Firstly, I feel an impulse to do myself harm right now, because my kids broke for the summer vacation three days ago. Three LONG days ago. By issuing a challenge on my blog, I am merely resisting the urge to rip my own ears from my skull, lest I be forced yet again to hear a child issue those three words "I am bored!" Instead I am opening myself up to waves of online indignation, something along the lines of "You cannot be serious, because my recipe is ten times better than this one". Still masochism, but of the verbal variety. Crafty, eh?
Secondly, the last time I issued this kind of challenge, (see post on 4/12/13), I was pointed in the direction of an alternative recipe (see post on 5/24/13) which has now also entered my repertoire, and I am very glad to have it there. Yes, this is, in part, a ploy for people to send me equally delicious recipes to try.
The cheesecake in question here is undoubtedly a fine specimen. I mean just look at it, and I dare you not to salivate. In fact, fair warning, back away from the keyboard lest you dribble on your laptop:
Granted, the list of ingredients are enough to make your waistline quiver in anticipation of imminent expansion. But, for a special occasion, I highly recommend you try this cheesecake, waistline be damned. I am not a fan of many baked cheesecakes, as I find them grainy in texture. Not so here: this one is rich, smooth, and deliciously creamy. I found the recipe on Allrecipes.com, a frequent hang-out for recipe addicts like myself.
Chocolate Cappuccino Cheesecake
Crust:
1 cup chocolate wafer crumbs
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 TBSP white sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Middle:
3 8oz packages of cream cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
3 eggs
8 1oz squares of semisweet chocolate
2 TBSP whipping cream
1 cup sour cream
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp instant coffee granules, dissolved in 1/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup Kahlua (coffee-flavored liqueur)
2 tsp vanilla extract
Topping:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 TBSP powdered sugar
2 TBSP Kahlua
1 (1oz) square semisweet chocolate
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter one 9-10" springform pan.
2. Combine ingredients for crust. Mix well, and then press into base of prepared pan. Set aside.
3. In a medium sized bowl, beat softened cream cheese until smooth. Whilst continuing to beat, gradually add 1 cup white sugar until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating at low speed until mixture is very smooth.
4. Melt the semisweet chocolate with 2 TBSP whipping cream in a bowl set over a pan of boiling water. Stir until smooth.
5. Add chocolate mixture to cream cheese mixture and blend well. Stir in sour cream, salt, Kahlua, coffee and vanilla and beat until smooth.
6. Pour over crust in prepared pan.
7. Bake in the center of the oven for 45 minutes. Center will still be soft, but will firm up when chilled. Do not overbake! Leave in oven, with heat turned off and with door ajar, for a further 45 minutes. Then remove from oven and chill for 12 hours.
8. To make topping, beat cream until soft peaks form, and then add Kahlua and sugar and beat a little more until cream holds its shape, but isn't stiff. Use piping bag to pipe rosettes over top of cheesecake. Then sprinkle over grated chocolate.
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