Mary Berry’s millionaire’s cheesecake layers shortbread, boiled caramel, cream cheese filling, and chocolate ganache. The base bakes at 160°C (fan 140°C) but the cheesecake sets in the fridge. It serves 10–12 in a 20cm (8 in) tin.
Berry calls it “such an indulgent dessert” in Mary Berry Cooks (2014) and warns to “serve small portions.” She based this on millionaire’s shortbread, swapping the caramel slab for a cream cheese filling.
The caramel stage is the critical technique. Berry boils the caramel condensed milk with butter and sugar for exactly 4 minutes, “stirring constantly” to prevent catching. You should be able to “roll a tiny piece of caramel into a small, soft ball” when it’s ready.
Mary Berry Millionaire’s Cheesecake
Course: DessertCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy10-12
servings45
minutes35
minutes470
kcalFrom Mary Berry Cooks (2014), this four-layer cheesecake combines shortbread, caramel, cream cheese and dark chocolate. Berry’s description: “Oh my goodness, this is such an indulgent dessert.”
Ingredients
- For the shortbread base:
Butter, for greasing
100g (4 oz) plain flour
50g (2 oz) semolina
100g (4 oz) butter
50g (2 oz) caster sugar
- For the caramel:
25g (1 oz) butter
50g (2 oz) light muscovado sugar
1 x 397g tin caramel condensed milk
- For the cheesecake:
200ml (7 fl oz) double cream
2½ leaves of platinum grade leaf gelatine
300g (10 oz) full-fat cream cheese
- For the chocolate topping:
100ml (4 fl oz) double cream
100g (4 oz) dark chocolate (at least 50% cocoa solids), finely grated
Directions
- Preheat: Set the oven to 160°C (fan 140°C/Gas 3). Lightly butter a 20cm (8 in) round springform cake tin and line the base with baking paper.
- Make the base: Mix the flour and semolina together in a bowl. Add the butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar then bring everything together to make a smooth dough. Press into the base of the cake tin and smooth with the back of a spoon. Bake for 35 minutes until pale golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin.
- Make the caramel: Melt the butter in a medium pan, add the sugar and stir over a low heat until dissolved. Add the canned caramel and bring to the boil. Set the timer for 4 minutes and boil, stirring constantly, until the caramel has darkened and thickened slightly. Weigh 100g of the mixture into a bowl and set aside. Spread the remaining caramel over the cooled shortbread base while still in the tin. Leave to set for 30 minutes.
- Make the filling: Place the reserved caramel back into the pan and add 100ml double cream. Place over a very low heat and stir until the caramel has dissolved. Place the gelatine in 4 tablespoons of cold water and leave for 10 minutes to soften. Remove from the water, shake off excess, and stir into the hot cream and caramel until dissolved.
- Assemble: Beat the remaining cream and cream cheese together until smooth, then stir in the cream and caramel mixture. Pour over the caramel in the cake tin and leave for 2 hours until set.
- Make the topping: Warm the cream in a small pan until hot but not boiling. Add the chocolate and stir until melted and smooth. Allow to cool a little so it won’t melt the cheesecake. Pour over the cheesecake and leave to set in the fridge for at least 2 hours, ideally 6 hours.
FAQs
Why does Berry make her own shortbread base instead of using biscuits?
Berry’s millionaire’s shortbread always starts with a homemade base, and she carries that over to this cheesecake. The semolina in her shortbread recipe gives a sandy, crumbly texture that holds up under the weight of the caramel without going soggy, which crushed digestive biscuits would do within a day.
The other advantage is structural. A baked shortbread base is firmer than a butter-and-crumb base, so it supports four layers (shortbread, caramel, cheesecake, chocolate) without collapsing when you slice. Berry is right that it’s “best removed from the tin at the last minute.”
How do I know when the caramel is ready?
Berry gives two tests. First, “you should be able to draw a path through the caramel and see the base of the pan easily.” Second, “after 5–10 minutes you should be able to roll a tiny piece of caramel into a small, soft ball.” If it’s still too loose, cook for 1 minute more.
The 4-minute boil time is a guide, not an absolute. Berry says to stir constantly “particularly around the edge of the pan where it may catch.” I’ve found the caramel reaches the right consistency closer to 5 minutes on my hob, so watch the texture rather than the clock.
What gelatine should I use?
Berry uses platinum grade leaf gelatine and provides a specific conversion: “5 leaves of gelatine to set 600ml (1 pint)” for platinum grade, vs “12 leaves to set 600ml” for regular grade. For this recipe, she uses 2½ platinum leaves (or 6 regular leaves). The gelatine softens in cold water for 10 minutes before being stirred into the warm cream and caramel.
If you only have powdered gelatine, use about 1½ teaspoons (roughly 5g) sprinkled over the cold water. Let it sponge for 10 minutes, then dissolve it by standing the bowl in simmering water before stirring into the cream mixture.
What does Berry mean by “it is rather gooey”?
Berry’s headnote warns this cheesecake is “rather gooey” and “is best removed from the tin at the last minute to avoid accidents.” She’s describing the caramel layer, which stays soft at room temperature. If you unmould the cheesecake too early, the caramel warms and the layers can slide apart.
Keep it in the fridge right up until serving. Slice it cold with a sharp knife dipped in hot water between cuts. Berry herself notes “you may find that the caramel will melt slightly where it meets the cheesecake, but this just makes it more delicious.”
Can I use a different chocolate for the topping?
Berry specifies “dark chocolate (at least 50 per cent cocoa solids)” and says to grate it finely so it melts evenly into the warm cream. Anything between 50% and 70% works well. Below 50%, the topping won’t set firmly enough. Above 70%, it can taste bitter against the already-sweet caramel.
The topping is essentially a ganache: equal parts cream and chocolate warmed together. Let it cool until it thickens slightly before pouring, because hot ganache will melt the gelatine-set cheesecake layer underneath. Berry’s instruction to “allow to cool a little” is essential.
How does this compare to regular millionaire’s shortbread?
The shortbread base and caramel method are identical to Berry’s classic millionaire’s shortbread recipe. The difference is the middle layer: shortbread uses a thick slab of set caramel, while this cheesecake replaces it with a cream cheese filling enriched with some of the same caramel. The chocolate topping is thinner here, more of a glaze than the thick chocolate layer on shortbread.
Berry writes that she “combined the flavours of the two” because “cheesecakes are great favourites, and who doesn’t love a slice of millionaire’s shortbread?” It’s her own invention, not a traditional recipe, and it’s one of the more creative desserts in Mary Berry Cooks.
