There’s a very specific kind of creativity that comes from baking in Israel.
You learn to stop searching for the exact American ingredient list and start working with what’s actually sitting on the shelves at the makolet. No graham cracker crumbs. No blocks of Philadelphia cream cheese stacked six high at Target. Just tea biscuits, גבינה לבנה, instant pudding mix, and somehow… a cheesecake that tastes exactly like home.
This caramel cheesecake leans fully into the Israeli pantry. It’s creamy, light, nostalgic, and topped with a glossy layer of dulce de leche that makes it feel just a little bit extra without actually being complicated.
Made in a classic round springform pan, this is the kind of cake that quietly disappears one slice at a time.
20 Tea Biscuits, crushed
75 gr melted margarine
500 gr 5% Gvina Levana*
500 gr 9% Gvina Levana
6 eggs
1 package instant vanilla pudding
1 ½ c. sugar
Jar of Dulce de Leche
Preheat oven to 180°C or 350°F. Mix cookie crumb with melted margarine. Press down into 9-inch springform pan. Mix all the other ingredients and pour into pan. Bake 40-50 min. until the center looks solid. Let cake cool to room temperature.
Open a jar of caramel, heat in microwave for 20 seconds. Mix and pour onto cooled cake. Can be decorated with whipped cream.
*You can replace Gvina Levana with standard cream cheese (75 gr = 3/4 cup, 500 gr = 17.5 oz).