Preheat oven to 350* F. Spray a 9 inch springform pan with baker’s spray and wrap the pan tightly with aluminum foil all the way up the edges. Fill a 9x13 oven safe pan with 2 cups of hot water. Set both pans aside.
In a large mixing bowl combine the chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs, unsalted melted butter and salt. Stir to combine.
Press the cookie crumbs tightly into the bottom of the springform pan in an even layer. Bake the crust for 10 minutes. While your crust is baking you will make your cheesecake filling.
In another large mixing bowl, using a handheld mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese for 1-2 minutes or until smooth and fluffy. Add the granulated sugar and beat for another minute to fully incorporate.
To the cream cheese add the eggs, one at a time, beating on low to fully incorporate each egg before adding the next one.
Add the vanilla extract, heavy cream and all-purpose flour and beat, on low, for an additional minute to make a smooth and creamy cheesecake filling. Be careful not to over beat the batter because you do not want to add too much air into your cheesecake batter.
Once your chocolate cookie crust has been removed from the oven you will turn your oven temperature down to 325* F. Place the 9x13 water filled baking pan onto the lowest rack in your oven. This will provide the moisture needed for your cheesecake to bake evenly in the oven.
Slowly pour the cheesecake batter over the baked crust in the springform pan. Smooth the top of the cheesecake and bake for 1 hour.
After 1 hour you will turn off your oven and allow your cheesecake to finish baking for an additional 30 minutes as your oven slowly cools down.
Remove your cheesecake from the oven and allow it to cool on the counter, on a cooling rack, for 1 hour before transferring it to the refrigerator to chill for a minimum of 10 hours or up to overnight. You will want to remove the aluminum foil that was wrapped around the springform pan to allow any excess moisture to evaporate that may have been trapped in the foil during baking.
Once your cheesecake has chilled fully, and set up completely, you can remove the outer ring of the springform pan and place the cheesecake onto a serving platter.
To make the caramel topping combine the dulce de leche caramel sauce and heavy cream in a small, microwave safe, bowl. Heat in the microwave for 45 seconds. Stir to fully combine.
Spread the caramel topping into the center of the cheesecake going all the way to the very edge of the cheesecake.
Garnish the caramel covered cheesecake with a decoration of (16)whipped cream circles around the edges and a Rolo candy in the center of each whipped cream circle.
Notes
It is important that you use full-fat cream cheese when making this cheesecake. The low-fat, or no-fat, varieties have added moisture to them and that alters the way the cheesecake bakes.
You can swap out the chocolate cookie crumbs for graham cracker crumbs in this recipe. You will want to reduce the graham cracker crumbs to 2 cups and add 2 tablespoons granulated sugar to the melted butter.
You can use a jarred salted caramel ice cream topping in place of the dulce de leche. Choose the thickest brand you can find; we suggest Smucker's salted caramel topping. It is thinner than dulce de leche, so start with a little less than the recipe calls for and add more only if the top is not covered. Too much will run down the side.
If you do not want to make a stabilized whipped cream for your garnish then you can substitute a can of squirt heavy cream whipped topping or Cool-whip. You will want to wait on garnishing your cheesecake with these alternatives until just before you are ready to slice and serve. The stabilized whipped cream will hold up on your cheesecake beautifully for 2-3 days before it starts to break down.
If you love the idea of candy bar inspired cheesecakes, I think you’ll really like my Snickers Cheesecake, too. It has that little bit of salty peanut crunch that’s so good with the creamy filling.