Chocolate Cheesecake Tested Recipe ~ life Women

Chocolate Cheesecake Crust:

1 1/2 cups (150 grams) chocolate wafer crumbs

1/3 cup (75 grams) unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

12 ounces (340 grams) semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped

24 ounces (680 grams) (3 - 8 ounces packages) full fat cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar

3 large eggs, room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup (240 ml) full fat or light sour cream, room temperature

Ganache:

4 ounces (115 grams) semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1/3 cup (80 ml) heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon unsalted butter, room temperature

A Chocolate Cheesecake is a real showstopper with its three layers of chocolate. The first layer is a sandy textured chocolate crust made with crushed chocolate wafers mixed with a little melted butter. The middle layer is the main attraction. A chocolate cheesecake made with a knock-out combination of chocolate, cream cheese, sugar, eggs, and sour cream. It is sinfully chocolately yet with a delightfully tangy flavor that has a texture that will remind you of a thick, silky smooth chocolate mousse. Once baked, cooled, and chilled, the final chocolate layer is added. It is a mixture of cream and chocolate (really a ganache) that makes you think you are eating a chocolate truffle.

For let's get started on this Chocolate Cheesecake. For the chocolate crust all you need to do is process the chocolate wafers in your food processor and then add some melted butter to bind the crumbs together. You can use either homemade chocolate wafers (recipe here) or you can use a commercial brand. Next, the chocolate cheesecake layer, which is simply a matter of beating together room temperature cream cheese, sugar, melted chocolate, eggs, vanilla, and sour cream. The recipe was tested using full fat cream cheese and full fat sour cream.

Now, the type and brand of chocolate you use for both the cheesecake layer and top layer of ganache will determine the taste of both layers. So make sure you use a good quality chocolate that you enjoy eating out of hand. When choosing a chocolate, always look for one that has a lovely shiny finish (a sign that the chocolate was cooked at the right temperature for the right amount of time) and one that has that wonderful 'snap' when you break it into pieces. Bittersweet and semi-sweet chocolates contain at least 35% chocolate liquor in North America. The best chocolates can contain upwards of 50% chocolate liquor. The higher the content of chocolate liquor, the more rich and flavorful the chocolate. Keep in mind that bittersweet chocolate generally has a stronger, more bitter chocolate flavor than semi-sweet chocolate. That is because semi-sweet chocolate contains more sugar, however, because the amount of sugar is not regulated, what one manufacturer calls bittersweet may be called semi-sweet by another manufacturer. That is why tasting the chocolate is so important. Some popular brands I like are Callebaut, Guittard, Ghirardelli, Lindt, and Scharffen Berger.

Finally, although I have talked about the pitfalls of making a cheesecake before, I think it bears repeating. There seems to be two main problems with making cheesecakes, cracking and determining when to pull the cheesecake from the oven. First, let's talk about cracks on the surface of a baked cheesecake, as this is a common problem that is caused either by over beating the batter and/or by too much moisture being lost as the cheesecake bakes (over baking). In order to prevent cracks make sure to beat the ingredients at low speed because we do not want to incorporate a lot of air into the batter. All we want to do is to beat the ingredients until they are nice and smooth. As far as over baking of cheesecakes, this is a common problem made especially hard with a chocolate cheesecake. Use the baking time as a guide only as ovens do tend to vary. The thing to remember is that you want the cheesecake to be firm but, if you shake the pan gently, it should still wobble a little, and the center will still look a little wet. For even though the center may not look fully baked, once it cools it will firm up and be the correct consistency. Cheesecakes are cakes that should not to be eaten straight away as they need to cool and then be refrigerated for several hours, preferably overnight, so the flavors have time to blend and the texture becomes nice and firm.

Cheesecakes store very well and can be frozen. To freeze, place the cooled cheesecake on a baking pan and freeze, uncovered, until firm. Remove the cheesecake from the freezer, wrap it in heavy duty aluminum foil and place in a freezer bag. Seal and return to freezer. It can be frozen for several months. Thaw the uncovered cheesecake in the refrigerator overnight. The best way I have found to cut a cheesecake is to use a long knife that has been warmed in hot water. To do this, dip your knife in hot water, wipe the knife dry, and then cut the cheesecake. To cut another slice, again dip the knife in hot water, dry, and cut.

Chocolate Cheesecake: Butter or spray with a non stick vegetable spray, a 10 inch (25 cm) spring form pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) with rack in center of oven.

Crust: In a medium sized bowl combine the chocolate wafer crumbs and melted butter. Press the crumbs evenly over the bottom of the spring form pan. Cover and refrigerate while you make the filling.

For Filling: Melt the chopped chocolate in a stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, in the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer) beat the cream cheese, on medium low speed, until smooth. Gradually beat in the sugar. Add the melted chocolate and beat until fully incorporated. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well (about 30 seconds) after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla extract and sour cream and beat until thoroughly incorporated. Remove the crust from the refrigerator and pour in the filling. Place the cheesecake pan on a larger baking pan and place in the oven.

Bake for about 50 - 55 minutes or until firm yet the center of the cheesecake will still look a little wet and wobbly. Remove from oven and carefully run a knife or spatula around the inside edge of pan to loosen the cheesecake (helps prevent the surface from cracking as it cools). Let cool and then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours before covering with the ganache.

Ganache: Place the chopped chocolate in a stainless steel bowl. Heat the cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil. Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for a few minutes. Stir until smooth. Cool slightly and then pour over cheesecake. With an offset spatula or back of a spoon, evenly spread the ganache over the top of the cheesecake. Cover and return to the refrigerator for several hours or overnight. This cheesecake tastes best after being refrigerated for at least a day. Serve in small slices.

Serves at 12 - 16 people.

To freeze: Place the cooled cheesecake on a baking pan and freeze, uncovered, until firm. Remove the cheesecake from the freezer, wrap it in heavy duty aluminum foil and place in a freezer bag. Seal and return to freezer. Can be frozen for several months. Thaw uncovered cheesecake in the refrigerator overnight.

Adapted from:

Stern, Bonnie. Desserts. Random House of Canada Limited. Toronto: 1988.

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