cinnamon. Sprinkle about half of the mixture into the bottom of the greased pan. Reserve the rest for topping.
- Unroll one sheet of dough onto a sheet of waxpaper or silicone mat. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough approximately the same size as the top of the pan. Set aside.
- Unroll the other sheet of dough and press intothe bottom of the greased pan, on top of the cinnamon sugar. Press the dough all the way to the edges of the pan and pinch together any tears for a seamless bottom layer.
- In a large bowl, whip together the room temperature cream cheese, eggs, remaining cup of sugar and vanilla. Mix until creamy and smooth. Pour over the dough, spread all the way to the edges of the pan.
- Take the unrolled dough and use the wax sheet to place the dough face down on top of the cheesecake filling then peel off the wax paper. Sprinkle the rest of the cinnamon sugar in a thick, even layer across the top.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes, until the pastry is puffed up on top and golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and cool to roomtemperature before covering with foil and transferring to the fridge to chill for at least eight hours or until the cheesecake is fully set.
- Cut into slices, serve chilled and enjoy!
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