Step 1

Preheat the oven to 180° C (356° F). For the base, mix the digestives with the melted butter in a bowl. Spoon the mixture into a 23cm cake pan and press firmly over the base with the back of a spoon. Chill in the fridge for 10 minutes.

Step 2

Beat the cream cheese until soft in a food processor (or with an electric hand mixer) and then add the remaining ingredients except for the caramel. Beat until very smooth. Gently pour the mixture over the set biscuit base. Sit the cheesecake in a roasting tin or cookie sheet pan. Beat the caramel in a small bowl and then gently swirl most of it into the creamy filling, saving a little for decoration.

Step 3

Pour very hot water into the roasting tin to come halfway up the sides of the cake tin. Bake in the center of the oven for 1 hour. Turn off the oven, without opening the door, and leave for 1 hour to set. Cool and then chill for 4 hours or overnight.

Step 4

For the topping, whip the cream, put into a piping bag with a medium star-shaped nozzle, and set aside. Melt the dulce de leche over low heat in a small saucepan with a splash of water until it can be drizzled (dulce de leche varies, so you may need to add more water). Place in a second piping bag (or plastic bag) and snip the very end of it to leave a tiny hole.

Step 5

Starting from the edge of the cake, swirl the dulce de leche sauce in a circular motion around the cake. Pipe 10-12 medium-sized swirls of whipped cream around the edge of the cheesecake and rest a fresh banana slice on each.