Print  email 

Chocoholics will rejoice in this cheesecake

THE OLYMPIAN | • Published October 28, 2009

• Comments (0)

Do you get enough Vitamin C? You know, Chocolate?

If you could use a little boost, a Double Chocolate Cheesecake will do the trick. It will also help you, as they used to say, make friends and influence people.

Of course, it would be hard to imagine how you could stuff more fat grams into one little slice of cake. It’s very rich and one cake will serve 16 people cut into thin wedges. It’s the perfect cake to make if you want to run for prom queen, gather a few marriage proposals, or just provide a treat that will have people groaning with chocolate-induced bliss.

Begin by coating the bottom of a 9-inch diameter springform pan with cooking spray. Then use heavy duty aluminum foil to fold in half and wrap the outside of the pan right up to the top rim. Trim away the excess foil.

MAKE THE CRUST

Break up a package and a half of cinnamon graham crackers into your food processor bowl. If you are using a small food processor, do this in two or three batches. Pulse until the crackers are very finely ground. Just so you know, Trader Joe’s has the most fantastically crunchy cinnamon grahams and they make a wonderful crust. Use 20 of the crackers in the 16-ounce container.

Melt three-quarters of a stick of unsalted butter and add it to the cracker crumbs. I added a tablespoon of baking cocoa to the crumbs so the crust would be chocolaty too. Firmly press the crumbs into just the bottom of the springform pan, not up the sides. Refrigerate while you prepare the filling.

MAKE THE FILLING

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Measure a cup and a half of whipping cream into a medium saucepan over medium heat and add a teaspoon of instant coffee powder. Stir until coffee dissolves. Reduce heat to low and add a 12-ounce bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Whisk until the chocolate melts and is smooth. Cool for 10 minutes while finishing filling ingredients.

Using an electric mixer, beat two 8-ounce packages of cream cheese with three-quarters of a cup of sugar until well blended. Beat in a tablespoon of cornstarch. Add a cup of sour cream and two teaspoons vanilla extract; beat well. Add three eggs, one at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

Pour the melted chocolate mixture into cream cheese bowl and whisk together until smooth and well blended.

Pour the batter into the crust. Place springform pan in large baking pan. Add enough hot water to baking pan to come halfway up the sides of springform pan. Bake cheesecake until softly set and slightly puffed around the edges, about one hour. It will still jiggle in the middle but it will firm up when the cake is cold. Turn off oven. Let cake stand in oven 45 minutes. Transfer springform pan to rack and cool. Remove the side of the springform pan. Chill cake overnight.

MAKE THE GLAZE

Bring a half-cup whipping cream to a slow boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat. Add 4 ounces of chocolate chips (half cup) and whisk until melted and smooth. Pour glaze over the top of the chilled cake. Using a spatula, smooth the glaze evenly over the top, allowing it to drip down the sides. Refrigerate until glaze is set, at least two hours. This can be prepared a day ahead.

You will need to clean the knife after each cut. Scrape off the accumulated chocolate on the cutting knife onto each serving with a second, small knife. Then rinse the big knife in warm or hot water and proceed with the next cut.

Shopping List

Graham crackers (about 8 ounces)

Unsalted butter (3/4 stick)

Whipping cream (pint)

Instant coffee powder (1 teaspoon)

Chocolate chips (two 12-ounce bags)

Cream cheese (two 8-ounce packages)

Sour cream (one cup)

Eggs (3)

Pantry Items

Sugar (3/4 cup)

Cornstarch (1 tablespoon)

Vanilla extract (2 teaspoons)